Frequently Asked Questions

How do you help my child with settling in?

Every child is different and this means that the settling in period will vary from child to child. We support the settling in period by learning about the child’s interests prior to their joining and prepare the environment to cater to their known curiosities. We follow the child and establish an emerging connection to a team member before asking you to step out. You are welcome to stay to help with your child’s settling in for a short period of time during the first weeks of school and as long as this would be helpful. We review this on an individual basis as each child is different with different needs and we discuss these with you as a priority. Sometimes when separation presents a difficulty, we may ask you to go for a coffee for an hour and then return. This can be very helpful as it establishes in the child the trust that when you go, you always come back (and quite quickly) and this becomes an ongoing process for reassuring your child.

My child doesn’t speak English, how can you support her/him?

As a setting in Central London, we are so happy that we have such an international, diverse community. We often have children who have very limited exposure to English or come from bilingual families. The Montessori favourable environment supports communication and language in a variety of ways. As Montessori explained the Absorbent mind, children between the age of 0 to 3 possess an amazing power to learn many languages and be able to speak these like natives, something adults and even teenagers aren’t capable of. Given the correct and consistent exposure and opportunity, children of the nursery age begin to develop a deep understanding and over time as they gain confidence, the ability to speak and express themselves. For the children in our setting and of this age band we use simple instructions in our daily routines, provide them with an extensive exposure to vocabulary through games, visual aids, lots of story time and singing and much more! Through our observations of the individual child and our skill set as practitioners we are aware of how best to support the communication and language of each individual child.

How do you support my child’s independence?

As Montessori educators, we encourage independence even in our youngest of children. Nurturing independence is both empowering and necessary for their healthy development. Our environment and training are specifically catered to encourage independence and we provide ample opportunities through activities and routines throughout the day to practice skills which require completion. Completing the simplest of tasks in the cycle of activity lead gradually to greater independence, confidence and concentration. We support the children in their learning of how to take care of themselves and the environment.

What extracurricular sessions do you offer?

During the week, we offer Dance, Music, Cooking and Gymnastics sessions. As a Montessori setting, we gently encourage the children to observe and participate in the extracurricular activities and letting them join in when they are comfortable and interested. Learning through movement, play and actions is already a keen invitation and most of our friends give it a go!

What does a day at the nursery look like?

The children begin their day with outdoor play and fresh air till all their friends arrive at school. After a short time, the children begin changing into their indoor shoes and taking off their coats before their self-registration process. Self-registration is done by finding their names and placing them in a basket. Once upstairs, the children begin their Montessori work cycle and explore the prepared environment. After the work cycle is completed, almost two hours later, the children help their teachers to tidy up their classroom and prepare a circle for some teacher-led interactions that include story time, music and singing, show and tell and an introduction to the topic of the week. The part-time children then get ready for home time and the full-time children have a daily meditation for a up to 5 minutes before getting ready to eat lunch.

• Our Montessori work cycle is an uninterrupted time during which the child is free to choose a material to work with, a peer to share their play with, a place where to work: on the floor or at the table, a project prepared by the teacher. There is a combination of child-led and adult-led activities, with predominance to child-led.
• During the work cycle, snack of fruits, vegetables and fresh water are available at the snack corner at all times during the day. Children are reminded that they can have anything from the table when they feel hungry or thirsty.
• Children who stay for the afternoon session have their packed lunch in the nursery and leave at either 1pm or 3.30pm.

Why the nursery is for mixed age children?

Montessori education promotes vertical grouping (mixed age) of children. Vertical grouping represents real life experience. Younger children observe and learn from their older peers. Older children reinforce learning and build self-esteem through helping and supporting younger children with their daily routines, thus developing a sense of compassion, care and confidence.

The younger children find it easier and more fun to follow their peers.

We see the benefits of mixed age group on a daily basis.

What is your parent teacher partnership?

Starting nursery can be a very overwhelming process for the parents. What is my child doing all day? How is he feeling? Is s/he missing me?

We know that you are trusting us with the most important part of your life – your child. We represent an ‘extended home’ for our children and building strong partnerships with our parents is of utmost importance. The stronger the trust between parents and teachers the happier the child will be.

We run an open-door policy where parents are able to join their children for story time or spend a morning with them, in order to feel a part of their day-to-day experience. The Head of School makes it a priority to make sure you are feeling comfortable and secure during and after the settling in period through an open channel of communication. We always encourage our parents to be in touch with us about the day-to-day changes in their child’s life, observations from home or where a parent feels we can place more attention in a particular area of the child’s experience at school. We value your feedback and only wish to improve with a growth mindset at all times.

Will my child be assigned to a key worker?

Research shows that a key person approach benefits the child, the parents, the staff and the setting by providing a secure relationship in which children thrive, parents have confidence, staff are committed and the setting is a happy and dedicated place to attend or work in.

Children under 2½ significantly benefit from having one carer responsible for them, but our experience shows us that this is not necessary for older children; their new-found independence provides positive affirmation of their own sense of value, satisfaction and ongoing potential. When they first start, our children are mostly with the same two members of staff to help their integration in their initial few weeks and to ensure a sense of trust and security is in place. Your child’s key worker will provide you with observations and planning of their individual learning journey and developmental goals. At My Montessori School, we work closely as a team and we all work with every child so when a child’s key person is absent the children will always have a familiar adult to support them in the setting. The team has a daily reflection time after the children leave the premises, and our 3-hour long staff meetings on Fridays allows us to go through each child’s planning, next steps and reflect upon our practise as a whole team.

What is the best age to start school?

