All 3 and 4 Year Olds are Entitled to 15 Hours a Week Free Childcare
All 3 and 4 year olds are entitled to 15 hours a week free childcare with us from January 2023.
About Us
Rocking Horse Montessori Nursery
Carleton, North Yorkshire
Reopened and completely refurbished as a Montessori nursery in 2022, you’ll find us tucked away beneath ancient trees in the picturesque countryside of Carleton village, just five minutes from Skipton by car.
The nursery is modern and purpose-built with lovely gardens where children can let off steam and enjoy learning experiences while birds, rabbits and squirrels play hide and seek nearby.
The natural environment continues into the nursery’s open plan interior filled with indoor plants, natural materials, and plenty of daylight from the large windows.
We welcome children aged from five months to five years old and will make sure they receive the best possible care alongside valuable early learning opportunities.
We are Open from Monday to Friday All Year Round
8.00am to 5.30pm
Early start (7.30am) or late finish (6pm) to be booked in advance
Our Values
At the Rocking Horse Montessori Nursery we believe it is a child’s right to be stimulated cognitively, physically and emotionally from a very early age. To achieve this, our team of qualified and experienced Early Years practitioners create favourable learning opportunities for children within a loving and caring environment.
Children understand, children are capable
The Nursery Environment
The nursery classrooms are thoughtfully designed learning environments that are welcoming, attractive, safe and well-equipped with wooden furniture, toys, and educational materials. Each area is arranged to have specific educational goals – children are encouraged to move around, freely choosing activities that best suit their interests and developmental needs.
Particular attention has been given to the different examples of art displayed around the nursery that allow children to experience beauty in other forms.
Our gardens are like outdoor classrooms where children can enjoy playing in the fresh air and engaging with learning opportunities such as exploring the natural world, expressive arts and music
Food
Our wonderful cook Julie prepares nutritious lunches and teas from fresh ingredients every day and provides appropriate alternatives for any children with specific dietary requirements. For snacks between meals, she bakes delicious buns, loaves and biscuits.
Eco-Friendly
The nursery has an eco-friendly approach that involves reducing the use of plastic, waste and harmful substances wherever possible. We share this love for the environment and sustainability with children through simple activities such as recycling rainwater to play with in the garden and finding alternative uses for objects that might otherwise have been thrown away.
Most of our toys are either made from FSC-certified wood or from recycled materials and are coloured with vegetable dyes rather than chemical colourants.
Our Story
The Rocking Horse Nursery served the local community for over twenty years, guided by the passion and love of its founder, Jacqueline Asquith. Since July 2022, Maria Cristina Branchetti has been continuing her work by providing high quality childcare in the same setting with the addition of Montessori and Reggio Emilia inspired methods.
Maria Cristina began her journey in education and childcare twenty years ago at an international Montessori and Reggio Emilia inspired nursery in Rome where she gained her NVQ Level 3 in Early Years Childcare and Education. Since then she has completed a degree in Education Sciences, an MA in Education with Montessori, and gained valuable experience working with children in different countries. She lives in Skipton and, besides running the nursery, enjoys music, gardening and spending time with her family.
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