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Our Nursery

Welcome to Mara Nursery and Event Space!

Our beautiful, brand new, purpose-built building is light, airy and inviting with a wraparound garden for your child to enjoy.

We are located just off Whetstone High Road; we have ample parking, but we are also a short walk from Totteridge and Whetstone tube station and are well served by various bus routes.



How It Works

Mara Nursery is a place with Children at the heart, inspired by the best memories of childhood everyone has. Play together, learn through risks and achieve growth.

Our Flexi-hours service allows you to book ahead for times that suit your child.

Our highly trained, nurturing and qualified staff are constantly developing and innovating as a team. Staff knowledge and training is of paramount importance and the Nursery is committed to an ongoing professional staff development programme to ensure that we are continually up to date. All our staff are trained in Paediatric First Aid, Child Protection and Food Hygiene. So rest assured, when your child begins their journey at Mara Nursery, they are in a home from home.



All of our staff are paediatric first aid trained

Safe & Flexible Nursery

Our Nursery Fees

MARA NURSERY - Fixed



1 year to 2 years

£98 per day (8am - 6pm ONLY)

£52 per morning (8am - 12pm)

£52 per afternoon (1.30pm - 6pm)

2 yrs - 3yrs

£98 per day (8am - 6pm)

£52 per morning (8am - 12pm)

£52 per afternoon (1.30pm - 6pm)

3 yrs plus

£88 per day (8am - 6pm)

£50 per morning (8am - 12pm)

£50 per afternoon (1.30pm - 6pm)

Our fees include: All meals, snacks, milk and first formula milks wipes and nappies up to Size 6.

Please note that our fees for Under 3's are slightly more expensive as we need a higher staff to child ratio

Set hours must be agreed in advanced and booked via our FAMLY app that you will be sent a link to. You will receive an invoice at the end of each month and your invoice must be paid by the 5th of each month or you may be subject to a late fee charge. Your monthly bill is calculated on your weekly set hours, multiplied by 52 and divided by 12.

Available Discounts

NHS Staff - 10% off fees

Full time space - 10% off fees

Sibling discount - 12% off fees for eldest sibling

Meet The Team

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How to book

You can book using our Famly App. This app keeps parents in the loop and saves staff hours every day. With personal news feeds, care updates, invoices, payment processing, messaging, registration and so much more, Famly helps staff say goodbye to paperwork and hello to more time with the children.

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Funding

Your child may be eligible to receive 15 or 30 hours of free government funded childcare.

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Tax free childcare

Tax free childcare is a method of paying childcare costs (including your nursery invoice) which provides a significant saving each month. It can be used alongside both 15 and 30 hours of funding.

The eligibility criteria closely follows that of 30 hours funding. However, unlike 30 hours funding, it is available to all nursery age children. Full details of eligibility can be found here

We also offer a 10% discount to all NHS Staff

Workplace Nursery Incentive

We are excited to inform you about our partnership with 'Enjoy Benefits'. If you are working for yourself, are able to pay yourself through PAYE & use the co working hub as your workplace, then you could save up to £2700 per annum by using this scheme. Please take a look at this link for more information and if you need to call Enjoy Benefits, they can take you through the registration process which is very simple. This is a completely free benefit. Our nursery also benefits as we get an allowance from this scheme to spend on equipment.

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Mara Nursery proudly support Sebby’s Corner

Runnerbeans

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Wild Yams

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Sweetpeas

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Elderberries

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Our Nursery

Example of Curriculum

At Mara Nursery we follow the Curiosity Approach and Planning in the Moment.

Following is a brief description of each.

If you would like more information, please contact us by email: info@maranursery.com.

A Baseline assessment is completed with the parent after the child’s initial six weeks in the nursery. This entails a zoom meeting between the parent and the child’s key person.

Planning: children are planned for individually. Each child is ‘focused’ on regularly. Parents are invited to help us to decide on the child’s next steps of learning which are facilitated during the two-week focus period.

We carry out three types of observations which help us to support the focus child’s learning and development.

  • Objective led planning - when we work with the child we will have the identified next step in mind. We follow the child’s interest to support their learning.
  • Planning in the moment – this is when we notice an opportunity to support the child’s learning during their play, this may or may not be linked to their next step.
  • Spontaneous observations – we notice something the child is doing that we wish to record but we do not feel it appropriate or necessary to intervene.

