Smiles Montessori Bush Fair

Setting tables, serving food and learning to tell stories: independence gives Smiles Montessori Bush Fair its clearest character. In December 2024, children took an active part in mealtimes, while familiar stories helped them recall events and build narratives before they could read. Small everyday tasks mattered here.

At its 17 December 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall, with Outstanding personal development and effective safeguarding arrangements. The important qualification concerns individual learning: activities sometimes needed closer adjustment to what a particular child needed next.

Based at Unit 1 The Fairway in Harlow, CM18 6LY, the setting accepts children from 3 months to 60 months. That age span makes it relevant both to families choosing their baby's first childcare and those considering the years before school.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In everyday language, that means education and care belong together: playing, talking, developing physical skills and learning to manage relationships all contribute to a child's day.

In December 2024, babies' interests shaped their experiences. Adults stayed ready to respond as babies explored toys, adding words and listening to their sounds. The useful detail is the connection between exploration and conversation: language was part of play rather than a separate exercise.

For older children, books did more than occupy a quiet moment. Familiar tales helped children remember sequences and retell events; stories also fed into their play. Rhymes, songs with actions and signing supported communication, including for children learning English alongside another language. These gave children several ways to join in before speech alone could carry everything they wanted to express.

Numbers, early science and knowledge of the surrounding world also featured in December 2024. Activities drew on children's interests and on cultural and seasonal occasions. The caution is precise: some experiences were not sufficiently tailored to an individual child's immediate learning needs. An appealing activity still needs to offer the right next step for the child taking part.

Outdoor and Community Life

In December 2024, children's experiences extended to visits to the park and library. Connections with a church and care homes, together with fundraising activities, brought the wider community into nursery life. These experiences gave children contact with people and places beyond their usual play setting.

Physical development was another part of the day, with opportunities to build coordination and strength. Alongside movement, children practised the social skills needed to make friends and take part with others. The account of daily life is strongest where these strands meet: children doing things for themselves while learning how to share an experience.

Relationships and Communication

In December 2024, babies' parents helped them settle in their room. Children turned to familiar adults for help and drew them into their play. Older children could explain how they felt and what they enjoyed, while adults gave clear expectations about behaviour through their own example. For a parent, these are practical signs to look for: a child able to seek help, express a feeling and understand what happens next.

Communication with families was frequent in December 2024, and parents valued the support staff offered. That matters beyond a daily update. Information shared between home and nursery can help adults understand a child's routines and interests, rather than treating each part of the child's life separately.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the December 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children made good progress and received exceptional help with preparation for school. The concrete examples were concentration, responsibility and growing independence, including children's participation in preparing tables and serving meals.

In December 2024, staff training included first aid and safeguarding for kitchen staff and midday assistants as well as childcare practitioners. Leaders monitored practice and organised further training. This describes the arrangements at that time; the dated safeguarding judgement above is the relevant assessment of their effectiveness.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round operation and bank-holiday closures. These hours give families the opening window around which to plan their working day.

The Bush Fair contact route is 01279 422922 or info@smilespreschool.co.uk, with a message form also provided. The address is Unit 1 The Fairway, Harlow, CM18 6LY.

Funding and Paid Extras

In December 2024, the nursery offered government-funded places for children aged nine months to four years and for disadvantaged children receiving funding. Families considering paid childcare should obtain a current written quotation from the nursery.

• Individual learning. The December 2024 improvement point concerned matching activities more precisely to each child's learning needs. During a visit, ask how practitioners choose the next step for your child and adjust an activity when it is too easy or too difficult.
• A baby's start. Parents helped babies settle in December 2024, with adults responding to babies' interests during play. Ask how the settling arrangement would work around your baby's routines and your own return to work.
• Your attendance pattern. The nursery opens on weekdays from 7.30am to 6pm. Which booking pattern and funded-hours arrangement would fit your family's week?

Smiles Montessori Bush Fair suits families who value everyday independence, conversation woven into play and connections with the surrounding community. Its December 2024 assessment gives particular weight to personal development, illustrated by children taking responsibility at mealtimes and becoming confident with familiar adults.

The balancing point is individual learning. Families should look closely at how an activity becomes the right challenge for their own child. The strongest reasons to consider Bush Fair are practical ones: children learning to express themselves, participate with others and tackle ordinary tasks with increasing independence.