Montessori in the Nursery

At Parkgate House School the Nursery uses the Montessori method of teaching and also follows the early years national curriculum for the foundation years.

The principles behind the Montessori method provide an excellent opportunity for children to thrive in an exciting and stimulating environment. The five main areas of Montessori teaching are: language, maths, practical life, sensorial and cultural, which in turn relates well to the six areas of learning and early learning goals (personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development.) The primary goal of a Montessori programme is to help each child reach full potential in all areas of life and at Parkgate we pride ourselves on working closely with each and every child’s strengths and weaknesses and recognise that each child is a unique individual. Montessori is a philosophy with the fundamental tenant that a child learns best within a social environment, which supports each individual’s unique development. Dr Maria Montessori, the creator of what is called 'The Montessori method of education', based this new education on her scientific observation of young children’s behaviour. From her observations she concluded that children learn best in a nurturing environment, filled with developmentally appropriate materials that provide experiences contributing to the growth of self-motivated, independent learners.

The same theory and practice is seen in our Reception classes.