The Orchard Montessori Pre-School and Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Norwich for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2024. Open since 2014, with 50 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 Norfolk
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Norfolk 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
NR16 2BUWhat 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, 10 December 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and thrive in this inclusive, well-resourced Montessori preschool and nursery. Staff communicate effectively with parents to support consistent learning at home and ensure children's interests and care needs are met. Babies hold out their arms to initiate a hug with their familiar key person at the door. This highlights the effectiveness of a well-established key-person system, where children develop secure and caring attachments to the friendly, nurturing staff. Upon entering, children immediately feel safe and a sense of belonging as they admire Christmas decorations they have made, which staff proudly display in the entrance.
Children's physical and emotional well-being are prioritised with an endless number of stimulating indoor and outdoor learning opportunities. Children benefit from regular access to forest school, learning to take risks and testing their physical limits safely in nature. They flourish with the space and freedom to express themselves how they wish. They run and climb and enjoy the peaceful experience of swinging back and forth on the tree swing.
When looking for bugs, staff remind children not to hit logs too hard, as insects may be hibernating and sleeping. Consequently, children show they are developing empathy and care for living things, such as instinctively lowering their voices when they know their peers are sleeping.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to consistently manage times of transition between activities more effectively to ensure all children remain engaged in their learning n review and improve the organisation of mealtimes, so that the needs of all children are considered, and the length of time children spend waiting is reduced.
- 10 December 2024Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 19 February 2019Good
- 11 March 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Orchard Montessori Pre-School and Nursery
- 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.