Hare Hatch Montessori

Small jugs, threading pasta and work chosen by the child give Hare Hatch Montessori its character. Independence takes practical form here: children select an activity, work at a table or on a floor mat, then put the materials back for someone else. The village-hall setting combines a large hall and separate learning room with a garden, patio and adventure play area. There is room for outdoor exploration as well as concentrated indoor work.

At its December 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged inclusion, children's welfare and wellbeing, and behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Exceptional; achievement, curriculum and teaching, and leadership and governance reached Strong standard, and safeguarding standards were met. Those are separate area judgements, rather than an overall grade.

The nursery has capacity for 26 children and accepts ages from 28 to 60 months. It operates during school terms, with morning, afternoon and all-day attendance patterns. For parents, the combination to weigh is child-led Montessori learning, practical support for individual needs and a day that finishes in the afternoon.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the learning and care requirements, including opportunities to develop communication, physical skills and relationships through play and planned activities. Montessori adds a particular way of organising those experiences: children choose accessible materials and pursue an activity, with adults guiding their learning. Freedom comes with responsibilities towards other children and the shared classroom.

Practical Life gives that approach a concrete starting point. Pouring with small jugs and threading dried pasta let children practise hand control and concentration through familiar household objects. As their learning develops, specially designed materials introduce language and mathematics.

Creative experiences sit alongside these materials. Painting, cookery, music and movement are part of the curriculum, while group activities provide opportunities to listen and participate with others. Circle time closes sessions with songs and a chance to share what children have done. Parents seeking Montessori should therefore expect individual choices and shared activities within the same day.

In December 2025, children used their names to identify themselves and chose practical responsibilities, including setting tables. Staff introduced mathematical vocabulary during play and asked children to explain their ideas. Mixed-age learning was organised deliberately, giving children opportunities to learn from one another. These examples show how everyday routines can carry literacy, number work and responsibility together.

Outdoor and Community Life

A spacious garden, patio and adventure play area extend the learning environment beyond the hall. Children have daily opportunities for substantial periods outside, rather than outdoor time being confined to a brief break between indoor activities.

In December 2025, outdoor investigations included living creatures, habitats, seasonal changes and life cycles. Children cared for animals and resources, while adults used questions to develop their thinking and vocabulary. Learning about nature was connected to earlier experiences, giving children something to remember, explain and investigate further.

Family involvement adds another dimension. Parents can contribute storytelling, creative activities, garden play and professional skills; examples include emergency-services experience and language skills. Family picnics and cultural celebrations also give parents ways to participate.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key worker linking nursery and home. Pre-visits and home visits are offered according to need, allowing families to share information before attendance begins. Starting is considered individually: a child may begin later if they need more time to settle.

Parents can join their child's session through an open-door arrangement. Learning journeys contain photographs and observations, and families can contribute pictures or drawings from home.

Communication can also take the form of a diary, telephone conversations or email to suit individual circumstances. Formal meetings are available on request alongside everyday exchanges. For families managing additional needs, that flexibility offers several ways to keep information moving between home and nursery.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At its December 2025 inspection, Ofsted found highly effective identification and support for SEND, cultural and language needs, including tailored training, one-to-one care when required, collaboration with professionals and sustained progress for children facing barriers to learning. The December 2025 next step was to sustain high standards and keep strengthening outcomes and experiences for disadvantaged children, children with SEND, children with current or past involvement with social-care services, and others facing barriers to learning or wellbeing.

Current arrangements include Individual Learning Plans with specific targets where needed, sensory resources and work with speech and language therapists, paediatricians, local authority advisers and the Sensory Consortium. Makaton, a signing approach used to support communication, is among the strategies staff use. Additional funding can support specialist equipment and staffing arrangements when a child's needs require it.

The building is single storey, with a ramp at the garden entrance. Tables and equipment can be rearranged for children with mobility difficulties.

Children wearing nappies are welcome, and toilet learning follows their readiness in partnership with parents. In December 2025, rest and mealtime routines were adjusted to children's needs, and staff helped children recognise emotions and manage everyday disagreements.

School transition includes visits to children's allocated schools, invitations for teachers to visit nursery, and sharing learning journeys and transition forms. School photographs, uniform examples and stories help make the next setting familiar. Where a child needs additional support, staff can attend transition meetings and accompany school visits.

Sessions and Attendance

Hare Hatch Montessori operates at Hare Hatch Village Hall, Tag Lane, Hare Hatch, Wargrave, RG10 9ST. It opens on weekdays during school terms, from 8.30am to 3pm, and closes for school holidays. The term-time calendar is a central practical consideration for working families.

For children aged two to three, the morning session runs from 8.45am to 11.45am, the afternoon from 11.50am to 2.50pm, and All Day from 8.45am to 2.45pm. From the term after a child's third birthday, mornings run from 8.30am to 11.45am, afternoons from 11.50am to 3pm, and All Day from 8.30am to 3pm. The age-related timetable therefore changes both the start and finish of the longer day.

Lunch can be arranged from 11.45am to 12.45pm, and the afternoon and All Day patterns include lunch. Families can combine morning and afternoon attendance patterns. Contact options include a form, term-time telephone and holiday email; the form takes the child's age and childcare background.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered from the term after a child's third birthday, with funding from age two in some circumstances. The entitlements described are Free Entitlement for Two Year Olds, for children from low-income families living in Wokingham, and fifteen hours for three- and four-year-olds from the term following their third birthday. Attendance is term-time.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The session and funding information sets out the age-related attendance patterns and entitlement information.

• An afternoon finish and school-holiday closures. Term-time opening ends at 3pm, with the younger All Day pattern finishing at 2.45pm. Families need an arrangement that covers the remaining working day and holidays.
• Different timetables by age. Session times change from the term after the third birthday. At a visit, discuss how the chosen morning, afternoon or All Day pattern would work through that change.
• Individual settling and support. Pre-visits, home visits according to need and adaptable room layouts provide practical starting points. Use the visit to discuss your child's transition and any adjustments required before they begin.
• Lunch and the written quotation. Lunch forms part of afternoon and All Day attendance. Ask how lunch, funded hours and any other charges fit together in your child's quotation.

Hare Hatch Montessori suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as an all-day option during school terms. Its strongest appeal is the connection between independent choices, practical tasks and outdoor exploration. Pouring, threading, shared responsibilities and nature investigations give the approach substance.

The December 2025 area judgements add weight to the care and inclusion picture, while the current support arrangements give families concrete mechanisms to discuss. The practical boundary is clear: this is a term-time nursery with an afternoon finish. For families whose timetable fits, it offers a purposeful Montessori start with several attendance patterns.