Welcome to Downham Nursery School
The Downham Montessori Nursery was founded by its present owner, Mrs Laffeaty-Sharpe, in 1984.
The Primary School was opened in an adjoining building 4 years later. Due to the increasing demand for places at the school, she moved both the school and the nursery to a larger property in Stow Bardolph. In September 2009, Mrs Laffeaty-Sharpe opened the Downham Nursery School on Lynn Road, to meet the increased demand for nursery provision in the town.
Every Child Matters
The Nursery also follows the Every Child Matters Framework which works in conjunction with the Early Years Foundation Stage. The government has introduced a national framework for local programmes to build services around the needs of children and young people so that we maximise opportunity and minimise risk. The services that reach every child and young person have a crucial role to play in shifting the focus from dealing with the consequences of difficulties in children's lives to preventing things from going wrong in the first place. The aim of the Every Child Matters programme is to give all children the support they need to:
The Nursery is registered with, and inspected by Ofsted. We adhere to the guidelines for the care and education of children under the age of 5 years as set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum.
Ofsted
The Nursery was last inspected in September 2024. A copy of the report is available in the school office.
The Principal and Proprietor is Mrs E Laffeaty-Sharpe. The school is registered with the DFEE and is affiliated to the East Anglian Montessori Association, the Pre-School Learning Alliance, and is a member of the LEA's Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).