Grantham Farm Montessori School

Inspection of Grantham Farm Montessori School Inhurst Lane, Baughurst, Tadley, Hampshire RG26 5JS

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Inspection dates: 16 to 18 September 2025

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils delight in their learning at Grantham Farm Montessori School. After placing their name on the register board each morning, pupils eagerly start their first exciting activity. They enjoy the school’s consistent daily routines. Pupils help to prepare snacks and keep their classrooms clean and tidy. They are proud of their responsibilities in the school community. Two-year-olds starting in the school’s ‘Children’s House’ are incredibly well settled, happy and thriving. Pupils throughout the school are nurtured, safe and highly valued.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally well. Staff consistently model the school’s high expectations. Kindness and respect for others are deeply woven through day-to-day life. Older pupils read to younger ones, who aspire to be like them. Pupils behave sensibly and are highly motivated to learn. At social times, pupils of different ages play together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations and a strong belief in each pupil, that they will achieve their best. They know each individual pupil exceptionally well. Staff align the learning environment, activities and teaching to meet each pupil’s individual interests and needs. As pupils progress through the school, they develop very positive attitudes to learning. As a result, they achieve highly and are ready for the next stage in their education.

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better?

The school has a broad, highly ambitious and carefully designed curriculum. In each subject, including in the early years, the school has established precisely what pupils should understand and remember. Consequently, pupils’ learning builds securely and they achieve highly by the end of their time in Grantham Farm.

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better?

The school places a strong emphasis on children learning independently right from starting in the Children’s House. Staff gently encourage the youngest children to confidently follow their own interests. Children learn how to challenge themselves as they choose interesting activities closely linked the curriculum. Older pupils take responsibility for their own learning, keeping daily records of their work.

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better?

Staff create many tailored opportunities for children to practise key skills. Staff know precisely what each child needs to progress on to more difficult learning. As a result, there are no limits or barriers to children’s achievement. They are well prepared for their transition to Grantham Farm and later into key stage 2. The school is quick to identify any pupils with special educational needs and/or difficulties (SEND). Adults knowledgeably adapt the environment, resources and their guidance so that pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers and achieve highly.

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better?

The school is excellent at continuously developing staff. Staff have a deep understanding of early childhood development. They understand in detail how the curriculum progresses from the early years through to the end of key stage 1. They 16 to 18 September 2025 offer tailored activities which pupils explore through their own interests. This highly skilled approach ensures that each pupil finds the curriculum fascinating. They are deeply committed to their own study and research.

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better?

Right from the start, there is a clear emphasis on nurturing pupils’ language and communication skills. Younger children engage daily with rhymes, songs, and storytelling activities. Each child starts to learn phonics as soon as they are ready. They follow a well-structured programme that introduces initial sounds, followed by groups of sounds. Alongside this, staff carefully help younger children to develop the physical coordination they will need to begin writing letters. As a result, children develop an early love of reading and writing. They regularly use information texts to carry out their own research. This deepens their learning across the curriculum.

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better?

Behaviour in both the Children’s House and Grantham Farm is impeccable. Children go about their daily work independently and in small groups. They work calmly and treat each other kindly.

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better?

The school nurtures and enriches children’s interests through wider curriculum opportunities, such as bushcraft, yoga and instrumental lessons. The curriculum is brought to life through a rich set of visits to local places of interest. The school has developed a programme for personal, social and health education (PSHE). This is re- enforced through daily routines such as preparing healthy food, taking regular outdoor exercise and showing respect for each other’s personal space. Pupils know how to look after their health, they feel valued in their school community, and they thrive.

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better?

The headteacher, who also serves as the proprietor, leads the school with a clear and compelling vision that all staff embrace. The headteacher and the wider team have successfully fulfilled their commitment to delivering an exceptional education for every pupil. The school consistently meets the independent school standards and remains fully compliant with Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 16 to 18 September 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 133964 DfE registration number 850/6079

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School details

Inspection number 10391732 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) Up to £7,172.45

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School details

Website https://montessorigranthamfarm.co.uk

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School details

Email address emma@montessorigranthamfarm.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 to 17 November 2022 16 to 18 September 2025

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Information about this school

 Grantham Farm Montessori School is an independent day school for boys and girls aged from two to seven years. It follows the ethos and teaching methods of Maria Montessori. Most staff, including the headteacher, were at the school at the time of the previous standard inspection which took place in November 2022.  Pupils are split into two groups. The Children’s House caters for children aged two to four and Grantham Farm is for children aged four to seven. Parents of children in The Children’s House can opt for part-time arrangements. Once children move into Grantham Farm they attend on a full-time basis.  The headteacher is the sole proprietor.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 .

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held a wide range of meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders and teaching and support staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, geography and personal, social and health education. Inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, observed pupils as they worked, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also heard pupils read to a member of staff.  Inspectors also looked at wider curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  Inspectors looked at the school’s website, had tours the school premises, examined policies and associated documentation and spoke to staff to consider if

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Information about this inspection

the school meets the independent school standards.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors: checked the single central record of recruitment checks and talked to leaders responsible for safeguarding. Inspectors scrutinised records, including those relating to the safer recruitment of staff, 16 to 18 September 2025 health and safety, fire safety and risk assessment. They also talked to a range of staff and pupils through the course of the inspection.  Inspectors took account of the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View and the additional free-text responses. An inspector talked with some parents on the second day of the inspection.  Pupils were listened to through the inspection to gain their views about the school. This included a formal meeting with a group of older pupils.

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Inspection team

Jo Brinkley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ian Howie His Majesty’s Inspector 16 to 18 September 2025 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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