MONTESSORI CELEBRATES THE TRIPLE
Wednesday 18th May
Montessori St Nicholas, the leading charity for Montessori in the UK is excited to announce three forthcoming celebrations.
The Montessori Schools Association Annual National Conference takes place on Saturday 18th June, Celebrating the Unique Child in Montessori Settings. It takes place at Assembly Hall, Church House Conference Centre, Westminster. It represents the largest gathering of Montessorians in the UK with attendees from the MSA’s 640 member schools and 3,000 individuals.
The conference will examine some of the issues that have challenged Montessori practice in recent years: how to extend children’s communication, problem solving skills and creativity, how to celebrate children’s identity and cultural diversity and how to ensure that boys are given rich learning opportunities. The event will be thought-provoking and intends to spark debate within the Montessori community and improve practitioner focus on the children in their settings.
Keynote speakers are Professor Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Gary Wilson and Patrice Lawrence. Talk topics include:
- how to extend children’s communication, problem solving skills and creativity
- how to celebrate children’s identity and cultural diversity
- how to ensure that boys are given rich learning opportunities
The conference also celebrates the work of the Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation Scheme which was introduced in September 2008 and has now accredited 100 Montessori schools. MEAB was introduced to raise standards within the Montessori schools association and puts “best practice” at the heart of what it does.
Philip Bujak, Montessori CEO says, “Montessori staff are generally more highly qualified than in many other settings. The MEAB scheme builds on Montessori’s excellent track record in education. 88% of Montessori schools received good or outstanding at their last OFSTED inspection. I am thrilled that 100 schools have now received their MEAB plaques. It is testimony to the dedication of our schools and teachers that they are committed to putting best practice at the heart of their setting. They will continue to look to improve the quality of their school to benefit children, parents and staff. Awareness for the scheme is growing. More and more parents now look at the MSA schools’ web list to check if a setting is or is not accredited.”
A party will be held at the 100th MEAB school, Ladbroke Square Montessori on June 8th to celebrate. The school started in the 1940s and has a rich history with direct ties back to Dr. Maria Montessori. Sophia Russell-Cobb, Head Mistress of Ladbroke Square school says, “We were all quite nervous, but we wanted accreditation to make sure we really were a Montessori school. The process was inspiring.”
Montessori International magazine also celebrates its 100th issue on July 1st with a party at the Museum of Childhood. First published as the Montessori Courier in the 1980s, Montessori International has grown to a readership of over 20,000 individuals worldwide and is now also available digitally. Montessori has partnered with the Museum in sponsoring family learning rucksacks and Montessori workshops. The Museum offers the perfect venue to celebrate the past and future of what continues to be an inspirational and unique publication.
Notes to Editors:
• Montessori was inspired by Maria Montessori in the 1900s. She was Italy’s first female doctor.
• Montessori offers a child-centered, holistic pedagogy. Based on the belief that a child’s early years – from birth to six – are the period where the greatest academic and social learning potential exists.
• Montessori delivers on the Early Years Foundation Stage and shares all its underlying principles.
• In 2010 the estimated annual turnover of Montessori schools was between £21.5 and £22.5m.
• The majority of the 600+ UK Montessori settings cater for children between the ages of 2 and 5.
• Many adults find the experience of stepping into a Montessori classroom quite breathtaking. It is clean and ordered with an atmosphere of calm and busy concentration.
• Learning materials are freely available and everything reflects a commitment to quality and to the children’s ability to do things for themselves.
• Montessori children tend to be very socially comfortable and confident because they have been encouraged to problem-solve and think independently - making it attractive to many parents.
• Montessori now funds some primary schools and aims to widen accessibility in the state sector.
For further information, contact: a.gilchrist@montessori.org.uk or tel: 020 7518 9788
www.montessori.org.uk
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