Willow Park Montessori Day Nursery

Pouring, food preparation and hands-on number work give Willow Park its character. Montessori learning here combines guided activities with opportunities for children to choose what interests them, within a Georgian house with private walled gardens and access to Eltham Park South. The appeal is concrete: everyday tasks sit alongside early literacy and mathematics, rather than learning being confined to group lessons.

At its February 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and reported good progress, with communication a strong emphasis. That judgement came with two useful qualifications: children needed more opportunities to manage tasks independently, and leaders needed to act faster on areas requiring development.

The nursery has 30 places in total for children aged 24 to 60 months, at 19 Glenlyon Road in Eltham, London. Attendance is full-day only, with a minimum booking of two days a week. This makes the educational approach and the attendance commitment equally important parts of the decision.

Rooms and Ages

Classroom 2 emphasises independence, coordination and confidence through carefully prepared activities, alongside imaginative play and developing relationships. Classroom 3 is the preschool environment from age 3, combining phonics and early reading with subjects such as science and mathematics as children prepare for school.

These room descriptions give parents a useful distinction between stages: becoming more capable in everyday activities, then extending language and subject knowledge. They should be read alongside the nursery’s overall age range, rather than as a promise of a particular group size.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children’s learning, development and care. In parent terms, education and everyday care belong together: language, play and growing independence are parts of the same day.

Montessori is the approach added here, using practical tasks and hands-on materials alongside small-group teaching and child-chosen exploration. The curriculum makes that approach tangible. Practical Life includes food preparation, pouring and looking after the surroundings. Sensorial activities use materials exploring texture, sound, shape and colour, giving children opportunities to compare and investigate.

Number learning begins with physical materials, while language work includes phonics, vocabulary and early writing. Geography, music, art and science broaden the day. The useful distinction is between naming subjects and giving children something to do with them: this curriculum describes objects, tasks and choices as the means of learning.

In February 2024, preschool children concentrated on a construction task, using a booklet to guide their work. Other activities introduced vocabulary about geographical features through colour and texture. These examples give substance to the combination of independent investigation and adult guidance.

Outdoor and Community Life

Private walled gardens provide outdoor space at the nursery, while Eltham Park South adds a setting for exploration beyond the house. Regular outdoor learning is part of the offer, giving families a balance between the prepared indoor environment and experiences outside it.

In February 2024, children exercised outdoors each day, using both the garden and a nearby park. The activity involved different ways of moving, supporting coordination as well as time in fresh air. The current gardens and park access remain the stronger practical reasons to consider the setting.

At the February 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children formed secure relationships with their key person, settled readily and benefited from sensitive care, while parents received app updates and conversations about the day. For families starting nursery, that combination matters: the relationship with a familiar adult and the information reaching home are both parts of settling.

During February 2024, staff talked and sang to younger children while changing nappies. Children practised washing their hands and eating independently, but staff sometimes missed opportunities to encourage children to pour their own water or wipe their noses. Independence was therefore a real part of daily life, with room to make it more consistent.

The current team arrangements include paediatric first aid and safeguarding training for all staff, with internal training and external courses through borough services and professional bodies.

Meals are cooked fresh each day, with breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and two snacks, using seasonal menus that change on a two-week cycle. Individual dietary needs can be accommodated, and children have opportunities to serve themselves and help clear away, bringing practical learning into mealtimes.

Preparation for school also runs through the curriculum. Classroom 3 develops early reading and phonics alongside independence, while the February 2024 activities included mark-making and name-writing. The emphasis is on skills children can carry into their next stage.

Sessions and Attendance

Full-day care is the sole booking pattern, with attendance required on at least two days each week. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday; those hours describe the nursery’s opening window.

The nursery runs for 45 weeks across three terms. This is an important distinction for parents arranging care around work: a full-day booking does not mean an uninterrupted year of attendance. Fees depend on weekly attendance and can be paid in advance each term or through monthly instalments.

Places are allocated in order of application, with siblings receiving priority. Families can join the waiting list without charge. After a visit, the joining process includes a registration form and a non-refundable registration charge; families can confirm their nursery booking with a deposit once an offer has been made. Visits can be arranged through the contact form.

Getting There

The address is 19 Glenlyon Road, Eltham, London, SE9 1AL. The Georgian house and private gardens form the nursery’s base, with Eltham Park South providing the nearby outdoor connection.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered alongside privately paid attendance. The fees page describes 15 funded hours for children aged 3 and 4 from the term following their third birthday, with eligible working parents able to access an additional 15 hours, up to 30 in total.

Working Parent Entitlement is also offered subject to eligibility. Although that entitlement is described from the term after a child reaches nine months, the nursery’s age range remains 24 to 60 months. Funding is typically applied across a minimum of three days; for eligible children attending two days, 15 hours may be applied.

All fees include food, snacks, drinks and learning consumables, including art and sensory materials. This wording also covers fees with funded hours applied. Tax-Free Childcare and childcare vouchers are accepted. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

• Age and room placement. The overall age range is 24 to 60 months, while younger-room descriptions cover earlier stages. At a visit, which room would your child join, and how would the move to Classroom 3 work?
• Attendance and funding. Ordinary bookings require at least two days, whereas funding is typically spread over at least three. How would your entitlement fit your chosen days and the three-term calendar, and what arrangements apply to personal care consumables?
• Independence and staff development. In February 2024, children sometimes missed chances to complete self-care tasks, and staff development support was not always prompt. Ask how practitioners now balance helping children with letting them try, and how training needs are followed through.
• Address details. The postcode SE9 1AL differs from SE9 1AG used in the contact details. Confirm the postcode for your visit to 19 Glenlyon Road.

Willow Park suits families seeking Montessori learning with practical substance: food preparation, sensory materials, early literacy and outdoor exploration all have a place. Its Georgian house, walled gardens and connection to Eltham Park South give that learning a recognisable setting.

The attendance offer is specific: full-day care on at least two days each week, across a 45-week year. Families wanting that pattern have a clear basis for considering it. The February 2024 concerns about independence and the speed of staff development remain useful questions when assessing how the day works now.