Smiles Montessori Newhall
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Harlow for children from birth to 5, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2024. Open since 2017, with 100 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 Essex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Essex 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
CM17 9LUWhat 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, 9 September 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and enjoy their time at the setting. Effective procedures are in place to support children who may initially be unsettled when they start. Children receive a friendly and warm welcome from staff, with whom they have formed secure bonds. Staff treat the children with kindness and respect. They listen to, and act on, the views and ideas of children. Children are offered consistent praise and encouragement. They are supported to use good manners. Children have formed friendships and are considerate of others. For example, they help each other clean up spilled milk and pass each other plates at snack time.
The leadership team is committed to providing high-quality care and education. It is reflective and evaluates the provision, prioritising areas for development. This means children benefit from a well-thought-out and ambitious curriculum that builds on what they already know and can do. Staff have high expectations of the children and know them and their individual needs well. They tailor their interactions with the children around their individual development needs. Staff are effective in engaging with other professionals when required. Strategies are in place to support children and families who speak English as an additional language.
This helps to ensure that all children receive the support they need so they can make the best possible progress in relation to their individual starting points.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen the quality of staff interactions with children to help them consistently challenge and extend children's learning more effectively as they play n support staff to develop children's understanding of why there are rules in place so that they can learn to self-regulate their behaviour.
- 9 September 2024Good
- 15 October 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Smiles Montessori Newhall
- 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.