Montessori is a child-centred approach to learning built on the belief that children have a natural drive to explore and learn. Teachers prepare a carefully ordered environment, observe each child and introduce activities when they are ready.

At Village Montessori, children are free to choose activities, move around the classroom, work at their own pace and repeat tasks as often as they need. Through hands-on, purposeful learning, children develop independence, curiosity and confidence.

Discover our Montessori approach

Yes. We offer full-day places from 9am–4pm, as well as morning sessions from 9am–12pm and afternoon sessions from 1pm–4pm. A lunch session from 12pm–1pm can be added to a morning or afternoon place.

Village Montessori is open during term time, following London Borough of Lewisham school term dates.

Yes. We encourage prospective families to come and see Village Montessori in action.

Visits usually take place at 9:30am on Tuesday and Thursday mornings during term time. You'll start at our Montessori Toddler Group, where Mel will introduce you to the pre-school and our ethos, before taking you across to see the nursery.

If these times don't work for you, please get in touch and we'll do our best to arrange an alternative.

Book a visit

We strongly encourage prospective families to visit us before registering— there's nothing quite like seeing the children and environment in action.

When you're ready to register, complete the registration form on our Admissions page and we'll be in touch about availability and next steps.

We take a gentle, individual approach to settling in, allowing each child to build familiarity and trust at their own pace. This typically takes between three days and two weeks, but there is no set timeline — we follow the child.

Children who have attended our Toddler Group are often already familiar with the environment and adults. If your child experiences separation anxiety, we'll work closely with you to find an approach that feels right for your family.

Each day has a consistent rhythm, giving children a sense of security while allowing plenty of freedom to follow their own interests.

A typical session includes free-flow time in the classroom and garden; individual or small-group Montessori activities; Practical Life activities such as caring for plants and our guinea pig; stories, songs and conversation; and outdoor play and nature exploration. On Wednesdays, children also have dance and movement with Emma, our dance specialist.