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Sunhill Montessori Nursery in Royston

Ofsted: Good
(Nov 2021)
·
5.0(19 parent reviews)
·Grantham Close, Royston, SG8 5WY · Hertfordshire
Number of places
87 places
Age range
0–5 yrs
Last inspected
Nov 2021
Local authority
Hertfordshire

About this day nursery

Apricot Day Nursery in St Neots offers a nurturing and intimate environment where children aged from babies to pre-schoolers can develop and thrive. The nursery embraces the Montessori approach within a home-like setting, encouraging learning through play and tailored activities that cater to individual interests.

A key focus is preparing children for school through their "Next Stop School" programme, which builds confidence and independence, even offering a £30 Clarks voucher for school shoes upon graduation. The nursery is committed to strong parent partnerships, providing daily verbal updates and digital communication via a parent app.

Operating across two sites, with a separate pre-school setting just a short walk away, Apricot Day Nursery ensures age-appropriate learning spaces, each with its own safe and enclosed outdoor play area. The curriculum, known as the Brighter Learning Approach, goes beyond traditional methods, offering real-life experiences and focusing on six core areas: My Happy and Healthy Self, Wonderful World, Super Steam, Raving Readers, Mini Maths, and Confident Speakers and Communicators.

The nursery also provides a variety of extracurricular activities and clubs, including cookery, movement (like baby yoga), art, music, gardening, and science, aiming to foster curiosity and develop lifelong skills.

Our ethos

Apricot Day Nursery is committed to the Montessori approach, encouraging learning through play and individual interests within a home-like setting. Their "Brighter Learning Approach" curriculum focuses on six core areas, including healthy living, science, literacy, numeracy, and communication, complemented by real-life experiences and extracurricular activities designed to foster curiosity and lifelong skills. They also emphasise preparing children for school by building confidence and independence.

What it's like

Children enjoy their time in the nursery and with staff who genuinely enjoy their work, feeling comfortable and reassured as they explore. The atmosphere is lovely, with staff singing songs and reading stories to support communication and language skills, and children hear their home language during play. Children behave well and are encouraged to use their imagination.

Montessori approachOutdoor learningSchool readiness programmeCookery classesBaby yoga

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)15 hours — working parents (9 months–2 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-oldsTax-Free Childcare
Pricing on request

This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.

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Key facts

Food

Meals freshly prepared on-site, no extra charge for food, enhancements or consumables.

Opening hours

7:30am - 6:30pm, 51 weeks a year

Term time / All Year

All Year

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Sunhill Montessori Nursery

Last inspected 16 November 2021

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What it's like to attend

Children enjoy their time in the nursery and with staff who genuinely enjoy their work, feeling comfortable and reassured as they explore. The atmosphere is lovely, with staff singing songs and reading stories to support communication and language skills, and children hear their home language during play. Children behave well and are encouraged to use their imagination.

Inspector highlights

  • Children benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum.
  • Key persons know their key children very well and help them make good progress.
  • All staff interact well with children and model learning.
  • Staff follow clear hygiene practices and provide healthy meals.
  • Partnerships with parents are strong, with very favourable feedback.

Areas to develop

  • 1provide children with richer opportunities to learn about the natural world in the outside areas
  • 2provide all children with more meaningful learning and engagement opportunities during daily routines, such as snack time
Inspection #10214164 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

"The nursery is a great place and they would recommend it."

"They are impressed with the range of activities that their children are involved in."

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

Outdoor space

Children benefit from lots of fresh air each day as staff plan activities for both indoor and outdoor environments. However, outdoor areas currently lack learning opportunities for children to explore the natural world.

Parent Reviews of Sunhill Montessori Nursery

5.0
(19)
Timea Szekely
2 months ago

Huge thank you!!! 🧡 Since joining, our child's transformation has been wonderful to witness. The way members of staff helped him settle in and supported him to become part of the group made a big difference in his confidence. We're especially grateful for the effort put into his communication; seeing him start to talk more, learn new words, and even begin counting has been a huge milestone for our family. Whether it’s participating in group activities or trying new things, it’s clear he feels safe and encouraged. Highly recommend this nursery for their nurturing and educational approach!

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Tanya K.
2 months ago

I would like to say a huge thank you to all the nursery staff (especially SS)for the wonderful care and support they give my son every day. He has learned so much, and it’s such a joy to see his confidence grow. We love watching him play, read, and take part in all the exciting activities with amazing team and it truly melts my heart when he happily runs in each morning and blows kisses at pick-up time.😍 The warm, welcoming atmosphere the team creates makes such a difference, and especially grateful for how open and responsive you are to parents’ suggestions and individual needs. It means so much to see such genuine care and dedication to his development. Thank you for everything you do.

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Laura Crozier
7 months ago

I’m a nursery photographer who visits many nurseries in and around London, and Sunhill Day Nursery is genuinely one of the best I’ve been to. From the minute I arrived, the manager, Jan, was incredibly welcoming and friendly, even helping to clear a space for me to set up my equipment. The staff are a real credit to her leadership — every member of the team was attentive and caring, encouraging the children to take part in their photo sessions and offering reassurance when needed. The nursery has a warm, inviting atmosphere and is clearly well organised. The children were all polite, engaged, and an absolute pleasure to photograph. As someone who visits nurseries weekly — and doesn’t even have children myself — I can honestly say I’d highly recommend Sunhill to anyone looking for a safe, happy place for their little ones.

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Mesreves Campbell
6 months ago

So pleased with this nursery. The staff at the nursery have helped my son tremendously. Since attending he has become so confident in himself and really enjoys learning through play. The staff go above and beyond to support children and parents/guardians, they’re also very welcoming, friendly and respectful. I love the fact that everyone gets involved. I wish I could add more stars, my little one never wants to leave. Thank you 🙂

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Marion Fiorentino
5 months ago

It was lovely to run an author visit to share my book, ‘Billy Bunny and the Woodpecker Nest’, with the children. The staff were friendly and the children were adorable.

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Sunhill Montessori Nursery. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: December 2013

  • November 2021Good
  • January 2018Good
  • March 2017Good
  • December 2013Good

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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