Our Montessori Nursery in Newmarket
Nursery & Forest School
Every nursery room opens directly onto a large garden so your child – from baby upwards – will spend much of their day in the fresh air. Our on-site 1 acre Forest School (‘Country Club’) provides exciting opportunities for outdoor learning and for supporting your child as they learn about sensible and positive risks.
We are situated in the heart of Newmarket, between the Lady Wolverton Play Area at Adastral Close and Newmarket Academy. The Nursery is divided into 2 areas which are surrounded by parkland and linked by a short path.
Best entrance for Parking: Colourbox Newmarket Lady Wolverton Pavilion, Adastral Close, Newmarket, CB8 0PX
We want to spread awareness about the benefits of Montessori education and to be a helpful resource in the wider education community.
Using Montessori approach, we help children aged 3 months to 5 years develop in all aspects—intellectual, social, physical, spiritual, and economic.
Child protection is paramount to providing safe and enriching learning environments for our families in West Suffolk and nearby areas.
“Everyone is Welcome” regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, nationality, or ability. We support initiatives such as the ‘Every Disabled Child Matters’ campaign.
Nurturing Young Bodies Year-Round with Freshly Prepared Meals
All meals are freshly prepared by our nursery chefs. Menus incorporate seasonal produce and are adjusted to children’s dietary needs where necessary. To learn more, visit our page about nursery nutrition.
Tracking Your Child's Experience
At Colourbox Montessori, we use Blossom to track and record your child’s development. Highlights are sent daily to your device, and you can upload your own observations so that we can work together to enhance your child’s learning. For more details, visit our page about the Blossom platform.
A dedicated team of professionals with a passion for education
It’s not just the children who are ‘excited about learning, excited about life’! We provide a wide variety of training opportunities for our team, not only to keep them up to date with the latest education and safety requirements, but also to further their personal and professional development. Learn more about our team on our about us page.
A truly Global Education
Montessori education inspires children to explore their surroundings and develop a deep understanding and respect for the various life forms, systems, and forces in our world. As technology increasingly connects us with people worldwide, it becomes essential for our children to use these tools to appreciate cultural differences. This will equip them to become global citizens in a rapidly changing world. To read more, visit our page about Montessori education.
Want to see our beautiful rooms? Scroll down to explore more!
Our Rooms
‘Lower’ Site
The Nest:
The Nest is the starting point for your baby’s Montessori journey. This may be your baby’s first experience of being away from home which is why our priority is to provide a safe, serene and nurturing environment. We use your baby’s home routine as much as possible to ensure a smooth and comforting transition. We also recognise the importance of developing positive attachments to other adults and peers for your baby’s personal, social and emotional development.
There is plenty of space for little ones to practice walking in this large, bright room and the environment is rich in sensory activities which encourage your baby to be curious and challenge them to explore. Treasure Baskets and Heuristic Play sessions provide babies and toddlers with opportunities to develop their fine motor skills. Encouraged by responsive adults, they will start choosing, trying and doing things for themselves. These successes build confidence and foster learning!
The Nest opens directly onto a ‘babies only’ garden. This is a secure, sheltered area with plenty of shade – ideal for an afternoon nap al fresco!
‘Lower’ Site
The Garden Room
The Garden Room is spacious, bright, and perfectly suited for active toddlers allowing them to explore at their own pace! The environment covers all areas of learning and even the furniture is just right for our young learners to sit, eat, play, and socialise. Building on their successes in the Nest, your child will be encouraged to try things on their own, whether it’s putting on their slippers or using the ingenious welly-boot frame! As a part of the Montessori Work Cycle, children are encouraged to choose their own activities and then to tidy them away when they are finished. We prepare your child for success and support their journey towards independence.
Outside the Garden Room we have a vast area where little explorers can truly discover nature. They can climb the mini bridge, crawl through the tunnel, read stories under the trees, and practice driving in the wheeled vehicles. There’s a wide variety of surfaces to walk on, structures to engage their imagination, and numerous activities to engage their senses. With so much to explore your child will love being outside!
‘Lower’ Site
Country Club
It’s almost unheard of for a nursery to have such an incredible amount of outdoor space! We have well over an acre of meadow, complete with a hill, mature woodland and even a bird-hide which provides exciting opportunities for outdoor learning and for supporting your child as they learn about sensible and positive risks.
At Country Club children have the opportunity of cooking and eating outside, learning how to safely use tools and to respect nature – all guided by qualified Forest School teachers.
‘Upper’ Site
Ocean Room
Surely the essence of being 2 is all about energy and experimenting? In the Ocean Room your child will have the freedom to discover new skills and will be encouraged to make their own decisions and choices. In order to assist with this the shelves are just the right height, and all activities are easily accessible to them. Children noticeably develop a sense of pride when they are able to do things for themselves! Activities such as construction work, role-play and completing puzzles will help to prepare your child for later language and mathematical concepts. Sensorial activities allow children to explore size, shape, weight and textures through different objects.
