Montessori & Me Nursery & Out of School Club

Montessori is the organising idea at this Chadwell Heath nursery, rather than a label added to a standard day. Children use real-life objects, choose from accessible resources and are encouraged to do more for themselves, while the Early Years Foundation Stage gives the day its seven areas of learning. That combination gives the setting a clear character: independence sits alongside communication, movement, early mathematics, stories and creative work.

The April to May 2024 Ofsted inspection judged overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management Good. Safeguarding arrangements were effective. The current offer is for children aged three months to five years at 319 High Road, with day care running Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6.30pm for 51 weeks of the year.

Three stages, Panda's, Penguin's and Peacock's, are arranged around children’s development as well as age. The fully enclosed soft-surface garden is another substantial part of the offer, with water play, a book corner, role play in the treehouse and a shaded baby area.

Rooms and Ages

Panda's covers an approximate age range of three to 24 months. It is a large baby-proof space with mirrors, soft play, quiet areas, sand and water, plus a dedicated sleep area, giving babies room to move and explore while rest remains separate from active play.

Penguin's is for approximately 22 to 36 months. Open shelves, book corners, small tables, malleable materials, puzzles, small-world play, ICT equipment and rest pods set up a practical toddler day with choice, conversation and a place to pause.

Peacock's serves children of approximately 34 to 60 months. Science, maths, language, reading, arts and crafts sit alongside a creative role-play area and ICT corner; free-flow access to the garden lets older preschool children move between indoor and outdoor learning through the day.

Learning and Named Experiences

The EYFS is the statutory framework that sets the areas children learn through, from communication and physical development to literacy, mathematics and expressive arts. Here it is paired with the Montessori Curriculum, which adds practical life, sensorial work, language, mathematics and cultural learning. The useful distinction for parents is visible in the daily set-up: resources are intended to be independently and with guidance, so children can make choices while practitioners still steer progress.

In April and May 2024, inspectors saw that emphasis in action. Older children selected tricycles and climbed outdoors, while younger children painted, squeezed play dough and manipulated soft spaghetti. These were not isolated craft activities: they worked the small and large muscles children need for movement, grip and control. Staff also used painting to introduce mathematical language such as more and bigger, and story sessions helped the oldest children listen and recall.

Outdoor time has more than one format. The Outdoor Learning Area gives Penguin and Peacock children free-flow garden access, while Panda children use it at least twice a day; rain overalls are supplied for wet-weather use. The garden’s balancing, building, growing and riding equipment means outdoor time can carry physical play, nature work and role play rather than functioning only as a break from the rooms.

The same site runs an Out of School Club, including Holiday Club outings and cooking sessions for older children during school holidays. Its programme includes the local park, library, museums, cinema and indoor play centres, alongside arts and crafts, outdoor sport, a bouncy castle, trampoline, ICT and computer games.

Relationships and Communication

Key-person relationships were a strength in the 2024 inspection. Children formed close bonds with staff and separated from parents with ease, while young children slept in a calm space under monitoring. That matters most in the earliest months, when a consistent adult and a settled sleep routine can shape how quickly a child feels secure in group care.

The setting’s approach to independence runs into ordinary routines as well as activities. Inspectors saw children wait their turn to put belongings away, share resources and receive calm explanations about playing kindly; at mealtimes, children were encouraged to serve themselves. Those repeated moments build self-care, patience and social confidence.

There is a clear development point to weigh alongside the positives. The 2024 report asked the provider to strengthen some staff interactions so that communication and language are extended more effectively beyond group activities. Families with speech, language or communication priorities should make this a focused discussion when choosing a room.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In 2024, the inspection recorded staff work with local-authority professionals and training around special educational needs and disabilities. It also described regular daily updates for parents about activities and experiences, giving families a basis for continued conversation between home and nursery.

Food is prepared on site by a trained chef. The nursery describes healthy snacks and water during the day, breakfast, lunch and a light evening meal, with a four-week rotating seasonal menu; vegetarian, vegan, halal and dairy-free requirements are among the dietary alternatives described. Parents managing allergies or a medical diet should discuss current arrangements directly before joining.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 319 High Road, Chadwell Heath, Essex RM6 6AX. Day care is open weekdays from 7.30am to 6.30pm, for 51 weeks each year, and closes for bank holidays and a week at the end of the year.

Published day-care sessions are early drop-off from 7.30am to 8am, full day care from 8am to 6pm, an AM session from 8am to 1pm, a PM session from 1pm to 6pm and late pickup from 6pm to 6.30pm. This gives families a choice between a full working-day pattern and either a morning or afternoon session, with short extensions at both ends of the day.

A completed registration form joins a child to the waiting list, after which the nursery offers the first available space. Funded sessions are advertised for children aged two to four. Current nursery-specific prices are supplied in the provider’s written quotation.

Getting There

Route 86 stops directly outside the setting. Families arriving by car can use the dedicated drop-off area, with parking identified on Hainault Road and Kings Avenue; those walking or cycling have a covered secure bike and buggy shed. Chadwell Heath Station is also connected by the 62 bus to Whalebone Lane.

• Room staging. Panda's and Penguin's published age ranges overlap between 22 and 24 months, and allocation also considers a child’s ability. This makes a room discussion more useful than choosing solely by birth date.
• Communication and language. The April to May 2024 improvement point concerned extending children’s communication and language beyond group activities. Families for whom this is a priority can discuss the current approach with the room team.
• Funded and private hours. Funded sessions are advertised for ages two to four, alongside full-day, morning and afternoon booking patterns. A written quotation will clarify the current combination that fits a family’s planned attendance.
• Food and dietary care. The menu includes a range of dietary alternatives and is prepared on site. Families managing an allergy or medical diet should discuss current practice before a place is accepted.

Montessori & Me will appeal to families who want a recognisable Montessori layer alongside the EYFS, rather than a generic early-years programme. The Panda's, Penguin's and Peacock's staging gives the provision a practical shape, while the enclosed garden and free-flow access for the older two stages make movement and outdoor choice part of the day.

The April to May 2024 Good inspection offers a solid picture of caring relationships, independence, early mathematics, stories and food routines, while also leaving a precise question around how communication and language are extended through the day. It suits families needing a full day from 8am to 6pm, morning care from 8am to 1pm, or afternoon care from 1pm to 6pm, with early drop-off and late pickup around those patterns.