Foxglove Montessori Nursery

Two fenced outdoor areas, a covered space for wet-weather play and a sensory room give Foxglove Montessori Nursery at Chilton Fields a clear physical character. Outdoor exploration and somewhere quieter sit alongside each other. For parents weighing how a child will manage a busy nursery day, that combination matters more than a broad promise about care.

At its April 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall. The setting has capacity for 60 children in total, while children can attend from two and a half to five years old. Those are different measures: whole-setting capacity does not describe the size of the group a child will spend the day with.

Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance are offered during term time. The practical distinction is Friday, when Chilton Fields finishes after the morning session.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play, including language, physical development and relationships. Montessori runs alongside it as the nursery's educational approach. The April 2023 examples give that combination substance: children explored ideas through practical tasks, while adults used their interests to introduce language and reasons to write.

In April 2023, a tractor cutting grass became a learning opportunity. Staff introduced vocabulary about its movement and machinery, and children made a thank-you poster for its driver. This was writing with an immediate purpose, connected to something that had caught their attention. Books also featured in everyday learning and imaginative play.

Making play dough offered another kind of exploration that April. Children altered the flour and water as they worked towards the consistency they wanted. The task gave them room to try an idea, see what happened and adjust it, rather than simply follow a finished recipe. These examples explain the nursery's learning character more clearly than the Montessori name alone.

Outdoor and Community Life

Both outdoor areas are fenced, and the covered space allows outdoor play in different weather. That gives children a practical alternative to staying indoors when conditions change. The sensory room provides a contrasting indoor space.

In April 2023, children grew herbs and flowers in the natural wildlife garden, watched chicks emerge from eggs and helped care for guinea pigs. These were tangible encounters with growth and living things. Weekly activities then included yoga, drama and forest school, an approach involving outdoor learning and exploration; that frequency belongs to the inspection period.

Sparkle and Archie are the Chilton Fields guinea pigs. Children help look after them and can take them home for a weekend. Animal care therefore has a connection with family life as well as nursery activity, with responsibility extending beyond watching a pet in its enclosure.

Relationships and Communication

In April 2023, children had close relationships with staff and other children. Adults listened to what children wanted to share, while parents contributed to assessment and the key-person arrangements. The practical value was continuity: knowledge of the child came from home as well as from nursery activities.

School transition also formed part of the work that April. The manager maintained contact with schools and other local services to help children move to their next stage. This describes transition support, rather than an admissions advantage at a particular school.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2023 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding, substantial progress across learning areas and effective additional support through work with professionals such as speech and language therapists. Resources were arranged so children could select them independently, and the sensory room offered a calmer place for children who became overwhelmed. The current team includes a SENCo role, giving special educational needs support an identified point of responsibility.

Mealtime independence had a specific weakness in April 2023. Children practised spreading food, washing their dishes and helping organise the table, but younger children sometimes needed clearer guidance about routines, including finishing a mouthful before moving away. The improvement action concerned consistency in that support. Independence needs an adult's guidance as well as opportunities to practise.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at Chilton Fields, Chilton Way, Stowmarket, IP14 1SZ. Attendance follows school terms, with closure on bank holidays. Families whose work continues through school holidays will need an arrangement that covers those breaks.

Morning sessions run from 9am to 12.30pm, Monday to Friday. Afternoon sessions run from 1pm to 4pm, Monday to Thursday, and the full day runs from 9am to 4pm on those days. Breakfast Club runs from 8am to 9am throughout the working week; Lunch Club runs from 12.30pm to 1pm, Monday to Thursday. The clubs extend or connect the main sessions, rather than making Friday an afternoon-care day.

Lunch Club can be added to either a morning or afternoon session. A one-off addition between Monday and Thursday is conditional on space. This gives families a specific way to extend a shorter session, while preserving the distinction between the regular booking and an occasional extra.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01449 775333 or through the contact form. Appointments to look around are arranged by telephone. A large car park supports collections and drop-offs at this branch.

Funding and Paid Extras

Two year old funding, 15 hours funding and 30 hours funding are accepted. Funding can be used for the nursery's sessions, including Breakfast Club and Lunch Club, and attendance is term-time. Fee-paying childcare is also offered beyond funded hours. Eligibility still determines which entitlement a family can use.

Children bring their own packed lunch, while snacks and breakfast are charged separately. For families comparing a morning with a longer day, the packed lunch and food charges are practical parts of the arrangement, separate from the childcare hours.

A non-refundable registration charge applies to securing a place. Fees are invoiced ahead of the term, with monthly splitting possible on request, and missed sessions because of illness or other reasons do not receive refunds. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, allowing families to assess the chosen sessions and food costs together.

• Friday finishes earlier. Morning attendance ends at 12.30pm, and afternoon sessions operate Monday to Thursday. This difference needs to fit the family's weekly collection arrangements.
• Term-time attendance. The nursery follows school terms and closes on bank holidays. Its morning, afternoon and full-day options suit a term-based routine, with holiday cover arranged separately.
• Mealtime guidance. The April 2023 improvement action concerned clearer support for younger children during meals. At a visit, ask how staff now guide those routines alongside the emphasis on independence.
• Your child's everyday group. Capacity is 60 across the setting, alongside outdoor areas and a sensory room. At a visit, ask how children are grouped and how a new child is introduced to the people and spaces they will use.

Foxglove suits families seeking term-time morning sessions, afternoon attendance or full days from Monday to Thursday. Its fenced outdoor spaces and sensory room give children contrasting places to play, while Sparkle and Archie add a concrete responsibility to nursery life.

The April 2023 learning examples show practical exploration connected to language and independence. The mealtime improvement point deserves attention alongside those strengths. For families comfortable with the Friday finish and term-time calendar, this is a nursery with a recognisable setting and a useful choice of attendance patterns.