Harriet House Montessori School

A giant teepee, two playing fields and weekly woodland sessions give Harriet House Montessori School a clear outdoor character. Its home is The Walled Garden on the Yattendon Estate, where children spend part of each day outside whatever the weather. Montessori learning adds another defining feature: children choose materials and try activities at their own pace, with adults preparing the opportunities around them.

At its October 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, while identifying two improvements: clearer planning that builds on children's existing understanding, and more consistent adult support for language. Those findings matter alongside the attractive grounds. Choice works best when practitioners know what each activity should help a child learn.

There are 47 places in total. Casa Bambini welcomes children from 12 months, while Nursery serves children aged 3 to 4; morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside breakfast and after-school care.

Rooms and Ages

Casa Bambini combines walks around the grounds or to see the cows in Yattendon with a post-lunch sleep in coracles for children staying for a full day. The physical setting gives younger children outdoor experiences as well as a defined opportunity to rest.

The Little House is adjacent to Casa Bambini and combines sensory activities, Montessori materials and access to indoor and outdoor learning, with confidence and independence as its emphasis. The neighbouring rooms make the next stage a move within a familiar part of the nursery.

For children aged 3 to 4, Nursery uses a structured Montessori classroom where children select activities, practise putting materials away and take turns helping with snack preparation. Gradual introductory visits bring them into contact with their key worker before the move. Everyday tasks count here: managing a coat, changing shoes and tidying an activity are part of becoming more independent.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, including learning through play and developing communication and independence. Montessori sits alongside it. At Harriet House, that means prepared materials, opportunities to make choices and time to explore an activity at the child's own pace.

Weekly Forest School takes learning outdoors into local woodland. In The Little House, specialist teachers also lead music, and children can enrol in dance classes. Nursery combines weekly music and Forest School with either Spanish or French. These additions give children different ways to participate, from language and sound to movement and outdoor exploration.

In October 2022, babies listened to stories with adults discussing the pictures, while older children joined singing activities using vehicle props. Adult language during other play was less consistent. The distinction is useful: engaging group activities were a strength, but extending vocabulary needed to carry through the rest of the day too.

Outdoor and Community Life

The five-acre walled garden contains an outdoor classroom and play areas for developing movement skills, alongside the teepee and playing fields. Fruit, herbs and vegetables are grown for the kitchen. Outdoor time therefore includes both active play and a connection between growing food and eating it.

Local woodland extends the experience beyond the grounds. For a family attracted by outdoor learning, the important combination is daily time outside plus a recurring woodland session, rather than an occasional trip being the whole offer.

An assigned key worker introduces children in The Little House to materials and activities; Nursery also uses introductory visits with the child's key worker. This gives families a named role to build a relationship with as their child moves between stages. Communication between home and nursery is part of the Casa Bambini care arrangements.

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described support for children with additional language or SEND needs, with staff recognising the importance of working alongside other professionals. These are dated judgements. They describe practice at that visit rather than providing a fresh assessment of today's care.

The child protection policy establishes a designated safeguarding lead and a deputy, with procedures for escalating concerns. It also recognises that communication difficulties can create additional safeguarding barriers for children with SEND. Those mechanisms matter because identifying a concern and passing it to the right person are separate responsibilities.

Meals are cooked on site, and vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free options can be arranged. Children eat with staff in a dining room, using individually named napkins and napkin rings, making shared meals part of the daily routine.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 8.30am to 12.30pm; afternoons run from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Breakfast Club runs from 7.50am to 8.30am, and Nursery children can attend Lunch Club between 12.30pm and 1.30pm. Full-day attendance is also part of the Casa Bambini arrangements.

After School Care starts at 3.30pm, with finishing options of 5.30pm or 6pm, Monday to Thursday. It combines supervised indoor and outdoor play with a hot tea and can be booked for a term or on an ad hoc basis. That booking flexibility applies to after-school care; it should not be read as a rule for every session.

The calendar follows terms and includes separate holiday clubs. For working families, the distinction between the nursery day, extended care and holiday provision is central to planning an attendance pattern.

Getting There

The address is The Walled Garden, Yattendon Estate, RG18 0XX; the contact address also uses Frilsham. Directions from Yattendon follow Church Lane onto Chapel Lane, crossing the M4 before reaching the signposted drive. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01635 200837 or through the contact route.

• Learning during independent play. In October 2022, curriculum planning and adult language support needed greater consistency. On a visit, ask how practitioners now extend a child's chosen activity and introduce new vocabulary.
• The working-week fit. After School Care runs Monday to Thursday, with two finishing options. Discuss how morning, afternoon and extended care would combine for your own weekly pattern, including Fridays and holidays.
• Moving between rooms. Casa Bambini and The Little House are adjacent, and Nursery uses gradual introductory visits. Ask how the timing of a move is agreed and how your child gets to know the next key worker.
• The written quotation. For your intended session pattern, request a current written quotation. This makes the cost of that particular arrangement clear before joining.

Harriet House suits families who want Montessori choice to sit alongside substantial outdoor time, whether they need morning sessions, afternoon sessions or a day supplemented by breakfast and after-school care. Coracle sleeps in Casa Bambini, woodland Forest School and practical independence in Nursery give the offer tangible character.

The October 2022 judgement provides a positive starting point, with curriculum planning and language support the important improvement questions. Families drawn by the grounds should also look closely at how adults turn a child's choices into purposeful learning.