Apple Tree Montessori Nursery School, Saltdean

The Oval Park setting and natural materials give Apple Tree Montessori Nursery School, Saltdean a recognisable character. Montessori is the educational approach here: in plain terms, children learn through practical activities, making choices and doing things for themselves. Natural materials form part of the setting, with sustainable energy sources used where possible.

At its April 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that staff identified additional learning needs promptly, working with families and other professionals where needed. That judgement sits alongside two clear priorities: smoother changes between activities and stronger support for families sharing books at home.

The nursery has capacity for 30 children, with an age range from birth to 60 months. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm on weekdays. Its park location and emphasis on independence will interest families who want practical learning to feature in their child's day.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care; play and everyday activities give children opportunities to develop language, movement and social skills. Montessori sits alongside that framework as an educational approach, rather than replacing it. The practical distinction for parents is an emphasis on children making choices and attempting tasks themselves.

In April 2025, children explored the nursery's stick insects, handled them and asked about their changing skin. Staff used that interest to encourage questions. This was learning prompted by something children wanted to understand, with an adult helping them take the enquiry further.

Number songs offered another route into learning that month. Children used Ten Fat Sausages to practise counting backwards and understand what happens when an item is removed. Babies were beginning to use words, with adults responding to gestures as well as speech. These examples show how learning took different forms for children at different stages.

Independence also had a physical dimension. In April 2025, toddlers watched older children use the slide and tricycle before attempting them themselves, with staff nearby to help. The opportunity to observe another child mattered as much as the equipment: a new task became something they could try, rather than something an adult simply did for them.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Oval Park is the nursery's immediate setting. Its building is self-contained, and natural materials are part of the current environment. Those are concrete features for families considering the surroundings as well as the educational approach.

In April 2025, children made regular visits to a care home, joining activities with residents, and visited the local library to select and share books. These outings brought people and resources beyond the nursery into their experience. The care-home visits created opportunities to form relationships across generations; the library trips gave children a choice in what they read.

Everyday care offered opportunities for children to participate. In April 2025, adults followed individual care routines, while children practised serving food, selecting snacks and pouring drinks. Practical independence was woven into ordinary parts of the day. It did not depend on a separate lesson.

Relationships were visible in small interactions that month. Children sought comfort from familiar adults, and staff responded quickly when reassurance was needed. Older children were encouraged to take care around babies and younger friends. For parents, these examples give substance to the nursery's emphasis on children learning alongside one another.

Support also included recognising children's language backgrounds. In April 2025, children were encouraged to speak their home languages during play and conversations. Some staff had undertaken specialist training about additional learning needs. These are specific practices, rather than a blanket promise about what support any individual child will receive.

There was a weakness in the daily organisation. In April 2025, getting ready for outdoor play sometimes left younger children waiting long enough to become unsettled. Book-sharing at nursery was established, but staff needed to develop the connection with parents so that children's interest in reading could be supported at home. Both points matter because care includes the pauses between activities and the communication connecting home with nursery.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Oval Park, Arundel Drive West, Saltdean, BN2 8SJ. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 8am until 6pm. It operates across the year, closing for bank holidays, Christmas and one week at Easter. Families therefore need to account for those closures when planning regular childcare.

New enquiries use 01273 271969. A 3D tour provides another way to explore the Saltdean setting's layout.

Getting There

The nursery sits just off the A259 Coast road, with local bus routes nearby. Its position within The Oval Park makes the park itself the useful landmark for planning the journey.

Funding and Paid Extras

In April 2025, the nursery accepted early-education funding for children from nine months old. For privately paid childcare, current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Changes between activities. In April 2025, younger children sometimes became unsettled while waiting to go outside. During a visit, ask how these transitions now work for babies and toddlers.
• Reading together at home. Strengthening support for parents around literacy was an April 2025 improvement priority. Ask what practical book-sharing ideas or communication families now receive.
• Your attendance and funding plan. Opening hours span 8am to 6pm, and funding was accepted from nine months in April 2025. Ask which booking pattern fits your week and how meals, consumables and funded hours are treated in your quotation.

Apple Tree suits families drawn to Montessori, practical independence and a park setting, with a weekday opening window that can accommodate working routines. The April 2025 examples are useful: children explored living creatures, learnt from older friends and took part in everyday tasks. The decision points are equally concrete. Smooth transitions for younger children and useful support for reading at home are the main considerations for families.