Hackney Downs Nursery
Lee House,
6-6a Rectory Road,
Hackney Downs, N16 7QS
Open 51 weeks
Standard hours: 8am – 6pm, Mon – Fri
Extended hours*: 7am – 7pm
A nursery designed for children, loved by families
Welcome to our Hackney nursery, located in a beautiful listed building with a huge garden, right in the heart of Hackney Downs. A sensitive restoration of a period building, our space is filled with character while also being purpose-built to support every element of our N Curriculum.
Inside, seven large family rooms and our N Atelier - a dedicated studio for bringing our wonderfully-messy N Extras to life - are filled with natural light. At the bottom of the garden, our brand-new outdoor pod is equipped with N Curriculum resources for preschool and school-ready learning. The enormous garden is packed full of features including a dedicated wood-chipped Forest School area complete with a mud kitchen and vegetable and fruit patches, a baby area with plenty of shade, fruit trees, and a climbing frame to support gross motor skills and exploration.
We’re all about making things easier for our families, and the car park, buggy, bike, and scooter stores mean you can head off hands-free after drop-off. Even better, our welcoming N Café will serve (much-needed!) coffee and snacks, meaning you’ll be set up for the day in just the right way!
Open longer
Our standard day is 8am to 6pm. We also offer the option to do 7am to 7pm to ensure flexibility for our families, subject to availability.
Our standard day is 8am to 6pm. We also offer the option to do 7am to 7pm to ensure flexibility for our families, subject to availability.
The great outdoors
Discover our huge garden, complete with a climbing structure, dedicated Forest School area and a baby zone.
Discover our huge garden, complete with a climbing structure, dedicated Forest School area and a baby zone.
Beautiful spaces
A sensitive restoration of a period building filled with character while equally purpose-built to support every element of our early years curriculum.
A sensitive restoration of a period building filled with character while equally purpose-built to support every element of our early years curriculum.
Balanced meals
Our curated menus are freshly prepared and cooked on-site.
Our curated menus are freshly prepared and cooked on-site.
N Café
Pick up a tea, coffee and snack as you drop-off, and meet other N families.
Pick up a tea, coffee and snack as you drop-off, and meet other N families.
Hear what our families love about N
Meet our N Hackney Downs management team
Natalia
Nursery Manager
Natalia is a passionate advocate for early childhood education. With over 12 years of experience and a Level 4 Montessori qualification, she specializes in creating enriching learning environments. Her approach is heavily inspired by outdoor learning and the Forest School philosophy, focusing on hands-on experiences that help every child reach their full potential. When she's not leading the nursery team, she's busy applying these same principles as a proud mother of two young boys.
Jodie
Education Manager
Jodie is very excited to be working here at Hackney Downs. She has worked with children for 17 years, including roles as an Early Years Manager and an Early Years Lead. She has a real passion for Early Years education and loves supporting children in their learning and development. She also has a love for Spanish and enjoys sharing languages and cultures with young children. She also loves whimsical children's literature and is a big fan of musicals!
Nia-Marie
Front Of House
Nia-Marie is thrilled to be part of a team that supports children during such an important stage of their development. She’s especially excited to grow and develop her skills within the early years sector, contributing to a welcoming and nurturing environment for families and team alike. Outside of work, she enjoys spending quality time with her family, reading, and keeping active at the gym.
Monthly fees
Minimum 3 full days, including a Monday or Friday. Fees last updated 28/10/2025
3 days | £1714.88 |
4 days | £2172.18 |
Full time (5 days) | £2643.77 |
3 days | £1714.88 |
4 days | £2172.18 |
Full time (5 days) | £2643.77 |
3 days | £1581.00 |
4 days | £2002.60 |
Full time (5 days) | £2437.38 |
3 days | £437.29 |
4 days | £958.47 |
Full time (5 days) | £1462.00 |
Food All meals, snacks and drinks consumed at nursery, including formula milk. | £0.00 |
Non-food consumables All nappies, wipes, nappy cream, sun cream and emergency medication. | £0.00 |
Activities All extra-curricular activities taking place at nursery, including our N Extras, Atelier time, safety squad, and so much more! | £0.00 |
3 days | £681.67 |
4 days | £1190.63 |
Full time (5 days) | £1688.05 |
Food All meals, snacks and drinks consumed at nursery, including formula milk. | £7.00 |
Non-food consumables All nappies, wipes, nappy cream, sun cream and emergency medication. | £3.00 |
Activities All extra-curricular activities taking place at nursery, including our N Extras, Atelier time, safety squad, and so much more! | £15.72 |
2 days | £677.10 |
3 days | £1204.10 |
4 days | £1644.55 |
Full time (5 days) | £2088.74 |
3 days | £827.73 |
4 days | £1286.99 |
Full time (5 days) | £1740.60 |
Food All meals, snacks and drinks consumed at nursery, including formula milk. | £11.70 |
Non-food consumables All nappies, wipes, nappy cream, sun cream and emergency medication. | £3.00 |
Activities All extra-curricular activities taking place at nursery, including our N Extras, Atelier time, safety squad, and so much more! | £30.00 |
Whilst the Government funding is structured for 38 weeks of the year (term time), our places are for 51 weeks of the year and so the funding is 'stretched'. When stretched, 15 funded hours become 11.18 hours per week, and 30 funded hours become 22.35 hours per week.
Additional charges apply only to the portion of your place covered by funded hours, and are reflected in the monthly breakdown above. Any additional private days will be charged at our standard all-inclusive daily rate. Families receiving funding may choose to opt out of additional charges – please speak with your Nursery Manager or our Admissions team for more information.
Families can assess their eligibility for funding and the application process by visiting the Better Start in Life website.
For more information about available funding, please go to our Funding and bursaries page.
Please note: a multi-day discount has been applied to all 4 and 5 day places. For funded places, a discount has been applied to the additional charges (age group dependent). Fees are calculated based on the 51 weeks of the year that N is open, averaged into 12 monthly payments. Monthly payments will include bank and public holidays as well as inset days, which are payable in full in spite of closure, as our monthly staffing costs remain the same.
Processing Information
Day Rates
Under 3 years: £134.50 per standard day
3 years+: £124.00 per standard day
Fees include all food, drink, consumables and activities.
Making payments
Fees are due in advance, and we issue invoices mid-month for the following month with Direct Debits taken on the 27th of each month. For Payments via Tax-Free childcare or Childcare Vouchers, fees are due by the last day of the month. Unfortunately there can be no refunds for sickness or holidays. Any fee increases will be communicated 2 months before affecting your invoice and are based on the nursery’s running costs.
Flexibility
You can extend the standard day (8-6pm) by up to an hour each way at the same hourly rate on a pay as you go basis - i.e. £13.45/hr for under 3s or £12.40/hr for 3 years+; equivalent to £3.36/15mins or £3.10/15mins.
Joining fees
To join the waiting list at N, families are required to pay a waiting list registration fee of £350.
On accepting a place, this fee will become a non-refundable joining fee, and you’ll be asked to pay a £400 place acceptance fee, which will be deducted from your final invoice.
Funding eligibility deadlines
Families who are eligible for the 30 hours of funding are responsible for applying for a positive determination of eligibility from HMRC - e.g. a valid eligibility code. You must apply for the code before the 30th of the term before in order for the code to be eligible. The term start dates are 1st January, 1st April, and 1st September. The eligibility code must be provided to us before your child's early years funding can be claimed.
