Our Story
PolkaDots Nurseries in Kentish Town are family run nurseries started by mother and daughter team Kathleen O’Shea and Grace Prendergast.
Both fully qualified teachers and Early Years specialists, Kath and Grace wanted to bring their teaching skills and years of experience to the world of Early Years and design a nursery with children at the heart of the learning experience.
So in 2014, they teamed up to start their own nursery school and PolkaDots was born!
7 years later, Grace has since gone on to start her own family and PolkaDots now has a fantastic group of experienced and caring staff who make up our team. Click here to meet them!
“My daughter loves this place. She always tells me how they change the toys every day for different experiences. She always comes home happy! It’s like a hidden gem in Kentish Town. I wish I found this place earlier:)”
Minna Nummelin, February 2021
Google Review 5 Stars
Our Nurseries
Since moving from our original Chalk Farm nursery, PolkaDots has opened two nurseries in Kentish Town – Athlone Hall and Cresswood Hall. Both our nurseries are open during term time (our online Calendar has this year’s term dates) and run from 9am to 3pm.
Our settings are ideal nursery spaces. Their open design encourages free-flow play, both indoors and outside in our garden areas. Our nurseries are large enough that older children never tire of exploring different activities but are still a size that mean younger children (especially those just settling in) are never overwhelmed.
Our children move between the variety of Early Years resources and carefully planned activities set out each day, free to play and learn independently or engage in adult led activity stations. Under the warm, caring supervision of our excellent team, PolkaDots’ mixed age range (from 2 up to 5 years-old) creates a special atmosphere where children thrive by sharing and learning from the best teachers possible – each other!
Why not book a tour at one of our nurseries?
Our Philosophy
Our aim is to Educate, Nurture & Inspire children. Here are some of the ways we do that at PolkaDots…
- Supporting children to make them feel good about themselves and the choices they make, and so reinforcing their sense of identity and self worth
- Providing opportunities for children to play, to talk, to experiment, and investigate
- To help children build up their mathematical understanding and to develop intellectually and physically as well as socially, emotionally and spiritually
- Developing children’s natural curiosity in the world around them through first hand experiences with a variety of materials
- Developing a “Can Do” attitude towards learning
- Providing a curriculum based on the Early Years Foundation Stage
- Giving children choices in their learning
- Observing, supporting, encouraging and extending children’s learning – each child is assigned a Key Person from our team
- Providing opportunities for outings, to Kentish Town City Farm for example
- Encouraging negotiation and helping children with the skills to resolve conflict with others: adults with children, children with adults and children with children
- Enabling children to have fun and enjoy their time with us
- Learning through play
Come see inside our Athlone Hall and Cresswood Hall Nurseries
Find out about PolkaDots’ classes and activities, like yoga and dance! Or read about our fees and enrolment process…
PolkaDots@ Cresswood
Cresswood Hall, Gillies Street
Kentish Town, London
NW5 4DP
07398000267
nurserypolkadots@gmail.com
PolkaDots@Athlone
Athlone Hall, Athlone Street
Kentish Town, London
NW5 4LS
07398000267
polkadotsathlone@gmail.com
Polkadots Nursery 