Castalia Montessori Day Nursery & Preschool

Hands-on learning and doing things independently give Castalia Montessori Day Nursery & Preschool its character. The Montessori Approach emphasises practical skills and activities led by children's interests, making everyday tasks part of learning rather than separating them from it.

The nursery has 26 places in total and accepts children aged 3 to 60 months. At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good and safeguarding effective, with an improvement point concerning how staff develop children's thinking through conversation.

Full-day, morning and afternoon bookings sit alongside a term-time daytime option for children aged two and above. That choice matters for families fitting childcare around different working patterns, rather than simply needing the whole opening day.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for children's learning and care: children develop language, movement, relationships and early understanding through play, exploration and activity. Castalia's curriculum and pedagogy places the Montessori Approach alongside that framework, with an emphasis on hands-on experiences and skills children can use in everyday life.

This gives independence a concrete meaning. The prepared environment is intended to let children attempt things for themselves, while learning follows their interests. For parents drawn to Montessori, the useful distinction is the practical emphasis: children participate in activities rather than relying solely on adults to demonstrate or explain.

In May 2023, children chopped actual vegetables and prepared fruit tea during pretend play. Dough was another practical resource: pressing and rolling it exercised the small muscles needed for increasingly precise hand movements. These examples connect imaginative play with physical coordination, giving children something purposeful to do with their hands.

Conversation was a priority in May 2023. Familiar stories invited children to join in, and singing gave them opportunities to use words together. Small-group bucket time activities supported attention and concentration for children needing additional help with communication. The emphasis was on participation, with books, songs and focused group activity providing different ways to engage.

Outdoor and Community Life

In May 2023, the garden supplied space for bikes, scooters and ball play. Children also arranged bowling pins together and took turns with the ball, combining movement with cooperation. Outdoor play therefore supported both physical practice and learning how to share an activity.

Castalia Square and St John’s Park provide the local setting. They give the nursery a recognisable neighbourhood context, while the garden observed in May 2023 supplied its own space for active play.

In May 2023, children had established relationships with their key people, who understood them individually. They played independently and separated confidently from their parents. The key-person arrangement gave children a familiar adult connection within the nursery day.

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children learning English as an additional language, made good progress through joint work between staff, parents and outside professionals. This was individual support built around the child, with families involved in identifying needs and deciding how to respond.

Everyday self-care also featured in May 2023. Children served food, poured drinks and practised managing their own hygiene, including handwashing before meals. These were small, useful steps towards independence, with adults encouraging children to take responsibility for tasks they could manage.

EyLog Parent App now provides photographs and observations of children's learning. It gives parents examples to discuss at home, rather than relying only on a general account of the day. Parents can speak with staff or management through an open-door arrangement, schedule an appointment before a term ends, or use a virtual consultation when that is more convenient.

In May 2023, staff had developed links with local schools to support the move onwards. The practical emphasis was on transition, helping children prepare for their next stage rather than suggesting an admissions advantage.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Full days run from 8am to 6pm; morning bookings run from 8am to 1pm, and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. The 9am to 3pm term-time option is for children aged two and above and is listed with 15 hours of funded childcare; this does not mean the whole attendance window is funded. Bookings are subject to availability and the manager's discretion.

Regular early starts from 7.30am and late finishes to 6.30pm are additional charged arrangements. Flexible booking patterns are considered where possible. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and a week at Christmas, so the term-time session is a separate attendance choice within a broader year-round service.

Getting There

The address is 21/23 Castalia Square, Docklands, London E14 3NG. Canary Wharf is 10 minutes walk from the nursery. Applications can be made through the enrolment route, and tour booking is offered separately.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the 15-hour entitlement for disadvantaged children and 30-hour funding for eligible working parents with children from nine months through the older nursery age groups. Funding follows term-time blocks: spring and summer have 12 weeks each, while autumn has 14.

There are no extra charges on top of government-funded hours; additional sessions are charged. Meals are included in the fees, while parents supply personal items, including nappies and wipes. The fees and funding page sets out the distinction between funded hours and additional paid attendance; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

A refundable deposit applies when a place is accepted, with its return linked to giving a month's notice during term time when leaving. Funded bookings have a separate deposit arrangement, refunded after a month of attendance. Changing or cancelling a regular booking requires a calendar month's notice, making the notice period relevant when planning a change of childcare.

• Conversation and thinking. In May 2023, some questions limited children's answers and adults sometimes moved on before children had enough thinking time. During a visit, ask how staff now use open questions and pauses to extend children's ideas.
• The term-time option. The 9am to 3pm session is for children aged two and above. It suits a different timetable from the morning, afternoon and full-day choices, so decide which pattern fits both work and school holidays.
• Address and parking. The contact address is also given as 21-25 Castalia Square, London E14 3PQ, differing from the address above; the parking guidance gives an ambiguous morning time for its later free period. Confirm the entrance, postcode and parking restrictions before a visit.

Castalia suits families who value practical independence and want a choice between full days, morning or afternoon sessions, and a term-time daytime pattern for older children. The Montessori Approach gives that preference a clear educational shape, while EyLog Parent App and flexible ways to speak with staff support involvement at home.

The May 2023 picture combined purposeful play, established adult relationships and opportunities to practise self-care. The conversation improvement point remains a useful question for a visit: children's independence matters, and so does giving them time to explain their thinking.