Montessori-inspired learning
Carefully prepared rooms, traditional Montessori materials, and educators trained to guide rather than instruct — so children grow into capable, curious learners.
A new nursery for Goffs Oak & Potters Bar families
Full-day childcare designed for working families — combining Montessori-inspired learning with a warm, considered and nurturing environment.
Our approach
Maria Montessori knew children learn best when their environment trusts them. Oak & Ivy is built around that idea — beautiful materials, calm rooms, generous outdoor time, and educators who follow the child.
Carefully prepared rooms, traditional Montessori materials, and educators trained to guide rather than instruct — so children grow into capable, curious learners.
Daily outdoor sessions in our garden and the woodland nearby. Mud, leaves, weather, birdsong — the original early-years curriculum.
By the time your child leaves us, they will read independence as their first language — and arrive at reception confident, curious and ready to thrive.
7:30am to 6:00pm. Flexible full-time and part-time patterns. Wraparound care for siblings at the village primary. A nursery that fits the rhythm of dual-income life — without the school-run scramble. Built for the reality of commutes, shift patterns and the days when work simply runs long.
A glimpse on film
A short film of the materials, the moments and the quiet rhythm that shape a morning at Oak & Ivy — best watched with the sound on.
A day at Oak & Ivy
Care you can trust
Every element of Oak & Ivy is being built to exceed Ofsted and EYFS expectations from day one.
Frequently asked
We are finalising our site and Ofsted registration. Founding families on our register will be the first to receive the opening date — we expect to confirm it shortly.
We are choosing between two beautiful villages — Goffs Oak and Potters Bar — for our first site. Both are within easy reach of surrounding communities and the M25 for commuter families. Your registration includes a quick site-preference question, and those answers will help us decide where to open first.
Most nurseries close around 5:30pm. Oak & Ivy opens at 7:30am and stays open until 6:00pm because we built the day around how working parents actually work — early starts, late finishes, shift patterns and the days when work simply runs long. That extra window often makes the difference between "we can both keep our careers" and "one of us has to give something up."
We are designed for children from 9 months to school-readiness (4–5 years), with rooms tailored to each developmental stage.
Our environment, materials and educator approach are rooted in Maria Montessori's methods — alongside the EYFS framework. We combine the depth of Montessori with the structure UK parents and Ofsted expect.
Yes — Oak & Ivy will accept the 15 and 30 hours of government-funded childcare (for eligible children from 9 months), as well as Tax-Free Childcare and major childcare voucher schemes.
Fees are shared on a personal basis once we understand your family's needs — registered families receive a full fee schedule and a guaranteed founding-family rate for year one.
Register your interest above. We'll be in touch with a personal welcome and keep you updated on opening news, open evenings and waiting-list priority.