The Montessori House

Independence has a practical meaning at The Montessori House: toddlers pour drinks and wipe tables, while older children polish, sweep and care for plants. Montessori here means hands-on learning, choices within a structured environment and practice at doing everyday tasks for oneself. The setting occupies The Old School in Ardington and has capacity for 42 children in total.

At its February 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged behaviour and routines, welfare and wellbeing, and inclusion to meet the expected standard, while achievement, curriculum and teaching, and leadership and governance needed attention; safeguarding standards were met. That gives families a mixed picture rather than a single overall grade. The care arrangements and the educational concerns both deserve weight in a decision.

Three stages shape the nursery: Nido for babies from birth to 18 months, Infant Community from 18 months to 2.5 years, and Children’s House from 2.5 to 6 years. Full-day and morning sessions are offered, with different booking conditions for privately paid and funded-only attendance.

Rooms and Ages

Nido combines treasure baskets, songs and soft climbing equipment with movement space, soft lighting and gentle background music, giving babies opportunities for sensory exploration and early movement.

Within Infant Community, the Montessori Work Cycle provides time for dressing frames, pouring, sweeping and sensory materials; real cups and plates extend this practical independence into meals.

Children’s House adds plant care, furniture cleaning, number materials, early phonics, puzzle maps and globes, while Grace and courtesy groups practise cooperation and taking turns within a day of self-directed work and group activities.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS is the shared framework for learning, development and care, bringing communication, physical development, number skills and self-care into the day. Montessori adds practical tasks such as buttoning and tidying, structured choices and self-correcting materials that let children recognise mistakes themselves.

Afternoon group activities in the older rooms include science investigations, art, music and movement, and language games, giving children different ways to participate after individual work.

In February 2026, Ofsted found that teaching did not reliably extend children’s existing knowledge, that children without SEND did not consistently build on earlier learning to reach their full potential, that outdoor learning was too narrow, and that staff coaching and oversight were insufficient, although older children received more targeted teaching and support for children with SEND was effective. The distinction matters. Montessori materials and a carefully arranged room do not, by themselves, establish that teaching builds knowledge in a clear sequence.

The February 2026 examples made this concern concrete. Babies’ familiarity with some animal sounds was not used to introduce unfamiliar ones, and a song moved too quickly for them to hear the words and sounds clearly. Older children could discuss a frog’s development, showing a more purposeful connection with earlier learning. Families considering different rooms should therefore pay attention to the teaching for their child’s stage, rather than treating the whole nursery as one uniform experience.

Outdoor and Community Life

Infant Community has daily running, climbing and balancing opportunities; Nido’s outdoor time depends on the weather.

In February 2026, garden equipment supported climbing, but younger children had few other activities to pursue and outdoor learning was too narrowly physical. Regular local walks helped children explore their surroundings. Access to outdoor space and the learning planned there deserve separate consideration.

Relationships and Communication

At least three settling sessions are recommended, adjusted to the child’s needs and arranged alongside the start date. The transition can follow the individual child’s pace.

In February 2026, a key-person arrangement helped children establish relationships with familiar adults. Staff gathered information about home life and individual care needs, sharing it within the team. Parents were involved in support planning and received advice on toilet training and preparing for school. For families, the practical value is continuity between the routines used at home and those used in nursery.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In February 2026, individual support plans involved parents and external professionals. SEND training, additional funding and curriculum advice from local authority advisers supported children’s individual needs, helping connect support at home and nursery.

Children practise self-care through serving food, clearing spills and personal hygiene. Nido provides individual attention, soft bedding and predictable naps, accommodating babies’ care needs alongside their exploration.

Privately paid sessions include lunch, tea and snacks, together with care essentials including nappies. For funded-only children aged 3 to 4, meals and hygiene supplies form part of an optional additional-services charge; families declining it can supply suitable food and agreed essentials, subject to the nursery’s procedures, or discuss another reasonable arrangement or a waiver.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Old School, School Road, Ardington, Wantage, OX12 8PN. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, and the nursery opens for 51 weeks. Enquiries go to the admissions team by telephone or email.

Full-day sessions run from 8am to 6pm; mornings run from 8am to 1pm. Standard privately paid attendance requires at least two full days each week. The morning option therefore needs to be read alongside that minimum, rather than assumed to be a stand-alone private booking arrangement. Hourly childcare is not offered, and payments are made monthly in advance.

The 15-hour funded-only pattern combines a full day and a morning on fixed, agreed days over 38 weeks. It does not require buying the balance of two full days or childcare during the other weeks. Additional private hours and extra weeks are voluntary, and purchasing them does not confer priority for a funded place.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible 15- and 30-hour funded entitlements are accepted. The 15-hour option is term-time delivery across 38 weeks; the 30-hour description gives approximately 22 hours and 21 minutes each week across 51 weeks. The conflicting funded-only calendar rules are a decision point below. Funding arrangements remain subject to eligibility and an agreed attendance pattern.

Private session fees include food and care essentials. For funded-only attendance by 3- to 4-year-olds, the optional extras package contributes towards meals, nappies, wipes, creams and other hygiene supplies, together with celebrations. Declining these services does not remove access to funded EYFS provision, and suitable alternative experiences accompany opting out of paid activities.

Birthday celebrations include baking a cake to take home, while the additional-services package also covers summer concerts and Christmas celebrations. These celebrations belong to the optional package, separate from the funded educational provision.

A non-refundable registration charge is not a condition of a funded-only place. A refundable reservation deposit may be requested under the local funding agreement; standard registration or deposit arrangements may apply to any privately paid element. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation, with attendance and opt-out details explained on its fees and funded childcare page.

• Teaching and outdoor learning. February 2026 actions required better staff training and a more carefully sequenced indoor and outdoor curriculum, with a completion date of 20 March 2026. At a visit, ask for concrete examples of how teaching now extends a child’s knowledge and what younger children can do in the garden beyond climbing.
• 30-hour funded-only calendar. The 30-hour arrangement stretches funding across 51 weeks, alongside a general rule that funded-only children attend for 38 weeks. These rules conflict. Obtain the written attendance calendar for the proposed arrangement before committing.
• Private mornings and the minimum booking. A morning session is offered, while standard privately paid places require two full days each week. Clarify how mornings fit the booking you want; funded-only attendance has separate conditions.
• Food and care essentials on funded hours. The optional package for funded-only 3- to 4-year-olds includes both meals and hygiene supplies. Families considering opting out should agree suitable food, storage and care-essential arrangements, including current allergy procedures, before the child starts.

The Montessori House suits families interested in practical independence, with full days and mornings serving different attendance arrangements. Treasure baskets and household tasks give its Montessori approach concrete form.

The February 2026 educational concerns remain central. Settling and individual support have value, but the choice also depends on teaching that builds knowledge over time and outdoor planning that extends beyond physical development.