Little Sponges Montessori
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in London for from 2 years up to school age, open 09:30 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 September 2025. Open since 2010, with 18 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
What childcare usually costs in Greenwich
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Greenwich 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
SE10 8QHWhat 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, 23 September 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff warmly welcome children on arrival and support them to settle in well. They place a high priority on children's personal, social and emotional well-being and demonstrate a caring and kind nature. Staff support children to learn vocabulary to describe how they are feeling and help them to manage their emotions. Children are encouraged to be independent from the start. They hang up their coats and put their belongings in the designated place. Children make choices when selecting activities and learn to take responsibility for the resources and the environment.
Staff plan a well organised and sequenced curriculum, which builds on children's interests. They provide all children with a wide range of exciting resources, which sparks children's imaginations and curiosity, including those children who may need some additional support. For example, children investigate how magnetic winches on trucks can pick up different items and test out their theories. Staff recap on previous learning, and children talk about the solar system and discuss which planets are closest to earth. Children increase their fine motor skills as they build, draw and use tools.
Staff role model expected behaviour and use praise and encouragement. Children share resources, listen and follow instructions. They behave well.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to strengthen their interactions during activities to challenge children's thinking further to extend their learning.
- 23 September 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 15 January 2020Outstanding
- 24 April 2015Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Sponges Montessori
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- 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
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.
- Can I use my funded hours here? 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.