Paint Pots Montessori School The Grove

Sleeping coracles for the youngest children, a windowed partition for older learners and a minibus for outdoor trips give The Grove a recognisable character. Montessori here means hands-on learning with room for children to choose, while adults observe and introduce activities that extend their interests. The setting occupies part of Westbourne Grove Church in Notting Hill, combining an indoor classroom base with outings to London's green spaces.

At its 3 February 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated Paint Pots Montessori School The Grove Good and judged its safeguarding arrangements effective. That is a dated assessment, rather than a description of every aspect of today's nursery day. The current age range runs from 12 months to five years, with 45 places in total.

Year-round attendance includes morning, afternoon and full-day sessions, although the youngest children attend full days only. The practical distinction matters: this is an option for both families arranging shorter sessions for older children and those needing care across the working day.

Rooms and Ages

The first-floor west wing of the church contains a renovated interior retaining period features. Within the classroom for children aged two to five, a glazed division separates a smaller space for more advanced materials from the larger activity area. This gives older children a place for more demanding work alongside the broader provision for movement and hand skills.

For children aged one to two, the younger classroom combines sensory exploration with natural materials, gentle music and aromatherapy; sleeping coracles, supported seating and changing facilities provide its practical equipment. Sleep therefore has a specific place in the room's design, rather than being treated solely as a break between activities.

Nest classroom and Nursery classroom are the attendance groups named in the booking arrangements. Their different minimum patterns are significant for parents: the youngest group requires days, while the older group can be booked by sessions.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) provides the framework for children's learning and care, including communication, movement and social development. Alongside that shared framework, Montessori materials and activities sit within children's reach, allowing them to select work independently, with friends or with an adult. Staff observe their choices and prepare further activities around their interests. The practical emphasis is on giving children something to handle, explore and repeat, rather than relying only on adult explanation.

Free choice sits alongside group cooking, music and show & tell. Those arrangements offer different kinds of participation: children can pursue an individual activity, then join an experience requiring shared attention or conversation. The setting's Montessori approach also has a financial consequence, because delivery of that curriculum carries an additional service charge.

In February 2023, babies explored music through percussion, with puppets and scarves adding movement and visual interest. Books were accessible for independent exploration, and Dear Zoo gave babies pages and flaps to investigate. Older children contributed to conversations about stories. These examples show how reading and music could involve active participation rather than simply listening.

At the February 2023 inspection, Ofsted identified two improvements: adults needed to apply behaviour expectations more consistently and develop questioning that encouraged children to speak and extend their language. Both points concern everyday interactions. In February 2023, expectations during freely chosen activities varied between staff, while adults' vocabulary modelling needed more opportunities for children to respond themselves.

Outdoor and Community Life

A minibus takes children to gardens, playgrounds and city parks. Outdoor learning can include scavenger hunts, art, observing plants and practising familiar routes, linking movement and exploration with classroom learning. Families choosing The Grove should think about this travelling model of outdoor provision alongside its first-floor indoor base.

Nature also comes into the classroom. Seasonal finds fill nature tables, children arrange flowers and care for seeds or plants, and classroom goldfish provide another living presence. Caterpillars developing into butterflies and frogspawn are usually part of the yearly exploration of life cycles. These are concrete opportunities to notice change over time, with growing cress or salad connecting plant care to food.

In February 2023, family participation included making dumplings for Chinese New Year, with children wearing cultural clothing. Celebrations also included Ramadan, Holi, Diwali and Christmas. The useful detail is the connection with children's families: cultural experiences were brought into activities rather than confined to an abstract topic.

Relationships and Communication

In February 2023, staff built close relationships with children and their parents, and families received updates about development alongside ideas for supporting learning at home. Planning took account of individual children's needs. For a parent, that combination matters because communication is more useful when it explains both what a child is doing and how home can support the next step.

Current arrangements include a designated safeguarding lead role and a SENCO within the Nursery classroom team. These are identifiable points of responsibility, rather than a general promise about care. The branch's collection policy also requires advance permission when someone other than a parent will collect a child.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Parents must disclose relevant medical conditions, special educational needs and circumstances affecting their child's wellbeing. The terms permit a comforter and require labelled clothing, including a change of clothes, coat and hat. These practical expectations help families prepare for the day and give staff information they need to respond to a child's circumstances.