Information including observations and photographs are entered onto a Nursery software programme called Famly which parents have access to. Parents can also add their own photos and information.

Running alongside the work we do with the Focus Children we have pre-planned Continuous Provision. Each age group (room) has a personalised Continuous Provision plan. The Continuous Provision plan offers age-appropriate ideas for activities in selected areas of learning to ensure we are offering the children a broad, rich curriculum full of exciting provocations to play and learn.

Workshop style opportunities run alongside to facilitate independent learning. Continuous Provision is on a 6-weekly cycle, it is flexible and adapted to meet children’s needs and interests.

The Curiosity Approach

Curiosity is the very foundation of learning. It is what drives children in the early years to explore, do, and think for themselves. It is the key to fostering that curiosity lies in the way you set out your environment.

In a Curiosity Approach setting, you won’t find brightly coloured walls and hundreds of shiny plastic toys. Instead, you will see wooden materials, natural resources, and neutral backgrounds that allow the colour to shine. Of course, stimulation is key to developing little brains and building those connections that help them learn. But bright, busy and plastic provisions are not doing it in the right way. Plastic all smells the same and feels the same. On the other hand, if you are recycling and sourcing open-ended resources and natural materials you are bringing different elements, textures, feels and smells. A sense of curiosity and wonder will come with it.

Summer Menu

Snack offered at 9:30am: berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) or natural yoghurt with milk or water
Week 1 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Lunch 11.30 *Mediterranean Mackerel Pasta

Served with vegetables

Vegetarian option: Vegetable Pasta
Mild vegetable curry with cauliflower/potato mash

Poppadoms Crunchy Carrot sticks
Bulgur wheat and mince turkey, served with pepper slices

Vegetarian option: Meat free mince
Sesame fish balls served with crunchy carrots, cucumber slices and peas

Vegetarian option: Potato cake and quorn
Seasoned lemon chicken drumsticks with sweet potato wedges and peas

Vegetarian option: Falafel balls
Snack offered after 2pm Fresh veg sticks, homemade dip served with whole milk or water.
Tea - Light Meal 4.15 Savoury shredded chicken & veg pancakes

Served with Cottage Cheese
Minced beef pepper, courgette, and cheese quesadilla served with tomatoes and veg sticks

Vegetarian option: Vegetable and cheese
*Orzo with Parmesan and Peas *Lentil Bolognese Selection of wholemeal wraps served with vegetable sticks & dips

Homemade guacamole or hummus

Options, Tuna & sweetcorn mayo
Snack offered at 9:30am: berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) or natural yoghurt with milk or water
Week 1 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Lunch 11.30 *Mediterranean Mackerel Pasta

Served with vegetables

Vegetarian option: Vegetable Pasta
Mild vegetable curry with cauliflower/potato mash

Poppadoms Crunchy Carrot sticks
Bulgur wheat and mince turkey, served with pepper slices

Vegetarian option: Meat free mince
Snack offered after 2pm Fresh veg sticks, homemade dip served with whole milk or water.
Tea - Light Meal 4.15 Savoury shredded chicken & veg pancakes

Served with Cottage Cheese
Minced beef pepper, courgette, and cheese quesadilla served with tomatoes and veg sticks

Vegetarian option: Vegetable and cheese
*Orzo with Parmesan and Peas
Snack offered at 9:30am: berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) or natural yoghurt with milk or water
Week 1 Thursday Friday
Lunch 11.30 Sesame fish balls served with crunchy carrots, cucumber slices and peas

Vegetarian option: Potato cake and quorn
Seasoned lemon chicken drumsticks with sweet potato wedges and peas

Vegetarian option: Falafel balls
Snack offered after 2pm Fresh veg sticks, homemade dip served with whole milk or water.
Tea - Light Meal 4.15 *Lentil Bolognese Selection of wholemeal wraps served with vegetable sticks & dips

Homemade guacamole or hummus

Options, Tuna & sweetcorn mayo
Snack offered at 9:30am: berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) or natural yoghurt with milk or water
Week 2 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Lunch 11.30 Hallomi curry served with egg rice Loaded chicken and potato casserole

Cucumber and tomato slices

Vegetarian option:Tofu casserole
Turkey burgers served with crunchy sweet potato cubes

Vegetarian Vegan Corn burgers
Vegetable lasagne served with crunchy garlic bites & cucumber Chicken teriyaki served with basmati rice and broccoli florets

