The Montessori Place, Hove
The Montessori Place is an independent school for pupils aged 1 to 19 in Hove. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2025.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Montessori Place in detail
The Montessori Place in its own words
In its own words: "The idea for The Montessori Place started when Rob and Paul were working at the Maria Montessori Institute (MMI) in London, the UK’s main Montessori training centre. Alongside their day to day work with children in their respective ‘Children’s Houses’, they were both heavily involved in developing a vision for the MMI in 2020."
Coming up: an open day on Saturday 21 November 2026 at 2pm. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Brighton and Hove
Vision and values (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for The Montessori Place can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to The Montessori Place are Drive Preparatory School (0.4 miles), Windlesham School (0.5 miles), Brighton Girls GDST (0.6 miles) and Lancing College Preparatory School At Hove (0.6 miles).
Drive Preparatory SchoolWindlesham SchoolBrighton Girls GDSTLancing College Preparatory School At Hove
What parents say
63 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Montessori Place (as of September 2025): 83% would recommend the school, 89% say their child is happy there and 31% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (31%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 23 pupils (13.9%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hove Rail Station, about 590 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Wilbury Villas (opposite), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 874 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Brighton and Hove (366), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Sixth Form
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at bringing learning to life through the Montessori approach, encouraging children to follow their natural curiosity and develop independence from age two onwards. Staff are genuinely expert in understanding how each child learns and provide personalised support so every pupil achieves highly, including those with additional needs. Pupils leave exceptionally well-prepared for their next steps, with strong academic skills, excellent character, and a real understanding of their responsibilities as citizens.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional Montessori curriculum that balances personalised learning with essential knowledge and skills across all subjects
- Highly ambitious approach to reading with strong focus on communication, language and phonics - pupils learn to read fluently and with comprehension
- Outstanding character development through practical experiences like cooking, woodland conservation, beekeeping and musical productions
- Expert staff ('guides') with excellent subject knowledge who skilfully model learning and intervene to address misconceptions
- Excellent support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND through accurate identification and highly skilled adaptations
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Musical productions (Mamma Mia), woodland conservation, beekeeping and honey production, kitchen cooking with home-grown herbs and vegetables, careers advice and guidance
The Montessori Place is an outstanding school that provides an inspirational, safe and nurturing environment where pupils flourish and achieve very high academic standards. Staff expertly implement the Montessori philosophy, enabling pupils to develop independence, resilience and a strong sense of personal responsibility.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
63 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for The Montessori Place can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby all-through schools
Keep up with The Montessori Place
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near The Montessori Place.
- Hopscotch Holiday Club - Holland Road360m away · Not yet graded
- Starfish Kids Club @ Cottesmore630m away · Not yet graded
- The Skate Club - St Andrew's830m away · Not yet graded
- Starfish Kids Holiday Club @ St Andrews Primary School830m away · Not yet graded
- Pied Piper Windlesham School870m away · Not yet graded
- Super Camps at Brighton Girls950m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 65
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 12
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 65 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 12 serious and 51 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
16 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Brighton and Hove is 40.5 (the median across 82 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
92%
Near capacity
165 pupils
180 places
15 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Hove
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hove
Across Brighton and Hove council
Places available
2,515
Applications
2,154
Got 1st preference
82.9%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All secondary applications across Brighton and Hove council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(5)
Independent School standard inspection
Met all the independent school standards.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
23
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
13.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
165
Total Pupils
80
Boys
85
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Montessori Place
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Montessori Place
What are GCSE results like at The Montessori Place?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for The Montessori Place can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is The Montessori Place's Ofsted rating?
The Montessori Place was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2025.
Does The Montessori Place meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2025, The Montessori Place met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to The Montessori Place?
The Montessori Place has around 165 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to The Montessori Place?
The Montessori Place is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
Does The Montessori Place have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 6 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of The Montessori Place: Hopscotch Holiday Club - Holland Road (360m away, registered, not yet graded), Starfish Kids Club @ Cottesmore (630m away, registered, not yet graded) and The Skate Club - St Andrew's (830m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near The Montessori Place?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 65 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 12 serious and 51 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 16 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Brighton and Hove is 40.5 (the median across 82 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Montessori Place?
The Montessori Place is at 45 Cromwell Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 3ER.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)