MMI Preschool
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Melbury Gardens for children from birth to 8+, open 09:00 to 15:45, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2024. Open since 2009, with 30 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 Merton
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Merton 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
SW20 0DHWhat 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, 18 January 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happy and eager to explore as they start their day. They are welcomed by warm and enthusiastic staff, who cuddle them as they enter the room. This helps children to settle well and supports their sense of belonging. Staff use Montessori resources to support children to develop their independence.
Children select individual activities, such as grinding their own coffee beans, and carefully put the resources away when they have finished.
Children play cooperatively together as they role play outside using large-scale construction toys and hammers. They show their understanding of early mathematical concepts as they play sensory ice games, filling and emptying containers alongside early counting. Children develop their creativity and motor skills as they join in with play dough activities. They confidently use tools to cut and mould and proudly show off their creations to staff, who respond with enthusiasm and praise. This further supports children's self-esteem.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance questioning techniques further to strengthen children's language development and deepen their critical thinking.
- 18 January 2024Good
- 27 April 2018Good
- 14 October 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for MMI Preschool
- 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.