East Sussex Montessori School

Montessori materials, a chapel classroom and a separate growing area give East Sussex Montessori School a clear character: practical learning with room for children to pursue their interests. Based in Alfriston, it has 12 places in total across the whole setting. The scale is small; the emphasis is on children learning to do things for themselves.

At its 5 March 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the setting Good and judged safeguarding effective. Children attending that March were aged two to four. The strongest examples from that period concern everyday independence, from preparing for lunch to managing equipment, alongside patient help with emotions. Funded hours can be arranged between 9am and 3pm during term time, with additional private hours charged separately.

Learning and Activities

The Montessori approach centres on practical exploration, materials suited to a child's stage of development and time to follow personal interests. Children choose activities and progress at their own pace. In the classroom at The Old Chapel Centre, Montessori materials are arranged within a child-friendly space, giving this approach a concrete setting rather than leaving it as a philosophy alone.

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, practical tasks, conversation, stories and physical activity show how learning can sit within the ordinary nursery day; Montessori adds its emphasis on choosing materials and working through activities at an individual pace.

In March 2024, adults let children attempt tasks before stepping in. Children cleaned lunch tables and washed their plates; younger children also operated a music player themselves. These are useful examples of independence because they involve responsibility for shared routines, rather than simply choosing a toy.

Learning then developed through manageable steps. That March, children practised pouring with small jugs before using larger buckets for washing up. Daily stories and songs created opportunities to listen, ask questions and contribute ideas, while adults introduced vocabulary during conversation. Practical work and language were connected to things children actually wanted to do.

Outdoor and Community Life

A secure outdoor area includes a play garden and a separate space for planting and growing. This gives outdoor activity two purposes: room to play and opportunities to tend growing things. The rural Alfriston surroundings also offer walks and opportunities to explore the natural world.

In March 2024, children made regular local outings and explored nearby people and places. Sharing food from a child's home offered another starting point for learning about one another. The limitation was breadth: opportunities needed to reach further beyond children's familiar communities.

Patient responses to children's feelings were a clear part of daily practice in March 2024. Adults recognised when a child needed help with emotions and supported disagreements gently. They also modelled considerate behaviour, while children practised sharing equipment and waiting their turn. For a parent, these examples explain how boundaries and emotional support worked together.

Settling happened at each child's pace that March, with staff gathering information about individual care needs. However, the starting picture of children's existing learning was less thorough. Care information and learning information serve different purposes: knowing how to comfort a child does not replace understanding what they can already do.

At the March 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that staff sought extra support or funding promptly when needed and worked effectively with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is a specific account of action and collaboration, rather than a general promise about inclusion.

Communication in March 2024 included updates about the day, explanations of children's next learning steps and ideas for continuing activities at home. Books were shared too. That made the connection between nursery and home practical: parents had something to use as well as information to read.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Alfriston United Reform Church, The Tye, Alfriston, Polegate BN26 5TL; the setting uses The Old Chapel Centre name for its premises. Funded attendance can be arranged to suit within the 9am to 3pm window during term time.

In March 2024, sessions ran from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time only. The term-time arrangement matters for families planning care around working hours and holidays. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone or by email.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded early years hours are offered for 15 and 30 hours, delivered during term time. Additional private hours are charged separately, so funded attendance and paid time need to be considered as separate parts of the arrangement. Families should obtain a current written quotation for prices.

• Starting-point information. In March 2024, gathering parents' knowledge of children's existing skills needed strengthening. At a visit, ask how examples of your child's learning at home become part of their starting assessment.
• A wider view of the world. The March 2024 improvement priority was to extend learning about people and communities beyond familiar experiences. Ask how local outings and shared experiences now connect with that broader aim.
• Term-time planning. Funded hours fit between 9am and 3pm during term time. Families needing care around a longer working day or through holidays should weigh that window against their routine.
• Food and everyday supplies. When discussing funded and additional private hours, what arrangements apply to meals, snacks and non-food consumables, and which costs or supplies fall to parents?

East Sussex Montessori School suits families drawn to practical independence, child-chosen activities and a small setting with both a garden and growing space. It suits families seeking flexible funded hours during term time, with additional paid hours if needed, and those whose routines fit the term-time sessions from 9am to 3pm recorded in March 2024. The March 2024 examples give substance to its Montessori identity, while the priorities around starting assessments and wider-world learning remain sensible discussion points.