The Denning Montessori School
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Henley on Thames for children from birth to 8+, open 09:00 to 15:30, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2024. Open since 1992, with 18 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 Buckinghamshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Buckinghamshire 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
RG9 6JAWhat 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, 3 October 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff are nurturing, kind and friendly. They warmly welcome children as they arrive and help them settle in quickly. Staff develop caring bonds from the start, which begins from their home visits. The provider has created a bespoke curriculum in consultation with staff, parents and children. It encompasses the themes of
'nurture, nature, network'. Children participate in a wide range of opportunities and experiences which build trusted relationships, explore their natural surroundings and make connections with the local community. They regularly visit the nearby forest and familiarise themselves with people and local landmarks on their walks.
To further enhance children's knowledge of the wider world, staff encourage them to count in the different home languages spoken by children who attend. This helps to positively value children's unique backgrounds.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen staff's skills in recognising when and how to adapt activities to further build on individual children's learning and development n provide further support for quieter children to participate actively in group activities and discussions.
- 3 October 2024Good
- 29 January 2019Good
- 16 March 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Denning Montessori School
- What it costs
- 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
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.
- 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.