Prospectus

Prospectus and registration

  • School sessions: morning 09:00-12:00
  • Waiting list: entry on to the waiting list costs £50 and is via the school’s registration form (when the form appears, please print it and post it to us; if it doesn't appear, you may need to install Acrobat Reader). Once registered, children's records are marked with a "select from" date which corresponds approximately to their being two and a half years old. A list of eligible children is produced for each term and available places in the school offered in order of registration. Siblings receive priority and account will be taken of any gender imbalance
  • Places: to accept a place, a £500 deposit is payable. This deposit is kept and put against the pupil’s final term’s fees if the correct notice has been given
  • Fees: £2150 per term; £55 per term for optional French. Fees are payable in advance, by the first day of term, and reviewed annually. A full term's notice is required before the removal of any child or a term's fees will be due. We have applied to be registered with both Accor and Care-4. Some employers use these companies to provide childcare benefit vouchers to their employees. Payment of fees by these methods must be made by the first day of term
  • Nursery Education Grant: the school is not registered for the Nursery Education Grant (see our FAQ page for further details)
  • Philosophy: to produce children who are confident, happy, calm, purposeful, free and independent; to awaken children's interest in all subjects and to encourage in them a love of learning; to give children an understanding of the world and respect for all they find in it
  • Premises: The school is in the vestry of a large church. The vestry has a warm and cosy feel to it as well as providing a stimulating and fun environment. The children also have an outdoor play area
  • Equipment: The school has a large and extremely comprehensive range of Montessori equipment, as well as art materials, a nature table, books, an oven for children's baking and much else
  • Staff: the staff, all of whom are fully Montessori trained, treat the children with affection, warmth and patience
  • Music: the children have music sessions with a professional teacher once a week during which they sing and play a variety of musical instruments. This is in addition to the school's regular music sessions which are held throughout the week
  • Drama: drama is part of the curriculum. It is used to illustrate projects, encourage role play and help to develop children's confidence
  • Outings and visitors: to reinforce school projects, outside visitors are invited to talk to the children - for example a blind woman with her guide dog came when the children were learning about sight during a project on the senses. School outings are similarly used - e.g. a trip to a restaurant to illustrate a project on foods from around the world
  • French: there is a lively French class, which is an optional extra, once a week

Montessori method
Nature allows a certain time to learn each thing. Maria Montessori called these "sensitive periods". If this time is not used, it is lost. It does not come again. If the sensitive periods are wasted, the foundation is not there; it is more difficult for the child and those who teach the child

The Montessori system of education provides an environment rich in activities for every area of learning. Montessori called her schools "casa dei bambini" or "the children's home". In their home from home the children find mystery, challenge and discovery

In Practical Life children find washing, polishing, pouring, brushing, folding and sewing; in Sensorial texture, colour, sound, taste and smell; in Maths quantity and mathematical ideas; in Language vocabulary, expression, writing and reading

At the same time, they are encouraged to look outside; to be aware of countries, continents and beyond; and doing the prehistoric time line helps them to understand the concept of time - from the ancient to the present

The children retain their freedom. They choose their own work and may repeat an activity as often as they wish. This freedom contributes to their self-confidence and independence

The teacher will guide and introduce them to new activities and ideas but will not coerce them into areas for which they may not yet be ready. To do so is to risk halting their progress

No matter what activity the children undertake they will find equipment that works on more than one level

In Maths the Golden Beads teach simple numeracy; but the Cube of 1000 is made up of 1000 Golden Beads and is therefore exactly 1000 times as big as one bead. This allows mathematical ideas to form. Children are not made to understand the formula. But in using the cube in a mathematical way, they build up a predisposition to enjoy and understand mathematics later

In the same way the Cylinders show that whether shallow and wide or narrow and deep they each displace the same volume; but simply playing with them prepares and strengthens the children's fingers for holding a pencil later on

In Language the children's first introduction to the alphabet is via sound games and then sandpaper letters. Feeling the roughness of the letter and the smoothness of the background card is something children enjoy; but in this activity is being created the knowledge of the shape of the letter and its sound, and of simple words - all leading to reading and writing

In Biology, matching the pictures to the story of, say, the conker or the snail teaches the children how to observe; but the story itself teaches them the fundamentals of the life cycle

The Montessori method is a dynamic and complete approach to the enrichment of young children and as such represents the very best that a parent can give during these formative years