Hollybush Montessori
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Chorleywood for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2024. Open since 2016, with 16 places.
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
WD3 5LNWhat 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, 14 October 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff place children at the heart of everything they do. Bespoke settling-in sessions are successfully implemented to meet the individual needs of children and families.
Staff gather a wealth of information from parents about children's care and learning needs. They use this to plan a meaningful curriculum. This proves highly effective in helping children to feel happy, safe and secure, ready to engage in their chosen play within the highly enabling environment. Children show a strong sense of belonging. They take great pride in completing their responsibilities for the day, such as handing out snacks and hoovering the floor afterwards.
Children express a strong love of books. Staff read to children with great enthusiasm, skilfully using the content to broaden their understanding of the wider world. For example, they explain the purpose of dustbin lorries and celebrate the achievements of Black people throughout history, acknowledging their contributions to British culture, history, and the economy as part of Black History Month. Staff are positive role models; they consistently use good manners when speaking to each other and children. This motivates children to do the same. Staff provide children with sensitive reminders to support their understanding of remaining safe and respecting others, such as using their walking feet indoors. Children develop good critical thinking skills. They work out how to transfer water from one jug to another by soaking up the water with a sponge and then squeezing it out. Children solve mathematical problems, such as sorting and simple addition.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- refine the organisation of routines during the day to minimise waiting time for children n strengthen the communication to ensure staff know the skills and knowledge they want children to learn next.
- 14 October 2024Good
- 4 December 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Hollybush Montessori
- 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.