City of London

Premium early years education in the heart of the Square Mile.

Inside Ironmongers Hall — one of the City's historic livery halls — our flagship nursery has been shaping curious, multilingual children since 2015. The Barbican, St Paul's, Tate Modern and the London Symphony Orchestra are all on the doorstep.

Our nursery

This is where Hatching Dragons began — and it remains one of the most distinctive early years settings in the capital. Tucked within the historic Ironmongers Hall on Aldersgate Street, our City setting sits at the heart of the Barbican: one of London's most storied addresses and one of its best-kept secrets. A short walk from Barbican, Moorgate, and St Paul's stations, it's as practical as it is impressive — drop off on your way in, pick up on your way home. And the Barbican's extraordinary surroundings — its architecture, arts, culture and history — are woven directly into the curriculum through our Amazing Excursions programme. The City is an extraordinary classroom. We use it.

At a glance

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City of London

Space

Third and ground floors of Ferroners House, Ironmongers Hall — a landmark City building surrounded by history. The Guildhall, Roman Wall, and Lord Mayor's Show route are all within walking distance. We use all of it.

Education philosophy

We follow the EYFS framework and Birth to Five Matters guidance, drawing on Montessori, Reggio Emilia, High Scope, Steiner and Te Whariki. No single tradition has all the answers — we take the best from each. Our curriculum is anchored to UK developmental milestones and brought to life through the 3Cs — Culture, Character and Cognition. Everything else we do, from multilingual education and World Food Day to outdoor learning and specialist enrichment, flows from that foundation.

Activities

Mandarin circle time and storytelling every day. Arts, music, movement and drama. Monthly cultural festivals. World Food Day weekly. Character development programme built around one global ethical value each month.

Outings

The Barbican Centre. London Symphony Orchestra at St Luke's. St Paul's Cathedral. Tate Modern. Tower of London. Tower Bridge. Roman London Wall. Guildhall. Lord Mayor's Show. These are not school trips — they are the curriculum.

Ferroners House, Ironmongers Hall, Shaftesbury Place, London, EC2Y 8AA

In the heart of the City of London

Stats

Ferroners House, Ironmongers Hall, Aldersgate Street, London EC2Y 8AA | Open 7:30am – 6:30pm | Ages 6 months – 5 years | Ofsted: Good

Languages

Mandarin — daily immersive sessions. Arabic coming soon.

Teachers

Trained, qualified and continuously developed to operate at specialist level. All our teachers have Paediatric First Aid and hold some of the highest qualifications in early years teaching from some of the best educational institutes in the world Our apprentices are working towards that standard. Our Level 2 practitioners are junior specialists, developing their expertise and their practice every day. Our Level 3 practitioners are qualified early years development specialists — the backbone of our developmental work, the key workers who know every child in their care and carry the developmental framework forward in every interaction. We invest in continuous training not because regulation requires it, but because our children deserve the best-qualified, most developmentally attuned practitioners in the sector. That standard is non-negotiable.

Our pricing

Flexible sessions to fit your family. All packages include full curriculum, meals, and language learning.

See all pricing
Lumi, baby dragon illustration

0-2 years old

Enrollment
Price with funding
Full-time
(Mon – Fri)
£1,684
Part-time
(4 full days)
£1,123
Part-time
(3 full days)
£562
Lumi, baby dragon illustration

2 years old

Enrollment
Price with funding
Full-time
(Mon – Fri)
£1,684
Part-time
(4 full days)
£1,123
Part-time
(3 full days)
£562
Lumi, baby dragon illustration

3-5 years old

Enrollment
Price with funding
Full-time
(Mon – Fri)
£1,473
Part-time
(4 full days)
£988
Part-time
(3 full days)
£504

Extra services

Weekend clubs

New weekend clubs coming soon

Holiday Club

Half-term, Easter, summer and Christmas. Ages 6 months–7 years.

Mandarin Language Club

£50 per session. £150 monthly.

Mandarin for young learners, fun and engaging.

After Nursery Club

Coming soon.

Childcare discounts

Most families save more than they expect. Here's how.
See all funding options

Sibling Discount

Sibling discount

Sibling discount — 5% off per additional child enrolled simultaneously.

Advanced Payment

Advanced payment

Advance payment — 2.5% for 3 months upfront, 5% for 6, 7.5% for 9, 10% for a full year.

Referral Discount

Referral discount

Referral discount — 5% off for every family you recommend who joins. Uncapped. Runs for 6 months per referral.

Public Sector

Public sector

Public sector — up to 50% off for NHS workers and local authority staff. A small acknowledgement of what you do.

We would love to meet you

Come and see us for yourself. A visit takes 30 minutes and answers most questions better than a website can.