Storybook Montessori

An Art Studio, a Town Hall and an Outdoor Classroom give Storybook Montessori an unusually recognisable setting for early learning. Its spaces form a miniature village beside Ascot Racecourse, within the Crown Estate grounds. The physical character matters: children have different places for exploration, rather than one undifferentiated activity space.

At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, but found that some activities were too demanding for individual children and that staff supervision needed to address weaknesses in teaching more precisely. That balance is central to choosing it: an appealing Montessori approach, with a clear question about how activities are matched to each child's next steps.

Storybook has capacity for 90 children, from birth to five years. Its current opening calendar covers 50 weeks, with weekday opening hours of 8am to 6pm.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) supplies the framework for children's learning and development; here, children explore through play and practical experiences. Montessori is the approach used to deliver it, with a prepared environment and opportunities for children to work at their own pace. Independence is an explicit emphasis. For families, the useful distinction is between that common framework and the way Storybook organises children's experiences within it.

The Art Studio sits alongside the Library, Town Hall and Pre-School Chalet, while the Diner and Village Green extend the village layout. These are named spaces rather than a promise of a particular timetable. Together with the Outdoor Classroom, they give the nursery a physical identity that is closely connected to its learning approach.

In June 2023, practical activity included hammering nails into wood and using textured letters to practise letter formation before school. Babies explored as they developed their crawling. Those examples show learning through movement and materials, with different experiences for children at different stages, rather than expecting everyone to take part in the same task.

Children also explored countries and continents using a world map in June 2023. The difficulty was not a shortage of activity, but its pitch: some teaching moved beyond what individual children were ready to understand. Parents weighing the Montessori offer should keep that distinction in view. Attractive resources matter, but so does choosing the right learning intention for the child using them.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Outdoor Classroom makes outdoor learning part of Storybook's current layout. The racecourse setting adds another recognisable feature: views towards Ascot Racecourse and horses passing the gates on race days. This is a nursery with a strong sense of place.

In June 2023, children balanced on wooden planks positioned over tyres, alongside opportunities to run, jump and climb. Older children took part in forest-school sessions, exploring nature and developing practical skills outdoors. Journeys by bus and train to local destinations extended children's experiences beyond the nursery. These are dated examples of how physical activity and community learning were combined.

Relationships and Communication

Ovivio is the secure parent app used to exchange photographs, daily news and information about children's development. Parents can update interests and routines there, as well as access receipts and invoices. That makes communication two-way: information from home can sit alongside the account of a child's nursery day.

A weekly newsletter covers nursery news, community happenings, forthcoming events and reminders. Family involvement also includes coffee mornings and opportunities to see a child's new learning environment during transitions. The combination gives parents both routine information and occasions to engage with the nursery beyond an app screen.

In June 2023, children helped set tables, poured water themselves and cleared their plates after eating. A children's committee contributed ideas about activities and resources. These small responsibilities gave children a practical role in the day, with opportunities to make choices and contribute to shared routines.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

SENCOs work with families on tailored support and help with referrals to speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and education or healthcare services. This provides a defined route for discussing additional needs, rather than relying solely on informal conversations with whichever practitioner is present.

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described timely specialist referrals and targeted communication support, while identifying inconsistencies in teaching practice. Current arrangements include a designated safeguarding lead, deputy cover and safeguarding refresher training for staff at least annually.

Breakfast, lunch and snacks are prepared by an in-house chef, with menus reviewed by the Early Start Nutrition Team. The nursery's meal-planning policy takes account of allergies, dietary requirements and cultural preferences, with plant-based dishes alongside fish and chicken.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Memorial House, High Street, Ascot, SL5 7JH. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 50 weeks of the year. There are two weeks of closure, including Royal Ascot week and Christmas, as well as closures on public bank holidays. Families need to build those breaks into their childcare planning.

An enquiry form starts the joining process and leads to tour booking. Families receive a prospectus after visiting, containing fee information and further details about nursery life. This gives the visit a practical purpose as well as an opportunity to discuss the learning approach.

Getting There

Designated parent parking is in Car Park 2, and the nursery requires collections and drop-offs to use that car park. Ascot Train Station provides the rail option, while White Bus routes serve Ascot High Street.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible families can use 15 or 30 hours of funded childcare. Funding for eligible working-parent families can begin in the term after a child reaches nine months; the universal three-year-old entitlement starts in the term after the third birthday, unless the child already receives 30 hours of working-parent funding. Eligibility and the nursery's participation are separate matters: offering funding does not make every family eligible.

Tax-Free Childcare is accepted towards childcare fees, but cannot pay for registration fees or refundable deposits. The funding information explains those payment routes.

• Royal Ascot and Christmas closures. The 50-week calendar includes closure during Royal Ascot week, over Christmas and on bank holidays. Families whose work continues through those periods need an alternative arrangement.
• Matching activities to children. In June 2023, some teaching was too difficult for individual children, and staff supervision needed greater precision. During a visit, ask how practitioners now choose each child's next learning step and review their own teaching.
• Your baby's start and dietary needs. The nursery accepts children from birth and prepares food in-house. Use the tour to discuss settling, sleep and the youngest children's day; allergy-affected families should confirm current food-handling practice.
• The whole childcare bill. Funding and Tax-Free Childcare are accepted, with exclusions for registration fees and refundable deposits under Tax-Free Childcare. Request a current written quotation showing the attendance pattern, funding delivery, meals, consumables and any joining charges separately.

Storybook suits families drawn to Montessori learning, practical independence and a nursery with memorable spaces: the Art Studio, Library and Outdoor Classroom give that preference something concrete to attach to. Ovivio, weekly newsletters and SENCO referral support add useful mechanisms for staying involved.

Its weekday opening window will matter to working families, while the Royal Ascot and Christmas closures require planning. The decision should also turn on the teaching question raised in June 2023: how consistently activities meet the needs of each child. The village setting is appealing; the strongest visit discussion will connect those spaces to what an individual child will learn next.