According to Montessori educational approach and other early years research the best age to start school is two, two and a half years of age. At that age the child enters in a sensitive period for communication and language. Children abandon the drive to play individually and tend to seek more cooperative play, to join groups, to imitate peers etc. At this age children begin to understand instructions and the teacher is able to formally present activities (in previous age stages children mainly explore the materials).

What does it mean to ‘Follow the child’? 

There is an incorrect belief that in Montessori settings the children are free to do what they like without any structure or framework. This is untrue. Teachers in Montessori settings observe each individual child and plan activities to support and extend their interest. Follow the child means that teachers in Montessori settings do not ask the children to follow a prepared planning but the planning of the teacher follows after the interest of the child. The teacher prepares the environment and activities by linking the interest of the child to the direct and indirect objectives the activities support.

You can also read more about the Montessori philosophy

What is the difference between traditional education and Montessori? 

The main difference that parents first notice when they visit a Montessori setting is the overall environment. The classrooms are bright, clean. The furniture is of natural colours; nothing is displayed on the wall. There are no plastic toys. Children work with wooden materials on a table or a mat to mark their working space. Shelfs are in order, clean and all activities are visible and have their own place. The environment is well prepared, planned and inviting. Children usually work independently, on a table or a mat on the floor. Chairs are tucked.

The classroom is organised into several distinct work areas that form the curriculum of Montessori, each one containing Montessori materials. In the practical life area, students may learn how to sew, water a plant, arrange flowers, iron fabric and wash dishes. In the sensorial area, students work with geometric figures, match fabrics and sort materials by size or colour. In the math area, students touch sandpaper numbers, group strings of coloured beads to learn about numerals and the decimal system and learn multiplication using bars of beads attached to a wooden frame. The language area provides picture books, a sand tray for tracing letters and a large movable alphabet with consonants and vowels in different colours. The cultural area introduces students to puzzle maps, flags and globes.

The Montessori materials are extensive and grouped into different areas of learning, including sensorial and practical life. Usually made out of a range of materials including fabric and wood, the materials include real objects like pitchers and are meant to be used in multiple ways and at several stages of child development and learning.

In the Montessori environment you will find breakable materials as well as materials that are considered often as risky. Children have access and are shown how to safely use the breakable material, scissors and material that you may think are not “safe”.

One of the main differences with traditional education is the vertical age grouping (mixed-age classrooms). In UK, we don’t have many authentic 3 to 6 years old group because children start reception at age 4. Maria Montessori believed that vertical grouping was a part of our natural development and that grouping children by their age was against our social nature. In order to develop individually, children need to be free to learn at their own pace.

Montessori classrooms include mixed ages and mixed skill-levels, generally divided into three year groups (e.g., 2.5-6 year olds, 6-9 year olds). Peer learning is encouraged as the little ones learn from observing their older friends and the older children solidify their knowledge and gain valuable leadership skills through giving lessons to the younger children.

Another difference is in the snack area – Children have free access to a snack and water and group snacks are not usual in Montessori classrooms. Children are encouraged to prepare their snacks (they pour their own drink, cut their fruits) and they choose when they want to have their snack.

Uninterrupted work period

All authentic Montessori schools have long, uninterrupted work periods (generally 2-3 hours depending on age). Group time are never mandatory in a Montessori school and neither extra-curricular activities. We ask what your child will do if he doesn’t want to join in.

What is the role of the Montessori teacher?

The teachers in Montessori do not teach, they guide. The Montessori teachers are paragons of gentleness, patience and kindness. They don’t give orders, they don’t impose their beliefs and opinions. Montessori teachers do not teach. They guide their students. They prepare a learning environment for their students. They are facilitators in the classic sense of that word. We believe that children are capable of discovery. It is that thrill of discovery which leads to all sorts of creative enterprise and satisfaction.

How can I support Montessori at home?

The parents at My Montessori school are provided access to the renowned application called My Montessori Child. Not only is this app used to record observations, planning and pictures of your child’s time at nursery, it also provides extensive resources, articles and information on how to implement the Montessori philosophy to your child’s learning at home. There are podcasts, forums and lectures you as a parent can avail of using My Montessori Child. The team at My Montessori School are also always willing to support your child’s Montessori learning environment at home and are available to discuss this at an appropriate and agreed time. As Montessori directresses we bare emphasis on fostering a child’s independence through time and ability appropriate tasks and cultivate concentration by providing a rich and stimulating environment.

How and when do you teach my child the letters and numbers? 

The answer is “When they are ready “. For example, teaching a child how to write if he doesn’t yet know how to hold a pencil is doomed to failure. Most of what goes on in a child’s development at this age has to do with motor skills, concentration, and confidence, socializing and becoming aware that learning is enjoyable and fun. Only when those are firmly in place, and providing the child is beginning to show an interest in numbers and letters, we do introduce him to the relevant materials and lessons.

How will My Montessori School prepare my child’s transition to school?

Developing a child’s personal, social and emotional skills which support them in managing their feelings and behaviour along with language acquisition in an environment that stimulates curiosity, will automatically prepare a child for ‘big school’. A confident child, able to understand, respond and complete a task, to resolve a problem, to communicate with ease is well prepared for the many expected transitions along the way. Montessori schools teach children to confidently express themselves, to work well individually and in groups.

When a child is ready to be introduced to reading, writing and mathematics, their key person would have already planned the introduction of these concepts through their observations.

Focusing on the holistic development of each child with a wide curriculum under the EYFS and Montessori areas will aid the process of transitions to ‘big school’.

What makes you unique?

The team at My Montessori School strive to achieve excellence through constant self-reflection and development through training, reading and workshops. Moreover, we strive to achieve higher levels of consciousness and awareness to meet the needs of each individual child.