Caterpillars Montessori Nursery School

Two outdoor spaces, an on-site Forest School area and visits to BlueBear Bookshop give Caterpillars Montessori Nursery School a clear connection to life beyond the playroom. Based at Appleton Hall in Hartley Wintney, it combines Montessori learning, which follows children's interests through practical activity, with a weekly timetable of languages, movement and cooking. There is plenty for a child to get involved in.

At its November 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged all six areas to be at Strong standard and found safeguarding standards met. The areas covered achievement, behaviour and routines, welfare and wellbeing, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership.

Children can start from 18 months, and the nursery has 40 places in total. Families can choose term-time attendance or combine it with holiday clubs.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the required framework for learning and care. In November 2025, children developed vocabulary through stories, compared construction towers and practised everyday tasks such as putting on their coats. These give parents concrete examples of how learning connects with a child's ordinary day.

The Montessori approach shapes practical learning around children's interests and abilities, giving their choices a role in learning. Mixed-age learning allows children to learn from each other.

The weekly activities have a useful rhythm. Cosy Little Yogis brings yoga on Monday mornings; Tuesday mornings include Spanish with Perfecto Spanish. Fun & Fitness provides football and other movement skills on Wednesday mornings. Thursday afternoons are for cooking, with children exploring foods and practising cooking skills. The day a child attends therefore affects which activities they encounter, something to weigh alongside working hours.

Friday mornings include Forest school activities in the local community, adding outdoor exploration to the Montessori curriculum.

In November 2025, staff used children's interests and existing knowledge to plan what came next. A forecast of snow prompted linked activities across learning, while construction play became an opportunity to discuss size. Children also remembered Spanish words associated with cold weather. The examples connect language, observation and practical experience in ways parents can recognise and discuss at home.

Outdoor and Community Life

Children access two secure, equipped outdoor spaces daily, with a Forest School area on site for outdoor activity and nature exploration. Friday community sessions extend those experiences beyond the nursery.

Visits to BlueBear Bookshop, St. John's church and the village duck pond connect children with Hartley Wintney life. Two small visiting dogs also give children contact with animals.

In November 2025, children made weekly woodland trips to explore nature directly. The garden also provided opportunities to make decisions about physical play: during snow, children tested the climbing frame and railings before deciding that they were too slippery. Staff supervised while allowing them time to assess the situation. This is a concrete example of children practising judgement through an everyday outdoor experience.

Relationships and Communication

Before starting, children are invited to two settling sessions, with additional sessions if needed. That gives the settling process room to respond to the individual child. Key-person time includes individual work on practical life skills, helping parents understand what the relationship involves beyond having a named contact.

In November 2025, staff adapted morning routines for children who needed a gradual start. Familiar routines and breakfast helped those children become comfortable with the beginning of their day. Staff also gathered parents' observations to shape individual learning plans and helped families continue learning at home. The practical value is continuity: what parents know about their child contributes to what staff plan.

Preparation for moving on takes account of each child's needs, friendships and character. Staff use observations and children's interests to guide the next steps towards school. This keeps transition work tied to the individual child, including the everyday independence needed when routines change.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO role provides a point of responsibility for special educational needs and disabilities. Where needs are already known, staff meet parents and gather information from professionals involved with the child; where concerns emerge during attendance, they discuss support with the family and develop an individual target plan. This gives families a clear sequence for sharing information and agreeing support.

At the November 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that SEND support brought together parents, professionals and other settings around specific targets, with interventions developing children's language, social and attention skills. Musical activities allowed children to participate at their own pace. The finding gives substance to the current planning arrangements, while remaining a dated assessment of how well they worked.

The team includes Montessori-trained practitioners and a Forest School leader, alongside safeguarding and SENCO responsibilities. These roles relate directly to the nursery's learning approach, outdoor activity and support planning. The November 2025 next step was to sustain high standards and deepen the impact on disadvantaged children, children with SEND, children with current or past involvement with children's social care, and children facing other barriers to learning or wellbeing.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Appleton Hall, West Green Road, Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, RG27 8RE. During term time, opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with flexible attendance. Families can choose 38 weeks of term-time attendance and add holiday-club time.

Extended days run from 8am to 6pm, and funding can be used for them. Fees cover the Montessori curriculum within the 9am to 3.30pm nursery day, a distinction to weigh against working hours.

Holiday clubs cover Easter, Christmas and summer school holidays; half-term clubs depend on demand. They accept children aged 1 to 7, including community children who do not attend Caterpillars.

Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or an enquiry form. Applications use a registration form returned by email, with a deposit required for the nursery place. Fees are invoiced ahead of each term, with monthly payment possible; holidays and illness do not attract a deduction or refund.

Funding and Paid Extras

Early Years Funding is offered. The universal entitlement is 15 hours a week for children aged 3 and 4, for six terms starting in the term after their third birthday. Eligible working families can apply for 30 hours over 38 weeks a year, starting in the term after their child turns 9 months and continuing until school age; Caterpillars itself accepts children from 18 months. Entitlement eligibility and the nursery's starting age are separate considerations.

Private session fees include meals, snacks and consumables such as wipes and nappies, as well as the clubs. For funded attendance, additional services and consumables are covered by the Enhanced fees: these include activities, food, nappies and wipes, separately from the funded entitlement. The fees and funding terms explain the charge structure. For current prices, ask the nursery for a quotation.

Zebedees supplies a hot lunch and cold tea each day, with menus changing on a three-week cycle. Caterpillars' dietary policy states that it caters for allergy and dietary requirements.

• Days shape the activities. Yoga, Spanish, Fun & Fitness, cooking and community outdoor learning fall on different weekdays. At a drop-in session with your child, discuss how your intended attendance fits those activities and the settling arrangements.
• Funded hours and Enhanced fees. Funded entitlement sits alongside fees for additional services, meals and consumables. Request an itemised quotation for your attendance pattern so you can assess the complete cost.
• Notice requires forward planning. Leaving requires written notice of a full continuous term, given before the preceding term starts; notice arriving on or after a new term's first day triggers a full term's fees in lieu. Reducing sessions requires half a term's notice unless exceptional circumstances apply, so changes need planning ahead.
• Food needs and visiting dogs. The nursery accommodates dietary requirements and gives children opportunities to spend time with visiting dogs. Families affected by allergies should confirm current food arrangements and discuss animal contact before joining.

Caterpillars suits families seeking Montessori learning with practical independence, daily outdoor access and a weekday programme that includes Spanish, yoga and cooking. It serves both term-time attendance and extended days, with holiday clubs providing another attendance option. The November 2025 report card gives a strong inspection position across education, care and inclusion.

Activity days, holiday-club coverage, Enhanced fees and notice terms all affect the fit for family life. Individual settling and local outings add to the appeal.