Just adding my opinion as it is different to all of yours....(guessing you want to hear all thoughts). My daughter goes to nursery and has done since she was 5 months old. I was recently looking at other nursery's which open longer hours...anyway, I came accross a montessori nursery local to me and I have to say I am not keen on the way they run their nursery.
My reasons are this, I belive children need to grow up understanding they cant always do what they want, when they want too, they need to have structure and work together in a group which is prepafres them for when they eventually go to school. I belive montessori makes children spoilt as they always get what they want and they do not have much guideance as there are many different tasks taking place as the children want to do different things and only x no of carers.
Like I said my opinion is not right or wrong, nor is yours, just different. Anyhow, either way I hope you find a nursery you like. In the end i stayed with the one she is in as it's amazing and she is well ahead of her ago education and development wise.
xxx
i think you have a few misconceptions about the montessori method - either it was explained incorrectly (hence, it might be applied incorrectly, too, which wouldn't be effective) or it wasn't explained fully.
the montessori method primarily aims for independence: the goal is to help mold people who can do things on their own - starting from feeding themselves to learning by themselves. not to say that there will be no guidance.
real montessori teachers are trained to be facilitators.
they are there to guide the children towards what they need to learn based on their age and pace. there is actually quite a range of montessori materials which children have to learn how to use (first with the guidance of the teacher - called
directress in the montessori classroom - then on their own, then, after working on it for some time, perhaps in collaboration with another student in the capacity of co-learner or teacher).
they
cannot always do what they want. there is freedom in the classroom, yes, in the sense that children are not asked to always learn in a group as teachers spoonfeed them information. they have the freedom to choose which of the materials they would like to work on, true, but directresses would've made sure that the children know the proper use of the materials they choose to use or are directed to use. respect for the materials and their proper usage, and respect for their environment and peers are of prime importance in a montessori classroom, as well.
montessori classrooms are
all about structure. all materials are placed right at the same place they will always be. the materials are to be used as they should - most are self-correcting which would be, by its nature, an organized sort of equipment (how can something non-structured manage to correct itself?)
children are often introduced to materials individually (but not always), true. however, they are not meant to work on their own all the time. sometimes working with other people is essential (try doing bank of beads all by yourself and see how non-fun it could possibly be). working with materials whilst teaching the younger students in class also encourages social interaction as well transferrance of knowledge essential in the 'teacher's' own personal learning.
there are many tasks going on at the same time, true. but each one, if the class is done right, is very structured for each student. each activity they are to do for the day is actually decided on based on the student's individual learning. they work on quite structured materials at their own pace and based on their age and stage. they have
individualized lesson plans which monitors their own individual learning.
each of the montessori materials in the montessori class - from basic spooning exercises to the more complex grammar boxes, number rods, multiplication and division boards, etc - is designed to encourage children to learn on their own using repetition, learnings/skills/concepts from simple to complex and transferrance of knowledge.
this method is actually more known to be strict and precise than other methods - but it is sometimes mismanaged and loses its original essence.
i know it was an opinion, and there are no wrong and right opinions. however, i would suggest that one researches more in-depth into the subject or visit a few more schools before forming opinions which are only based on either a few readings or a school or two claiming they are montessoris. it takes a lot of work managing a montessori classroom and a lot of training to become a directress worthy of the philosophy and method. it saddens me to think that a school or two claiming the montessori name can leave such an impression on people.
(sorry this is sooooooo long, i just felt that a few points needed to be clarified.)
I know that some homeschoolers use the Montessori method, among others. There are GREAT home school resources available- many are low-priced and free, which would help you give your child the best without breaking the bank. (I don't know how much your school costs, but I imagine even the home school resources I'd consider "expensive" would cost considerably less than a school would) 
