Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation Board

School Accreditation

This report is prepared following two accreditation visits made on behalf of the Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation Board. It considers how far the school follows the criteria set out in “The Guide to the EYFS in Montessori Settings” (2008) and subsequent 2012 revisions. The second visit sought to assess the progress made on the recommendations set out in the report from the first visit.

The report does not address the standards and quality issues which are the responsibility of the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) which reports separately. Also the report does not provide any assessment of financial aspects of the school.

The Montessori Early Years Department at The Elms School Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire WR13 6EF

Date of the first re-accreditation visit: 27 February 2013 Date of the second re-accreditation visit:5 June 2013

Date of previous MEAB accreditation: November 2009

This accreditation report relates to the provision for children aged 3 to 6 years

Description of the school The Elms School first opened in 1614. The Montessori Early Years department for 3 to 6 year olds was established in September 2008. The school is located in the village of Colwall, near Malvern. The setting has 60 acres of grounds including a farm, tennis court, swimming pool, paddocks and a ‘jungle’ area of established woodland.

The Early Years occupies a large, open plan classroom adjacent to the main school buildings. The children have access to a dining room, toilet facilities, and an adjacent outside area that is for their sole use. They also have supervised access to the school grounds.

The Elms School is an independent preparatory school, owned by The Elms (Colwall) Limited, which is a registered charity. It is registered with the Department for Education (DfE). A maximum of 24 children attend the Early Years department at any one time. There are 24 children on roll, all attend full time and 22 were present on the day of the second visit. All children eat freshly cooked lunches in the school dining room.

Children with special needs can be fully provided for, as can children for whom English is an additional language.

The Early Years Department is open from Mondays to Fridays from 8.30 to 15.45, term time only. An after school club is available.

Four members of staff, including the Head of the Department, work directly with the children, all

of the team hold Montessori qualifications and the Head also has Early Years Professional Status (EYPS).

Summary The Montessori Early Years Department at The Elms School offers an education that is drawn from and is wholly reflective of the Montessori approach. Children’s individual needs are met by caring and dedicated adults who provide a very high level of both emotional and educational care. The curriculum on offer is both broad and rich in detail, stimulating the interests of the children by responding to them in a flexible and open way. It is clear that the setting operates on the principle of following the child. Planning and record keeping for all children is both detailed and accurate, and is contributed to by all staff.

Staff are respectful and demonstrate high levels of trust in all the children through the provision of an engaging environment, freedom of choice, and giving time to explore and take risks. Children operate in a calm and purposeful manner, treating each other in a friendly and supportive way. Relaxed conversation occurs frequently and is a reflection of the skills of grace and courtesy the children have developed, as well as their emotional stability within the setting.

Learning takes place in a beautiful and well-resourced room that empowers children to interact with materials and each other in a natural and focused way. The bright and spacious area is used to its full potential, and children move freely within it. Individual, small and large group activities take place throughout the day.

A notable feature of the setting is the respect that the children have for each other, and the social responsibility they demonstrate whilst working independently. The vertical grouping gives great opportunities for younger children to gain support from older children who provide good models of behavior and learning and themselves benefit from assisting younger children with their activities and daily life.

Parents appreciate the introduction to the Montessori approach that is given to them when their child begins at the school and the support and information that follows during their time there.

The dedicated and professional staff working in the department have created a purposeful yet joyful environment. Through a willingness to reflect on their own practice there is continued development within the setting that benefits not only the staff, but all the children who attend.

The school provides an education in accordance with the principles of the Montessori approach and environment and merits accreditation by the Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation Board.

 It is recommended that the school continues to reflect on its practice in order to ensure that high standards are maintained.

Philosophy: The Montessori Early Years Department at The Elms School operates primarily by following the child. Individuals are observed, assessed and planned for, and individual needs are met. This has resulted in a classroom where all children can fully engage in self-initiated activities that both appeal to them, and extend their thinking.