Vegetarian option: Peppers and halloumi
Snack offered after 2pm (after nap): Fresh veg sticks or crackers with whole milk or water.
Tea - Light Meal 4.15 *Tuna sweetcorn bites served with rainbow & couscous (peppers, onion, courgette)

Vegetarian option: Cous cous and begetarian bites
*Pitta margarita pizzas served with crunchy carrot batons & toppings sliced mushrooms & peas *Creamy Salmon Pasta served with cucumber & crunchy pepper strips

Vegetarian option: creamy vegetarian pasta
*Homemade pot noodle (sweetcorn & chopped green beans) * Spinach, mixed beans & feta puff pastry triangles served with veg sticks and tzatziki dip
Snack offered at 9:30am: berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) or natural yoghurt with milk or water
Week 2 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Lunch 11.30 Hallomi curry served with egg rice Loaded chicken and potato casserole

Cucumber and tomato slices

Vegetarian option:Tofu casserole
Turkey burgers served with crunchy sweet potato cubes

Vegetarian option: Vegan Corn burgers
Snack offered after 2pm (after nap): Fresh veg sticks or crackers with whole milk or water.
Tea - Light Meal 4.15 *Tuna sweetcorn bites served with rainbow & couscous (peppers, onion, courgette)

Vegetarian option: Cous cous and begetarian bites
*Pitta margarita pizzas served with crunchy carrot batons & toppings sliced mushrooms & peas *Creamy Salmon Pasta served with cucumber & crunchy pepper strips

Vegetarian option: creamy vegetarian pasta
Snack offered at 9:30am: berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) or natural yoghurt with milk or water
Week 2 Thursday Friday
Lunch 11.30 Vegetable lasagne served with crunchy garlic bites & cucumber Chicken teriyaki served with basmati rice and broccoli florets

Vegetarian option: Peppers and halloumi
Snack offered after 2pm (after nap): Fresh veg sticks or crackers with whole milk or water.
Tea - Light Meal 4.15 *Homemade pot noodle (sweetcorn & chopped green beans) * Spinach, mixed beans & feta puff pastry triangles served with veg sticks and tzatziki dip

*Children are served breakfast between 8 - 8.45am selection of cereals and toast or fresh berries Pumpkins Room children may have more frequent meal options due to their age and stage of development, alongside formulae or milk. All children are provided with access to fresh jugs of water every day with beakers to help themselves. Pumpkins have beakers. All other children drink from a cup/china mug.

Routines during the day

Our daily routines for the younger children are split into morning and afternoon sessions.

The morning sessions run from 8am until 12.30pm. The afternoon sessions run from 1.30pm until 6pm.

Older children follow "The Curiosity Approach" with Prime areas incorporated throughout the whole day: personal, social and emotional development, physical development and communication and language.

Trips and visits

Trips from the nursery are pre-planned and we aim to give parents at least a weeks’ notice. The ratio of children to staff is 2:1 regardless of age so children tend to go for trips in smaller groups.

We welcome any suggestions for local trips and visits. Please request our trips and visits policy from the office.

Some examples of trips that we conduct include; going to the post office, going to the local shops, a trip to the park or to Brook Farm Open Space. All trips must be risk assessed prior to the children leaving the nursery. Staff are required to complete an observation on the trip to show the educational significance of their trip and why it was carried out.

Virtual tour

Mara Connect

Our community based charity

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‘We love being part of the Mara community. The team always have a collaborative, warm and nurturing approach to both the children and parents. They are also constantly looking for ways to help improve our daughter’s development and host special events to bring families together. It’s a special place, with lots of big hearts.’

Deniz
June 30, 2023

Mara nursery has been amazing! Our son has been there since 10 months old and settled in easily and loves it there. The staff are all so warm and nurturing. I feel so comfortable leaving my son with them. The staff are so professional and are all so friendly and kind. They really understand children and how to communicate with parents too to make you feel comfortable. My son is so happy there and has learnt so much and has developed socially really well

Demini
January 26, 2023

Our daughter has attended Mara for almost a year now. We have been impressed at the rapid attention we have been given to support her time at nursery and the myriad of techniques shared by the lovely staff for helping us to carry through at home. Our daughter leaves each session happy and content. The Mara setting and team have really encouraged noticeable development in her sociability and speech.