In February 2023, a play kitchen beside the working kitchen connected pretend cooking with real preparation: children explored herbs and ingredients through their senses. At mealtimes, children practised serving food and clearing their utensils, with adults sharing the social occasion. Independence was therefore part of ordinary routines as well as classroom activities.

Fresh meals are prepared by chefs, with seasonal menus; the allergy policy requires written dietary information and a doctor's note for a medically diagnosed food allergy. Families affected by allergies should discuss how that policy will work for their child.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Westbourne Grove Church, Westbourne Grove, London W11 2RW. General enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone on 0207 223 0123 or by email to nurserymanager@paint-pots.co.uk.

Morning sessions run from 8am to 1pm, afternoons from 1pm to 6pm, and full days from 8am to 6pm. Breakfast and lunch accompany the morning session; supper accompanies the afternoon. Full-day attendance includes all three meals. For children aged two and over, two half-day sessions can be combined on the same weekday.

Nest classroom offers full days only, with a minimum of two days. Nursery classroom has a minimum of two sessions. In either case, the booking must include a Monday or Friday. The recommendation is three or more days or sessions, but that is separate from the minimum requirement.

Attendance runs across the year, with closures for bank holidays, staff-training days, a week in August and one to two weeks around Christmas and New Year. The September 2025 to August 2026 fee schedule incorporated an averaged monthly reduction for nursery closures. Fees are payable by the first day of the attendance month, and absence through illness does not bring a refund.

Funding and Paid Extras

The Grove offers the Universal Entitlement of 15 free hours for three- and four-year-olds and the Extended Entitlement of 30 free hours for eligible families. Funding is stretched across the calendar year: the universal offer becomes 11.5 funded hours weekly, and the extended offer becomes 23. The September 2025 to August 2026 schedule also included the working families 30 free hours for eligible children aged one to four.

Funded hours, additional private hours and additional services are itemised separately. The additional services include delivery of the Montessori curriculum, meals and consumables, so a funded-hours allocation should be considered alongside the whole charge structure. Montessori delivery is charged monthly; applying for a bursary to cover that charge does not guarantee that it will be waived.

The September 2025 to August 2026 fee package included snacks, meals, wipes and nappies, while its funded-place invoices separated meals and consumables as additional services. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Parents are consulted about extra costs for trips or external activities.

A non-refundable registration charge and an acceptance deposit apply. The Grove's terms credit the deposit against the final month's fees and require two months' written withdrawal notice, except in the final term. Additional deposit-retention conditions apply when leaving Nest classroom or withdrawing within 12 months of moving from Nest to Nursery classroom. These terms deserve attention before accepting a place.

• Behaviour and conversation. The February 2023 improvement points concerned consistent expectations and adults' questioning. During a visit, ask how staff now support children through free-choice periods and draw quieter children into conversation.
• Outdoor arrangements. The classrooms occupy the first floor and outings use a minibus. A visit is a useful opportunity to discuss how outdoor trips fit into the routine for your child's age group.
• Attendance commitments. Nest requires two full days and Nursery two sessions, including a Monday or Friday. Match that pattern to your week, and consider the deposit conditions if your plans may change.
• Funding and allergies. Funded hours sit alongside charges for Montessori delivery, meals and consumables. Request a written quotation for your attendance pattern, and, if allergies affect your child, confirm the current food-handling arrangements.

The Grove suits families seeking hands-on Montessori learning with either morning or afternoon attendance for older children, or full-day care including the younger group. Its strongest concrete attractions are the differentiated classroom spaces, accessible materials, nature activities and outdoor outings.

The February 2023 Good judgement provides a useful quality reference, balanced by improvement points about behaviour consistency and children's opportunities to speak. For parents, the decision also rests on practical fit: a Monday or Friday commitment, year-round closures and the additional charges attached to funded attendance. The learning approach and the booking terms need to work equally well for your family.