Lanterns Arts & Educational Nursery

What sets Lanterns apart is its unique, arts-focused culture, and no screen policy, which is simply incomparable to anywhere else we saw. And so much space for my boy to run around! and the level of care is so personal, my boy did not even cry since the settling in period.

We had a bad experience and decided not to proceed after 2 induction sessions. Areas of concern: 1) Inadequate staff ratios - at the time of settling, there were only 3 permanent staff members for 12 babies, and more babies were expected to join in a month; at times, 1 person was looking after 4-5 babies; 2) Unsafe toys - all toys looked battered and dirty, some even had pictures torn off and glue being exposed for babies to lick; 3) Lack of key person - the manager told us not to expect a key person assigned to our baby for at least a month; 4) No outcome-based development - there were no structured activities for babies other than 20 min free play in the dancing room, and staff was just moving then from one room to another but mostly babies were left to entertain themselves; 5) No outdoors time - none of the babies were taken outdoors in winter or spring; we were told they occasionally go in summer; 6) Unhygienic practices - It doesn’t seem that the baby room gets cleaned very often.

The children have to sit in their seat for 30 minutes during mealtimes whether or not they are eating or have a poo in their nappy, and if they can’t do this they are spoken to and handled inappropriately.

My daughter loves the nursery and so do I. The staff are caring, skilled and affectionate. They have a soft play room, dance room, paint room and so many educational toys. They also have an outdoor area. My experience has been nothing short of brilliant.

My daughter has shown immense mental and emotional development after she started going to the nursery. She loves going to the nursery and most of the time doesn't want to leave the place. The warmth and care shown by the staff is wonderful. Also, the various events planned by the nursery which includes parents makes us feel inclusive. In addition to all the other benefits, i have not seen a nursery of this size in London. Each year has separate rooms which helps with individual attention. And then there is a separate dining space, soft play room, dance studio and outside play area. I highly recommend this place to everyone looking for a nursery in Canary Wharf Area.

I cannot recommend Lantern Arts Nursery enough. I had a bad experience with another nursery in the area and was really dubious about leaving my daughter again after working from home for a few months. I arranged to meet the team and have a look around and I instantly fell in love with the place. I am always kept up to date with what she has been up to during the day and her confidence is growing massively. She no longer cries when I drop her off like at the previous nursery and it's so lovely to see how much she is benefiting from being around other children after a long stretch of home working.

During the lockdown, they asked parents to pay 50%.