Fountain Montessori Nursery & Pre-School, Edgware

A bike track with a pretend petrol station, a water wall and a Pebblescape containing boulders, cobbles and ammonites give this Edgware nursery an outdoor identity beyond swings and slides. Inside, the emphasis changes with each stage: sensory exploration for babies, self-help for toddlers and organised learning areas for preschool children.

Fountain Montessori Nursery & Pre-School, Edgware takes children aged 6 to 48 months and has 88 places in total. No Ofsted inspection has been published for this setting yet.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Rooms combine spaces for sleep and meals with sensory tables and soft corners, giving rest its own place alongside exploration. Toddler Rooms use low tables, art stations and messy play to encourage children to practise doing things for themselves. Preschool Rooms bring together books, creative materials and spaces for shared activity, with learning covering science, literacy, mathematics and culture.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the required educational framework: children develop communication, physical and social skills through play, alongside early mathematics, literacy and creative experiences. Montessori adds an approach centred on children choosing and exploring hands-on activities; here, preschool classrooms include sensorial materials and toddlers have accessible play zones.

Outdoor provision gives children several ways to use that curiosity. The Pebblescape combines cobbles, boulders and ammonites for exploring contrasting surfaces. A wormery and bug hotel bring small creatures into the learning environment, while the bike track adds road markings and pretend refuelling to physical play. Sheltered learning areas include a timber canopy, so the garden has places for quieter activity too.

Sleep has dedicated space in the baby rooms, alongside areas for eating and sensory play. That separation is a useful consideration for families balancing a baby's rest with an active nursery day.

Gated grounds, controlled access and cameras in rooms form part of the security arrangements. These are practical measures, rather than an inspection judgement about safeguarding. Parent communication apps are included in the fee structure, linking attendance costs with a means of keeping in touch.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Edgware House, 389 Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware, HA8 5TX. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Families can book morning sessions from 8am to 1pm or full days from 8am to 6pm, with part-time and full-time attendance patterns.

Funding and Paid Extras

Both private childcare and funded hours are offered. Funding options include 15 Hours Universal Funding and 30 Hours Extended Funding for children aged 3 to 4, with 30 Hours Funding also appearing for younger age bands. Funding is stretched across 50 weeks: the 15-hour option provides 11.4 funded hours weekly and the 30-hour option provides 22.8.

Food is included in private fees. On funded arrangements, meals and consumables are separate invoice elements; the supplement for fully funded places is voluntary. The fee structure includes local trips, events, resources, communication apps and external language, movement and music classes. A deposit and registration charge apply, and withdrawal or session changes require two months' written notice. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Baby sleep and settling. Dedicated sleeping areas are part of the baby-room design. On a visit, ask how the key person incorporates your child's sleep and settling routines.
• Funded attendance costs. Food is included in private fees, while funded invoices separate meals and consumables from core childcare and the supplement for fully funded places is voluntary. Request a quotation separating these elements for your chosen attendance pattern.
• Changing sessions. Two months' written notice applies to session changes as well as withdrawal. This matters if working arrangements may change at short notice.

This nursery suits families interested in Montessori learning and an outdoor setting with both physical play and hands-on exploration. Morning sessions and full days serve different schedules. For parents of babies, the dedicated sleeping areas deserve as much attention as the garden; for older children, the bike track, natural materials and role play spaces give the offer its character.