Montessori is a system of nursery, primary and secondary education devised by Dr Maria Montessori. She developed special teaching methods and equipment to maximise each child's physical and psychological potential at each stage of his/her development.

In practice, this means that we divide our Montessori classrooms into six areas: Art, Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Mathematics and Culture (which includes geography, nature and science). We give the children the freedom to choose from the different sections around the classroom; and we encourage them to complete their chosen activity, working at their own pace. Giving children the freedom of choice, movement, speech and opinion within a well-structured environment means they are eager to learn, becoming more independent and self-confident.

Our Montessori-qualified teachers work individually with each child, carefully charting his/her progress and recognizing when he/she is ready to move on to the next stage.

The Montessori approach uses a well-prepared environment, and a skilled teacher, to help each individual child to achieve their fullest potential at their own unique pace.

A sense of community life is important in helping young children to develop social skills, self-esteem and care and respect for others. Although the Montessori method encourages a freedom of choice and movement, it also makes sure that this 'freedom' is set within limits, ensuring a respect for peers and for the classroom environment. The teacher guides each child towards activities which are suited to his/her level of development. He/she is then encouraged to complete the activity, working at his/her own pace. Children learn to take care of their specially-prepared classroom, helping to put materials back in their proper place. They also learn to respect each other's work space by either waiting for their turn, or by asking to share in an activity.

A unique aspect of a Montessori class is that children of mixed ages work together in the same space; the children in our Montessori classes range in age from 1 ½ to 6 years old. This encourages children to learn from each other and gives them a wider choice of activities in the classroom. The older children learn patience and tolerance as they teach their younger peers a new piece of knowledge (and so reinforce and perfect their own understanding). Meanwhile, the younger children learn from an early age how to work alongside their peers and grow in self-confidence as they are inspired to try out new things. Dr. Montessori's research shows that putting children of mixed ages together creates a natural 'family' atmosphere, where children feel secure and learn important life-long skills of living and working together successfully.