Children are trusted in their work to make their choice, and are given the freedom to spend extended periods of time on a single activity, repeating it if desired. The high levels of trust and engagement result in a classroom that has an overriding sense of both calm and focused energy. Children are also trusted to leave an activity and return to it at a later time. There is a system in place that is understood by all that enables the self-management of this process.

Children demonstrate a command of grace and courtesy, respecting the space and work of others around them. All children are able to move freely in the light and spacious room and this promotes frequent conversations between them across all ages, often focusing on the work or materials being used.

They benefit from free-flow between the indoors and outdoors. Independent access to coats, boots and hats is given, and children are expected to manage these themselves when going in or out, although children needing assistance are supported.

Adults do not direct children within the classroom, rather they guide, support learning and support those individuals who have lost engagement or who are seeking help. This is done in a respectful and honest way, reflecting the Montessori principles that are upheld by all the staff. In the summer term the five and six year old children use daily learning plans to assist in their self-management.

The philosophy of the setting is defined within the whole school prospectus, with particular emphasis given to the Montessori approach taken by the Early Years Department. These philosophies are reviewed as part of a rolling review programme.

Learning and Development: The classroom is organised clearly into areas of learning. The wide range of materials that is available meets the diverse developmental needs of all children within the Department.

Within the classroom children are able to access activities independently during the three hour morning work cycle. There is a high level of free choice given to, and demonstrated by, children during this time. They operate independently on self-initiated work, support each other with tasks, and engage with a variety of adult-led activities. The outdoor space adjacent to the classroom is used as an extension of the indoor classroom for the children to work in. For example, during the first re-accreditation visit, a measuring activity inside the class became a small group collaborative task outdoors through measuring the playhouse for a new door. The space was also well utilized during the second visit, including an adult-guided problem solving activity that came from the children’s interest in water flow, and involved a small group collaborating to complete a water transferring task.

Children have their needs met by attentive adults who are all able to deliver a number of both 1:1 and small group presentations during the session. The materials used and questions asked are varied dependent on the individual child’s needs. The setting delivers the Institute for Neuro-

Physiological Psychology (INPP) developmental exercise programme to develop posture, co- ordination and motor development for all children, and provides individual support for literacy and cognitive development as needed.

Planned and incidental observations are used to accurately assess development, and plan for the child’s next steps. This planning is broad, covering all areas of learning, with a wide variety of activities for adults to provide or present. Assessments are made using both the Montessori curriculum and the revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) areas of learning, and detailed records are kept that combine both of these. Staff also plan weekly projects that reflect children’s interests as well as provide broad coverage of the EYFS.

Adults operate efficiently and, due to the quality of their observations, are able to provide quickly for children’s changing needs.

Prepared Environment: resources and materials The classroom organisation provides for easy movement for all children, and also gives an ample amount of floor space for working.

The room is organised by areas of learning, each area having a mixture of low tables, open shelves and seating. There are three separate book shelves in the room, and a dedicated reading area with chairs and soft cushions. There is a well-resourced art area offering a range of media and materials.

The children make full use of the space, often selecting an activity from one area, and transferring it to another before engaging with it. Floor mats are readily available and children are used to putting their work away.

The materials themselves are of excellent quality, and comprise a mixture of both Montessori and non-Montessori materials, as well as those prepared by staff. The resources are kept in excellent condition by both children and staff, and the high level of use reflects their appeal to the children. The materials and equipment on shelves are complemented by books and pictures that are linked to or could inspire interest in them. The cultural resources are a particular strength of the setting, being suitably varied for the children to explore.

Within the outdoor space adjacent to the classroom there is a large wooden playhouse and low wooden planters. A storage unit houses a wide range of materials and activities covering all areas of learning. There is a painting board mounted on a wall, and mark-making on paper is promoted through wall mounted sheets and clipboards. Inside the playhouse is a wide variety of both specific and open ended role play materials, both ‘toy’ and real.

