Summertown Montessori Nursery

I couldn’t dream of a better place for my little one ! My daughters absolutely loves nursery and I feel very happy and confident in leaving my child at the nursery knowing she will be well looked after for the day. My little one built very strong relationship will the staff and talks about them till we get home 🙈My daughter gets all the attention and individual approach she needs and is super happy there! Staff are very professional, caring and meticulous. It’s a great environment for any baby/toddler , it’s feels like home 🥰 and it’s great place to start your baby education path . We could not have wished for a better Nursery or a more caring group of staff. Thank you for everything you have done and keep doing ❤️

Just under 2 year old daughter has been going here 5 days a week since she was 1 year old. Couldn't be happier with the experience - she loves both the staff and the other children, and there is a really strong sense of community around the school. The care that the staff have shown in every aspect of her time at school is consistently above and beyond, and the pride and joy at milestones like first steps and the acquisition of new vocabulary feels like something they experience as much as we do. Daughter has benefitted enormously from the Montessori method, which is present throughout activities at the school. She is constantly coming home with new capabilities and new confidence, which can only come from being able to explore and develop her capabilities in an understanding environment equipped to help nurture her. Couldn't be more grateful to Ana and her team - we're so lucky to have found such a wonderful nursery.

Dealing with the administration of this nursery has been a massive headache. I have been given 3 different invoices and when I ask for a breakdown they just repeat the what they’ve already stated. On one occasion they added a charge for “French lessons” (that we never asked for, were never mentioned to us AND occur on a day that my son doesn’t even attend) and a charge for “Montessori”. They advertise as a Montessori nursery yet you have to pay extra for the Montessori, whatever that means. I was firstly told that my child could attend for term time only (as many other nurseries offer) then later quite rudely told I must send him for all 50 weeks. The tone the entire time when I asked for clarification was basically “just pay us”. I think they need to put lots more information on their website and not wait until parents have paid signing up fees to tell them about all the extra hidden fees.

Our experience at Summertown Montessori Nursery was highly unsatisfactory. We faced significant issues during our time there. I hope this review aids other parents in making an informed choice and prompts the nursery to address and improve its practices. I've reported all my complaints to the institutions. I doubt anyone will believe the long, fake reviews they've written each week.

I am a fully qualified and experienced Montessori Nursery Teacher who collaborates professionally with nurseries. Last month I visited Summertown Montessori nursery and I would like to share my observation report: The nursery is a welcoming, comfortable and cosy space with a wealth of resources to engage in identified and defined Foundation Stage curriculum areas in conjunction with traditional Montessori approach, which cover the distinct areas of practical life, sensorial, cultural, language and mathematics. The nursery is an OFSTED registered establishment and a recent inspection achieved a “good” outcome. They work closely in partnership with the local authorities and multi-agencies to ensure that good practice is maintained. The Manager works thoughtfully to organise successful and appropriate schedules to meet each child’s needs. The environmental layout of furniture and equipment is safe, stimulating and used effectively to support every child through their learning. The team work very well together, are informed, interested in their work and enjoy working here. They show professionalism at all levels and are keen to keep continuous interactions with parents. Together the team has a range of appropriate skills, experience and levels of qualification. They know each child well, which supports the children in feeling safe, happy and comfortable. This nursery is a multicultural space where everybody is welcome and it is lovely to hear, for example, short exchanges in Spanish between the children and staff. All children arrive happy to leave their parent or carer, greet staff warmly, and confidently enter the nursery. Entry routines are safe and established. All staff respond with a sincere and warm welcome to all. Child/adult interactions are positive and clearly enhance vocabulary acquisition and spoken language development. Children follow routines and work independently or are supported as necessary. The garden area is a privilege with much to excite children. Staff ensure they are watched and are safe whilst enjoying the pleasure that being outdoors offers them. Their play is free and spontaneous, with a good range of resources to support and develop their play and interactions with others. Routines are established. Children are confident to ask for help, eg to be lifted into a swing, and to play creatively and independently if they choose. Children clearly enjoy this part of the day. The children are delightful and confidently adapt to changes in their classroom following the Montessori approach. They develop new skills that follow their personal rhythms of learning.

Horrendous nursery who traumatised our son. This lot only want suppressed children who are easy to care for. They claim they are professionals but they have NO clue! I would give ZERO stars but sadly that’s not possible ……

My niece behaved very poorly, and the trauma she experienced at the nursery has affected our entire family. The nursery staff are very unprofessional. As a family member living outside the UK, I feel compelled to leave this review to inform other parents about our experience.

After a few not so great experiences in Kidlington, I finally found this nursery after a recommendation from the St Michael's vicar. I am so glad I did- my girl is not the easiest of personalities or temperaments, but the staff here have seen her through a tough year with big changes that rocked her world! Once the new manager, Ana, came on board, it has been a complete turnaround and has really risen above my expectations. Sarah, Carol, Julietta, and Aisha, I can't say enough about how wonderful and caring you genuinely are, and the same goes for Ana. You have created a wonderful, genuinely warm environment for kids to play and learn and I have seen my girl transform over the last two years into a happy confident little go getter, ready for school! We are sad her time is coming to a close but will look back on her time here with nothing but fondness and gratitude. For the bad reviews below, there's always more to a story than it seems. The staff make this place and they are exceptional ladies!!!

Don’t send your child to this nursery. They suppress your child. They completely neglect your child. My child is completely traumatized regarding to eat and play and changing nappy after six months of being there.They are not professional and the staff found this salary higher than working in a Cafe. Protect your child.

Neither my partner nor I attended nursery as children, so we were very apprehensive about sending our daughter to nursery, but as a self-employed couple with no family nearby, we knew we had to try. We started her when she was nine months old and she’s been there for over seven months now. The staff are all truly amazing and they really helped our daughter settle in during the early phases. Now, she so clearly loves to go and she just waves goodbye to us whenever we drop her off. She has friends there who come to greet her as soon as she arrives too. It really has a family feel to it. As health-conscious parents, it’s wonderful that it’s a nursery that also requires families bring packed lunches, so there is never any worry that she is eating something we wouldn’t usually feed her. Our daughter also clearly learns things here that she doesn’t at home. Recently, she amused us by trying to tuck our dogs into their beds with blankets. She has a sleep sack still, so it’s not something she herself has yet experienced. I asked at the nursery and they said the older girls have been obsessed lately with tucking in baby dolls, so our daughter was mimicking this behavior and applying it to the dogs! 😂 The nursery also provides a Montessori website with a unique link and password for you and your child, and they occasionally update it with photos and developmental observations. Every member of the staff here is truly special and we trust them all implicitly. They’ve really saved our working lives and sanity. I couldn’t imagine a better nursery for our daughter. 💗🙏🏼