Lemon Tree Montessori
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Sanderstead for from 1 year up to school age, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2024. Open since 2006, with 60 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Working parents funding for children aged 9 months to 4 years, universal funding for 3-4 year olds, disadvantaged funding for 2 year olds.
Worth knowing. There are no additional fees to pay for the free place, however you can choose to purchase our meals, extracurricular activities and additional hours.
What childcare usually costs in Croydon
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Croydon 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
CR2 0NYWhat 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, 15 May 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are safe and happy. All children are busy and engaged, they enjoy a broad curriculum and explore purposeful activities to help with their learning and development. Children self-select a set of model dental teeth, they practise their dexterity by swirling a toothbrush around a pot of toothpaste. They examine the brush to see whether it is covered before fastidiously cleaning every tooth. They move the brush around, sequence their movements and repeat. They chatter away reminding themselves of the need to clean their teeth and stay healthy.
Young children practise their cutting skills with scissors. Staff provide paper perfectly sized for small hands. Children hold the paper and turn it around as they concentrate on snipping the edges. Staff watch from a distance; they do not step in when the children become stuck but offer smiles and words of encouragement to help build resilience. Children are motivated to try and keep going until they succeed.
Staff know children well and invest time in each child to build relationships. Bonds between staff and children are evident. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) feel safe to explore and become confident learners. Children are happy to lead their own play and discover new things. They frequently check in with key workers with a look or a few words, then return to their adventures.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to know how and when to engage children, so not to disrupt their play and concentration.
- 15 May 2024Good
- 8 June 2023Needs improvement
- 4 December 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Lemon Tree Montessori
- What it costs
- Meals
- Nappies
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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.