Albany Montessori School
Good★ 4.8 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in St. Albans for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 17:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2022. Open since 2015.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Hertfordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hertfordshire from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
AL1 2DJWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 8 November 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children and parents are warmly welcomed as they arrive. They are greeted by friendly staff who help children to settle quickly and engage in a range of enticing activities. Attentive key persons quickly respond to children's emotional needs by offering them cuddles and calming story times. This helps children to develop positive relationships with staff and promotes children's emotional well-being.
Children are curious and keen learners. They make good use of the Montessori resources in the play environment. For example, children build structures using the
'brown stairs' and 'pink tower' blocks together. Staff encourage children to compare the size and shapes of the blocks. This supports children to widen their understanding of mathematical concepts. Children enjoy their time outside. They develop their physical skills as they ride bicycles and scooters up and down ramps.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review snack times and mealtimes to ensure children are supervised effectively and to provide more opportunities for children to develop their independence skills.
- 8 November 2022Good
- 7 February 2017Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Albany Montessori School
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.