Fidgety Feet

Independence gives Fidgety Feet its clearest character: choosing resources, serving snacks and tackling practical tasks featured strongly in May 2022. Based at St. Edmunds Hall in Matching Green, it has capacity for 26 children. At its May 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective.

Children attending that visit were aged 1 to 6. That is an inspection-time age range, rather than a statement about today's intake.

In May 2022, Montessori principles sat alongside traditional teaching, with children choosing play materials from accessible shelves. The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care; here, practical activities gave children opportunities to practise language, coordination and independence.

The garden offered substantial physical challenges, including a long slide. In May 2022, children practised using the equipment with staff nearby, while gardening involved putting compost and plants into pots. Cooking club included making cakes to take home; babies also explored ingredients through mixing, texture and taste. These were hands-on experiences with something tangible to achieve.

An ice-bound dinosaur activity brought science into play that month. Children used tools to break the ice, discussed liquid and solid water, and tried warm water to release the models. Vocabulary and experimentation belonged to the same activity.

The May 2022 dinosaur play involved more than freeing the models. Children discussed which dinosaurs ate meat and which ate plants, using the terms carnivores and herbivores. Their choice of warm water gave them a way to test a solution to the problem. This connects a practical task with explaining an idea: children had something to investigate and something specific to talk about.

Elsewhere in the garden that month, toddlers stayed absorbed in moving pasta between pots during role play. Alongside the challenges of using large apparatus, this offered a smaller task requiring sustained attention. The contrast matters for families weighing the daily experience: outdoor play included both energetic movement and quieter, repetitive exploration. Children could concentrate on handling materials as well as mastering equipment.

In May 2022, key-person relationships provided continuity, and staff knew children's individual needs. Practitioners gave children time to think before answering questions.

Everyday self-care also mattered that month: children poured drinks, used tongs for snacks and managed clothing, with help close by. The curriculum incorporated additional support, and parents had established relationships with staff. Regular safeguarding training covered recognising concerns and the procedures for responding to them. Staff development included sharing ideas from training across the team.

In May 2022, responsibility extended beyond choosing toys or dressing. After dinner, children scraped their plates and helped put things away. These everyday jobs made participation part of the routine, giving children practical tasks connected to the meal they had just eaten. Adult help remained close by for self-care. For parents interested in independence, the useful distinction is between children having a task of their own and being left to manage it alone.

Personal, social and emotional development also received attention that month. Staff set high expectations, and children listened to adults and responded to requests. The concern about adults intervening in disputes therefore sits within a more specific picture: children could follow adult guidance, but needed more opportunities to work out a shared solution with another child. Following instructions and negotiating over a toy are different skills.

The address is Montessori Pre School, St. Edmunds Hall, Little Laver Road, Matching Green, Harlow, CM17 0QB.

In May 2022, the nursery operated Monday to Friday for 46 weeks annually, with sessions running from 8am to 6pm. Funded early education then covered two-, three- and four-year-olds. These arrangements describe that period.

• Resolving disagreements. In May 2022, adults sometimes stepped into disputes too quickly, reducing children's opportunities to negotiate over toys. During a visit, ask how staff now help children reach their own solutions.
• Practical independence. Choosing resources and serving snacks were central in May 2022. Consider whether this emphasis matches the experiences you want for your child.
• Attendance and costs. How do today's session choices, accepted ages and funded arrangements fit your family, and what does the written quotation include for meals and consumables?

Fidgety Feet suits families drawn to practical independence, Montessori principles and hands-on exploration. Its May 2022 picture combines purposeful play with close adult support; the improvement point concerns giving children more room to resolve disagreements themselves. The strongest reasons to consider it are the everyday experiences, from gardening to experimenting with ice.