Norwich Montessori School

Child-chosen activities, an open-plan classroom and a garden children can use when they wish give Norwich Montessori School its character. Montessori here means independent learning through children choosing their own activities. This is preschool provision for children aged 2½ to 5, with 26 places in total, rather than care beginning in infancy.

At its September 2021 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good and found safeguarding effective. The dated picture included children concentrating on demanding activities, taking responsibility for everyday tasks and learning through detailed conversations with adults.

The setting occupies The Colney Parish Room on Old Watton Road in Norwich. An enclosed garden and exploration in the local marshes extend learning beyond the classroom; My Montessori Child gives parents online access to their child's progress. Morning and afternoon attendance patterns sit within a term-time calendar.

Learning and Activities

Choice is a practical part of the Montessori approach. Children select their own activities in an open-plan prepared environment designed to support independent learning.

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, encompassing play, communication and growing independence. Montessori sits alongside that framework as the setting's teaching approach. All key people are Montessori trained, so the adults monitoring individual progress also have training in the method children encounter during their day.

In September 2021, everyday independence included children sorting out their own shoes and cleaning and returning cups after snack. Younger children received demonstrations of how equipment worked and where it belonged afterwards.

Science, movement and imaginative play add different experiences. Fossils & Fireworks uses practical experiments and scientific equipment, with a different topic each week; subjects include engineering, light and chemical reactions. Mini Monkey Yoga brings together breathing exercises, movement, stories and relaxation. Little People’s Drama Company uses storytelling, props and pretend play, with games and improvisation supported by nursery staff. These sessions give children structured opportunities to investigate, move and take part alongside others, and lunchtime activities carry separate charges.

Outdoor and Community Life

Children can choose to use the garden, with staff supporting their learning outside. The enclosed outdoor space complements the open-plan classroom, while forest school exploration in the local marshes brings discovery into the surrounding countryside.

In September 2021, outdoor activities included mixing natural materials in the mud kitchen and examining seeds from sunflower heads. Adults connected the seeds with future planting and introduced counting and comparisons. An animal puzzle also prompted discussion supported by books and an atlas. The examples show how a child's immediate interest could lead into language, mathematics or investigation.

Outings include countryside walks; bus journeys take children to the University of East Anglia grounds and Earlham Park. Visits have also extended to the local library and the Sainsbury’s Art Gallery.

An annual sponsored walk supports Barnardo’s and invites families to participate. Harvest Lunch gives children practical jobs preparing food and setting tables before eating with parents and carers. World Book Day involves choosing and sharing a favourite book character with family help, while a book and poem can be taken home each week. Reading therefore has a regular home connection as well as a celebration.

Sustainability has a named place in the offer through the OMEP award for sustainability, which supports changes in practice and children's understanding of caring for the planet. Collaborative Montessori Accreditation recognises the setting's Montessori practice. These are separate strands: one concerns environmental habits, the other the teaching approach.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with a visit alongside parents, followed by an independent visit in which the child and key person choose activities together. Its length follows the child's response.

Key people monitor individual progress, and My Montessori Child lets parents see the online learning record throughout the academic year. Progress is planned and recorded, giving families a way to follow learning between conversations.

In September 2021, staff spent time learning children's interests and needs, and new starters received close support while becoming familiar with routines.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The staff structure includes a SENDCo, a designated safeguarding lead and a deputy safeguarding lead. These roles provide identifiable responsibilities for additional needs and safeguarding matters. They describe how responsibilities are organised, while the dated inspection judgement supplies the assessment of safeguarding effectiveness.

The September 2021 improvement actions required more consistent teaching across staff and better support for children struggling to manage their behaviour, including new starters and children with SEND. These are material qualifications to the Good judgement. For a family whose child needs help with transitions or emotional regulation, the relevant issue is how that support works in everyday situations, alongside the appeal of independent activity.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery opens for 36 weeks each year, during term time, and closes for school holidays. Opening hours are 8.15am to 4pm from Monday to Thursday and 8.15am to 1pm on Friday. The shorter Friday matters when matching preschool attendance to a working week.

Morning and afternoon sessions are offered, with breakfast club also included among the booking choices. The registration form allows families to select attendance by weekday and includes separate lunch and activity options. The nursery recommends at least three sessions each week to help children become familiar with the Montessori routine; this is a recommendation, rather than a stated compulsory booking minimum.

Families can enquire through the contact form or telephone 01603 452522. Registration uses an online form. Fees are payable in advance, a non-refundable registration charge secures the application, and withdrawal requires a full term's written notice, with a charge attached if that notice is not given. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Getting There

The address is The Colney Parish Room, Old Watton Road, Norwich, NR4 7TW, in a Victorian village hall opposite the Spire Hospital. Off-road parking is provided, and the location is close to the University of East Anglia, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and Norwich Research Park.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the 15 hours entitlement and 30 hours of 2 and 3 year old funding. Funded hours can be taken between 9am and 4pm within the term-time offer. Parents of two-year-old children need to be working 16 hours a week to qualify for that funding; entitlement remains subject to eligibility.

Additional hours, breakfast club and enrichment sessions are charged separately. Lunch also carries a separate charge, including when a child using funded entitlement stays for lunch. Families should compare the attendance pattern and extras together when considering the total cost, rather than treating funded hours as covering every part of the day.

• Support with emotions and new routines. The September 2021 improvement actions covered consistent teaching and help with behaviour regulation, including for children with SEND. During a visit, ask how staff now support a child who finds changing activities or settling difficult.
• The term-time week. Provision runs for 36 weeks and Friday ends at 1pm. Families needing care through school holidays or later on Fridays will need an attendance plan that accounts for those boundaries.
• Funding and the lunch period. Funded hours can be accessed from 9am to 4pm, while lunch, breakfast club and enrichment carry separate charges. Request a written breakdown for the sessions and extras you intend to use, including arrangements for non-food consumables.
• Withdrawal commitment. A full term's written notice is required, with a charge for shorter notice, and the registration charge is non-refundable. These terms matter if a move or change in childcare needs is possible.

Norwich Montessori School suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions, child-led activity and a term-time rhythm for children aged 2½ to 5. Garden access, marsh exploration and named science, yoga and drama sessions give the approach practical substance. My Montessori Child adds a useful connection between nursery learning and home.

The Good judgement dates to September 2021, and its improvement actions deserve attention alongside its positive observations. The decision rests on the fit between a child's response to independent choice, the support they need with routines and the family's attendance requirements. The early Friday finish and separately charged lunch and activities are concrete parts of that choice.