Angeline
January 26, 2023

We moved our son from another nursery to Mara and it was the best decision we have ever made. We previously had 5 months of tears at drop off and collection but the staff at Mara have been nothing short of amazing. Rarely a tear, and more often running with excitement to see the staff and his class. The staff are not just caring and attentive, but creative in the activities they undertake, seek collaboration from parents, providing regular updates and they each exude warmth and passion for all the children. Wouldn't think twice about recommending Mara.

Bahareh
April 25, 2022

Melina loves coming to Mara nursery. She had never been to nursery before. From her first day she was happy to be left and is always happy to go into nursery. The staff are always warm and friendly and greet Melina with a smile 🙂❤️ As a parent I love that I am updated throughout the day on the app about Melina and that the staff fill me in on how she has been when I pick her up.

Despina
April 27, 2022

As a first time mum it’s an incredibly scary experience to trust someone with your child but from the initial settling sessions, Mara felt right! The regular updates from developmental skills to nap times, eating habits and the photos uploaded etc I felt at ease leaving Nyla. Nyla has very quickly formed a great bond with Lauren her teacher and this too gives me confidence that Nyla loves her days at nursery. Thank you Mara nursery keep up the amazing work!

Lauren
April 13, 2022

My daughter has thrived at Mara. Every day she is greeted at the door with warm, welcoming smiles and she comes home happy. The staff are enthusiastic, happy and clearly love what they do. Everyone is approachable and the app they use allows parents to see photos, keep up-to date with messages and events and details from the day. If my child is happy then so am I!

Jane
June 20, 2022

Mara Nursery has such a warm and inviting culture. The staff are amazing and for me they are really what really makes the nursery stand out. Like a lot of children in his age bracket my little boy spent the majority of his very early years in lockdown and had very little social interaction with other children his age. Mara Nursery was the first nursery that we went to visit and after seeing how relaxed he was in the environment I immediately felt that this could be a great fit for my son. The staff were fantastic in helping him settle in and worked with me and my husband checking in at various parts of the day to give us updates on how he was getting on which was greatly appreciated especially after Covid.  It has been amazing to see the progress that he continues to make and the lovely friendships that he has made with the children. He often comes home and talks about how much he likes the staff at Mara and to me that proves that I always know that I am leaving him in the best hands.  I would recommend Mara Nursery to anyone looking for a caring, supporting environment for their little ones.

Sam
June 6, 2022

Our little one loves his days in Yams, particularly the outside space and playing with the rabbits. He has made lovely bonds with the staff and we are glad Mara is his nursery.

Georgie
June 22, 2022

Thanks to Mara and it’s lovely staff our little one is always very keen to enter the nursery’s door and wave hello to everyone. It’s definitely a big family and everyone works together to ensure each child’s needs are met. We are always welcomed with a huge smile and all staff are very inviting and kind. Everyone has adapted particularly well to the recent heat wave and the little ones have had so much fun with water. Recently the staff took the little ones to the local park which seemed so so lovely and they all looked so happy to explore at their little adventure.  The app used to communicate with the nursery team is so useful and I feel reassured and at peace knowing that I could message the team if needed. Mara has been extremely accommodating with booking extra sessions and they are always very prompt at checking availability and space.  My little one has made some little friends at mara and she seems so much more confident with her speech, especially her nursery rhymes and this is all thanks to all mara staff and their devotion to these little pupils.  Thank you all for everything.

Zac and Marilena
July 4, 2022

We are so happy dropping Ethan off at Mara nursery each morning, he’s always so excited to go in (mainly to eat breakfast) and is always greeted with a smile from the amazing staff. We can see how much he’s developed since going there and we’re always blown away by how much he’s learnt whether it’s a new word or a new song. The team is always super flexible and willing to help especially squeezing in extra hours at short notice which just makes everything stress free. It’s made our first nursery experience an absolute pleasure!

Charlotte
July 21, 2022

We were initially quite anxious about how our son would adapt to nursery after so many months stuck at home during lockdown but he settled in at Mara very quickly and loves the time he spends there. Jerleen and the staff in Wild Yams are blessed with boundless energy and enthusiasm and we are always greeted at the door with a big smile.  There are so many different activities to stimulate the children inside their room, and the recent improvements to extend the outdoor spaces along with the addition of the rabbits have been really welcome.  The nursery certainly feels like an extended family and we value the fact that parents are actively encouraged to give honest feedback and share their suggestions. We were especially grateful for all the efforts made over the heatwave not just to ensure the welfare of the children in the hot weather but also to keep the nursery open as long as possible and make sure parents were kept updated of any changes.

