Little Orchard Montessori Nurseries provides a nurturing and stimulating environment where children are encouraged to explore their interests and learn at their own pace. Their educational approach is rooted in the acclaimed Montessori Method, offering a diverse array of engaging activities.
The nurseries are designed to be intimate enough to deliver a personalised experience for each child, while also fostering social interaction and skill development. They offer a comprehensive daily programme, including breakfast, a two-course hot lunch, high tea, and snacks, meticulously prepared on-site by a qualified chef using fresh, locally-sourced, and organic ingredients whenever possible.
The curriculum also involves children in meal preparation, making it a hands-on learning experience. With multiple locations in Devon, including facilities in Sparkwell, Chaddlewood, Ivybridge, and Lee Mill, Little Orchard Montessori Nurseries serves a broad community.
They also extend their services to include breakfast and after-school clubs for older children, ensuring continuous care and educational support. The nursery operates 51 weeks a year, closing only for bank holidays and a short period over Christmas and New Year.
Our ethos
At Little Orchard Montessori Nurseries we aim to provide a caring, friendly environment where your child is encouraged to follow their own interests, learn at their own pace and have fun whilst doing so. We use the highly acclaimed Montessori Method to ensure we bring out the very best in every child. Our settings are full of interesting things to do and your child is given the freedom to express what interests them.
What it's like
Children are warmly greeted by staff and engage in carefully planned activities. Staff know the children well, fostering a happy and settled environment where children build on their existing knowledge. Strong bonds with staff help children develop personal, social, and emotional skills, leading to confident, respectful interactions.
Charges are based on session rates for wrap-around care, including breakfast and after-school clubs for children from Reception to Year 6. Funded hours are subject to an additional hourly consumables charge to cover food and drink.
Funding accepted
Good to know
Food
Breakfast, two-course hot lunch, high tea, morning and afternoon snacks provided. Meals are prepared on-site by a qualified chef using fresh, locally produced, and organic ingredients. Parents can provide packed lunches/tea; sealed baby jars and milk can be heated.
Opening hours
7:45 am - 6 pm (Breakfast Club until start of school, After School Club from 3:30 pm)
Term time / All Year
All Year
Established
2014
Last inspected 20 January 2025 · Shirley Evel
What it's like to attend
Children are warmly greeted by staff and engage in carefully planned activities. Staff know the children well, fostering a happy and settled environment where children build on their existing knowledge. Strong bonds with staff help children develop personal, social, and emotional skills, leading to confident, respectful interactions.
Inspector highlights
Areas to develop
Inclusion & environment
The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Children have daily opportunities to take part in outdoor learning, which successfully supports their physical development and well-being.
As if going back to work full time after maternity leave wasn't stressful enough, we had to find somewhere for our 1 year old daughter to go full time. She was super clingy so we were worried about where she would enjoy and fit in. We considered childminders and visited a couple of nurseries before deciding that the Sparkwell setting was the one for us and most suitable for our daughter and her interests (she loves being outdoors!). A year on, our daughter has thrived massively at Little Orchard, she's so vocal about everything and has become really independent, and has developed a love for singing! The nursery has a fantastic and spacious outdoor area, food is healthy and made fresh every day, and the nursery app is brilliant- we can see everything she gets up to through the day and all the new things she's learning there. Couldn't recommend the nursery enough, the staff are wonderful and my daughter loves them all so much she even talks about them when she's at home. Above all, I pick her up and she's absolutely beaming and so happy that she doesn't even want to come home! What more could we want :-)
Read on Google
Both my children went to little orchard Sparkwell from 6 months old . They have loved there time at Little Orchard . My little girl who still attends the nursery loves the outdoor space and all aspects of nursery day to day activities . The food is all fresh and healthy and cooked from the very own chef . The choice is amazing . The staff are friendly and get to know each child . Every morning your greeted with a friendly welcome and our daughter can not wait to run of with her friends and staff . I would highly recommend little orchard for all aspect from learning , out door space , activities great food brilliant staff and knowing your children are well looked after .
Read on Google
My eldest attended and my youngest attends currently, this is a wonderful nursery and the staff are brilliant. Both my children have enjoyed their time at nursery and I have always felt confident in the fact that they are looked after and cared for in my absence - can’t recommend enough 😁
Read on Google
Amazing place. Cannot recommend highly enough. So warm and welcoming, and also supportive for parents. The staff here really care. Both of mine have gone and love it.
Read on Google
Umm I would not recommend this place.
Read on GoogleReviews from Google for Little Orchard Montessori Nursery Sparkwell. See all on Google Maps
Date: February 2016
Little Orchard Montessori Nursery Sparkwell re-registered in 2014. The nursery is located in the village of Sparkwell on the outskirts of Plymouth, Devon. It is open Monday to Friday, from 7.45am until 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education, and has eight members of staff, all qualified from level 2 to level 6. The nursery follows the Montessori method of education.
Other Ofsted-registered day nurseries close to Little Orchard Montessori Nursery Sparkwell.
Plymouth · PL7 2WU
Plymouth · PL7 5JX
Plymouth · PL7 2EU
Plymouth · PL7 2ET
Plymouth · PL7 1XQ
Ivybridge · PL21 9PZ
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This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more