Your child will also continue the work of developing their social skills and will often start to form close friendships (sometimes life-long friends). When this all becomes tiring there are plenty of opportunities for snuggling up and listening to a story with their friends!
The Ocean Room Garden is another generous outdoor space where your child will enjoy climbing, watching the muntjacs in the adjacent woodland or searching for mini-beasts and digging for treasures in the sand area.
‘Upper’ Site
World Room
The Montessori classroom is a ‘prepared environment’ that supports children’s developmental needs. The need for order and consistency is very important to children at this stage so everything has its place and children are encouraged to keep all materials as neatly as possible. Children can independently choose what they need without having to ask and you will notice that the room is calm but with a busy ‘hum’ as children are engaged in activities which they have chosen – either working individually or with friends. The wide range of Montessori materials help children to understand complex abstract concepts through concrete examples, such as the Sandpaper letters and the Golden Beads (decimal system). Protecting children’s concentration is paramount therefore an adult will never interrupt a child who is engaged in a self-chosen activity. The result of this is that children can enjoy extended periods of uninterrupted concentration and emerge refreshed.
The World Room garden offers opportunities for children to develop and refine their large motor skills through climbing, digging, balancing and using wheeled vehicles, as well as complementing the indoor learning opportunities.
Colourbox Montessori School: Embracing All Abilities, Fostering Independence, and Building a Thriving Community
Colourbox Montessori School is an inclusive setting which embraces children of all abilities. Your child will be encouraged to make their own decisions and will noticeably develop a sense of pride when they are able to do things for themselves! Your child will also develop their social skills and meet their new best friends (sometimes life-long friends), and you will have the opportunity to join a community of families who can learn from each other and provide a strong base for their children.
We embrace the Early Years Foundation Stage framework 2024.
We participate in the government Early years funding scheme which provides funded sessions for 2, 3 and 4 year olds and we accept Employer Childcare Vouchers. Working and non-working families may be eligible for help with the cost of childcare – check here to find out if this applies to you: www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Virtual Tour
Testimonials
Contact Our Nursery
Sammy
Newmarket
Hello my name is Sammy and I am the Nursery Manager for the baby and toddler site at Newmarket. I have two children, a son 16 and a daughter 14. I have worked at Colourbox for over 3 years, starting my journey as a practitioner in the Nest. I have worked my way through promotions until I have reached my goal of Nursery Manager.
I have the ability to oversee daily nursery operations, implementing effective curriculum planning, and supporting the professional development of my early years team. I am deeply committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and stimulating environment where children are encouraged to be independent by exploring, learning and developing at their own pace.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and crafting
Michael Gorrett
Newmarket
With 8 years of experience at Colourbox and a strong passion for outdoor education, I am proud to lead as the Nursery Manager for the pre-school site at Newmarket. Throughout my time at Colourbox, I have had the opportunity to work across several rooms, including the Garden House, Ocean Room, and World Room, as well as managing the Country Club site. These experiences have strengthened my commitment to creating positive, secure learning environments where children can thrive.
I am dedicated to supporting children’s Montessori education by working closely with both staff and children to foster independence, confidence, and a love for learning. I believe every child deserves a nurturing space where they feel empowered to explore, discover, and grow.
Outside of my role, I enjoy spending time outdoors with my family and going on long dog walks, making the most of nature whenever I can.
Address
Newmarket, Suffolk
Opening Times
Monday – Friday: 7.30am – 6pm
Outside Learning
Children move freely between our rooms, covered outside learning area and garden. Activities such as balancing beams, climbing frames and tricycles are provided for the development of large motor skills.
All the children at Colourbox Montessori School Newmarket love the large outdoor play opportunities in our one-acre meadow and woodland classroom (Colourbox ‘Country Club’).
This outdoor learning environment features beach and farm areas, a castle roundhouse, ‘Betty’ the caravan and a unique pyramid bird-hide. Children enjoy this area in all seasons, spending time growing plants, discovering and identifying wildlife, exploring, building dens and eating lunch in the fresh air!
Visit One of Our Other Nurseries
Colourbox Montessori Newmarket
At Colourbox Montessori we use a secure online platform called Blossom to track and record your child’s development and achievements, and highlights are delivered to your phone (or other device) every day. You are also able to upload your own observations of your child – sharing your child’s nursery journey builds strong trusting parent partnerships!
Colourbox Montessori School Newmarket is rated ‘Outstanding’ by OFSTED.
How to find us?
Car
We are in the centre of Newmarket, just a couple of minutes from Exning Rd. There is a small car park at Adastral Close which is closest to the baby and toddler nursery site, but from which you can also access the ‘top site’. A number of car parking spaces are available for nursery parents at the Newmarket Leisure Centre between 8.00 and 8.30am, and you can enter via the Newmarket Academy gate between these times.
Bike
You can safely leave your bike inside our gates at either section of the nursery.
Bus
There are several bus stops along Exning Rd. We are a 10 minute walk from The Guineas Bus Station in Newmarket, from where the No. 11 bus goes to Cambridge and the 311 Bus goes to Exning and Bury St. Edmunds.