Sabina
July 13, 2022

I literally don't know where we would be without Mara. You have helped us so much on our parenting journey so far. Always available for advice, guidance and wisdom. Having a baby in lockdown we were desperate for ours to be integrated into a social setting as soon as possible and we haven’t looked back. You have taught our biggest little one how to sleep, a routine, self feeding, drinking from a cup, naming his emotions, Makaton and those are just a few of the practical day-to-day things. Then there is the dancing, painting, yoga, love of books and story time, feeding rabbits, messy play, oh my goodness I could go on and on. We can't wait for our smallest to start in Chickpeas. Thank goodness we found you. Book your place now!!!

Immy and Henry
August 29, 2022

Our son loves being at Mara and we have seen him grow and develop really well especially now in Pumpkins. Everyone at Mara are always welcoming, cheerful and helpful. Angelina and the team regularly update us on his daily activities and development, even the admin team is easily approachable. The various daily activities that are designed matches his energy levels and enable his overall development. We love the idea of engaging with rabbits to build empathy and care. Our son also enjoys regular outdoor activities & exploring the nature. Safety and cleanliness has been well maintained. Overall, our son enjoys being at Mara and has been a great experience.

Manjeet and Vaishnavi
August 24, 2022

Before coming to Mara nursery we tried a couple of other nurseries but as parents we were not completely satisfied with the clarity of daily routines and activities. But since our son joined Mara we couldn’t be more satisfied. We are very comfortable with all the activities and routines that staff plan and carry out. We get regular detailed updates on daily activities and progress. We have seen the progress in our son since he joined and couldn’t be more satisfied with the whole process. All the staff are very friendly and helpful in every way. The whole nursery is well planned and constructed. Different rooms and play area are designed to suit various age groups. This has helped our child learn, explore, develop and progress so far. Thank you to all at Mara Nursery.

Gaurav Mehta and Mithila Mehta
August 10, 2022

A big thank you to Mara nursery and all staff for the warm welcome for our baby Ryleigh and making the whole process of settling in so easy and pleasant for us and Ryleigh. We are very happy for our daughter to be in such a great, warming, family environment at Mara.  Great communication which gives us peace of mind and we are always very happy to see the progress that our Ryleigh is doing over time. Big thanks to You.

Marcin and Sara
September 13, 2022

Our two boys attend Mara nursery and love it! Our eldest son has been there for almost 2 years now. He has grown in confidence socially, making lots of new friends and connections with staff.  Our youngest son joined his big brother in Mara 2 months ago. The team were great at supporting him to settle in and made the whole process so easy and welcoming for him.  The Mara team are extremely supportive, nurturing and caring towards the boys. You really feel confident your children are in a happy environment, as they come out at the end of the day smiling which is so comforting as a parent. 

Myriam and Liam
October 11, 2022

We’ve recently moved our baby girl to Mara after a really bad experience with another local nursery and it’s unbelievable how well she’s doing here. The staff are really caring, thoughtful and always happy to help and assist her in any way they can help. There’s plenty of daily activities that keep the little ones entertained and happy. She hasn’t cried once since moving to Mara and previously that was a norm everyday when dropping her off or picking her up. This really is a testament for people that are part of Mara and their skills and love for kids ❤️ 👏 I can finally get on with my day and be at peace while Mara is in charge of my baby girl.

Ana
November 16, 2022

Fantastic, friendly and fun! From our experience so far, Mara nursery has been brilliant. Our daughter is so happy there and the teachers are all so lovely and nurturing. I feel so comfortable leaving my child with them. Not only are they professional and competent, but the staff are all so friendly, bubbly and kind. They really understand children and how to communicate with parents too to make you feel comfortable. My daughter is always so excited when I tell her she is going to nursery - she loves it there and has learnt so much. It has been fantastic for her vocabulary and general development. Mara have also been very flexible and helpful when I have needed it which is rare for a nursery. I would strongly recommend Mara nursery to everyone - I am so glad that we found them and that we have met the lovely Mara staff! My daughter and I are very happy with Mara nursery!

Natasha
November 9, 2022

Thank you very much for keeping an eye on Alex and for looking into what’s best for him. It makes me feel he’s really looked after and as a parent you know how hard is to feel that way when you leave your child in someone else’s care. You guys have been constantly flexible, caring and understanding and we truly and deeply appreciate it.

Julieta
January 4, 2023