Choosing a day nursery for your child can be a daunting task. That’s why many parents opt for the Montessori education brand with its emphasis on ‘do what you like, child’ and play as learning. In addition, Montessori staff teach basic life skills such as independent toileting, concentration abilities, confident movement and independence. This is achieved through working with materials rather than structured learning. Founder Maria Montessori developed her method of teaching from ideas learned working with mentally challenged children and her eponymous brand has now spread worldwide.
Mace Montessori http://www.macemontessori.com has a network of schools across London, and will accept infants from three months to five and a half years of age. Alongside Montessori-specific methods, the teachers also incorporate the Government-mandated Early Years Foundation Stage requirements. The premises are staffed by fully trained Montessori teachers who work closely with the children’s parents to provide the best levels of care and teaching for each individual child. The aim is to provide a peaceful and creatively productive atmosphere for the children to develop their skills at their own rate.
Parents whose children have special dietary requirements need not worry, because the Mace group has a chef at each school to prepare nutritious and balanced meals. School meals are therefore unlikely to cause these children nightmares, leaving them free to concentrate on other things in life.
Some Montessori schools have special features, such as being in the country, accepting a stated maximum number of children or having grounds for the children to play in. The Hammersmith Mace Montessori nursery has an open roof space and play area while the Wandsworth Road location boasts a secluded outdoor space used as an extension to the classrooms. The Finchley and North Chiswick nurseries are tailor-made to cater for Baby, Toddler and Pre-school groups. The Green Gables nursery in the Docklands offers swimming lessons to four-year-olds and upwards in addition to Spanish, gym and Song & Move classes. This location is also the only one in the Mace Montessori group (and indeed in the London area) to offer a full Primary school curriculum until the age of 11.
It’s no wonder places at Montessori schools are highly sought after. Mace Montessori has been in business since 2005 and those parents with an interest in enrolling their child might be interested to know that there are open days planned at Fortune Green (8 April) and Wandsworth Road (22 April) locations. Early application is recommended.