Welcome to Caterpillars
Caterpillars operates over 47 weeks of the year, Monday to Friday, offering morning and afternoon sessions between the hours of 9am and 3:30pm and extended days with an 8am start up to a 6pm collection.
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Parents can choose for their child to attend 38 weeks term time only or add time during our holiday clubs which run during the three half terms, a week at Easter and Christmas and four weeks during the summer.
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​Children can start at Caterpillars from the age of 18 months (and walking independently). You are invited to come to a drop in session with your child to see our setting and what we have to offer. Before your child starts at Caterpillars they are invited to two settling in sessions, or more if required.
Holiday clubs are run during the school holidays for children aged 2 to 7 years.
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Caterpillars Montessori Pre-School provides a small, nurturing setting with highly qualified and experienced staff.
We have high adult to child ratios for the staff and children to build trust and relationships with each other. We make sure each child is known well on a personal level whilst they have deeper 1-1 sessions with their key person to practise and develop important life skills.
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As a setting, we provide a variety of extra-curricular activities which are all included in the fees. At Caterpillars, the children enjoy time with two small dogs. The children learn how to care for animals, whilst the dogs have a positive, calming effect on them.
We have two well equipped secure outdoor spaces which children access daily.
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We also make regular visits to the village and the local woods.
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Staff ensure transitions to local schools run smoothly for each child based on their individual characters, friendships and needs. We follow the child and their interests, and through observations, we prepare them for school and their next steps after Caterpillars.
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The Pre-School is in the Appleton Hall, located in the heart of the beautiful Hampshire village of Hartley Wintney.
"We chose Caterpillars as we’d heard from other parents that it had a fantastic reputation. We love the fact that the school follows Montessori methodology and principles helping our child to develop into a strong and independent individual. We also absolutely love the key workers who are always so supportive and take fantastic care of our daughter. Each week we see significant and positive changes as a result of the excellent loving care she’s being given by the nursery staff."