A nursery in Barking will increase its intake of 3 to 5 year olds from 53 places a day to 80.

Existing rooms at Barking Riverside Nursery & Pre-School will be reconfigured to accommodate more babies and toddlers, and a second baby room is planned to open in January 2023.

The second baby room will be in the Riverside Primary building, located next to the nursery. Both are in close proximity to the Barking Riverside development.

Siobhan Dennis is the manager at Barking Riverside Nursery & Pre-School, run by London Early Years Foundation (LEYF).

She said: "We are delighted to be part of this diverse and growing community and now able to care for even more children.

"The nursery is located in walking distance to the new Barking Riverside station and operates from 7.30am to 6.30pm which enables commuters stress-free high-quality wrap around childcare on their doorstep."

The expansion is the result of a partnership between Barking Riverside Nursery & Pre-School and the Partnership Learning social enterprise group, which currently oversees 13 nurseries.

The new room for pre-school children has been specially refurbished and features a large play space, free flow garden access and a secure intercom system.

Children from both the existing Barking Riverside Nursery building and the new room will make regular visits to each site and stay and play or enjoy mealtimes together.

All teachers are assigned to rooms, but will have the opportunity to cover both nurseries.

Children at the nursery visit the local community food garden once a week to help with planting, weeding, watering and harvesting, to encourage sustainability.

You can find more information at www.leyf.org.uk/nurseries/barking-riverside