There are ample resources for the number of children who attend the setting. This provision meets the developmental needs of all individuals.

The adults in the setting prepare the environment to ensure children are able to be engaged with and access materials at all times throughout the day.

Montessori practice: independence, including independence at home, freedom, respect The children who attend the Early Years Department are afforded a great deal of freedom by the staff, the environment and the routines that are in place. The work cycle enables free choice and repetition for all children alongside the opportunity to work individually, with peers or with an adult. The free-flow between inside and outside is made available for children all morning, and staff are able to respond flexibly to individuals wishing to go out. There has been an increase in the spontaneous use of the outside space, with children freely moving in and out on the day of the second visit. This development has been achieved since the first re-accreditation visit.

The snack area is available all day offering a variety of food and drinks. Children operate both independently and socially in a natural way in this area, sitting for conversation during their self- chosen snack time before washing up their cups and plates themselves.

Children are trusted to access the resources spontaneously by adults who are very able to guide, support and structure learning only when they are needed. Children are left to work, interact, take risks and solve problems independently for as long as possible. Adults also provide opportunities for children to take part in small group activities and welcome all those who are interested to join. There are also large group activities that are planned, based on the weekly project, or which serve to remind children of routines.

The trust and respect that staff show towards the children is reflected in their growing social responsibility and the trust they have in each other. For example, children clear up any dropped materials without prompting, and during the first re-accreditation visit it was observed that a child was happy for a peer to read his writing and give feedback to him about it.

There is a good relationship between staff and parents. This enables the staff to inform parents of their child’s development on a daily basis, but also to suggest how this can be supported at home. The setting also offers an ‘Introduction to Montessori’ session at the beginning of the academic year, during which ideas for use at home to develop independence are discussed.

Montessori practice: Classroom management During the daily morning work cycle the planning is individualised, but is not used to direct learning if the child is engaged in other work. Staff move flexibly around the setting to ensure all children have appropriate supervision. Whilst the school operates a key person system, all staff work with all children, recording incidental observations and presentations as they occur. All activities are open to all ages of children within the class. During the summer term the 5 and 6 year old children are introduced to daily plans, and they use these to plan with their key person a series of activities to undertake. Children take responsibility for when the activities are completed, and can explain the system clearly.

The morning work cycle lasts three hours and provides a substantial amount of freedom to enable children to operate and develop naturally. The overriding atmosphere is calm, and this is maintained through deep engagement. The adults support and guide children in creating this harmonious learning environment. They also remind children of, and model, grace and courtesy in the classroom to develop respect for others who are working.

During lunch, food is served to the children by adults who sit at each table as well as by the

children themselves, children use good manners and conversation flows naturally. They clear the table themselves when they have finished eating.

The fluid movement and interaction of the staff in the Department ensures that children are continually observed, and that the environment is well maintained. The classroom policies that are in place to support this are reviewed during Department meetings and are understood by all.

The afternoon sessions consist of planned activities that enable children to take part in a wide variety of additional experiences. Weekly project work takes place, alongside access to the large grounds and wild woodland ‘jungle’ area, and children are also offered swimming, art, P.E., music, drama, cooking, yoga and French lessons. Once a week older children from the school are involved in a paired reading programme that entails them both reading and listening to children in the Early Years Department.

There are also trips out of school organised, and visitors are welcomed in. These are organised to complement the weekly projects that are taking place, for example during the topic of ‘From Farm to Plate’ a beekeeper was invited in to talk to the children about how she keeps bees and how they make honey.

Montessori Practice: links with parents, including reports and records Staff are responsible for all children collectively, sharing observations together in weekly meetings. They all meet parents on a daily basis and relationships are productive. Parents are comfortable coming into class and staff are knowledgeable about their children. Parents benefit from a ‘Snapshot’ display that is put up at the end of each week for them to view. It comprises a description of the projects the children have taken part in, along with photographs and examples of work, and displays a mixture of planned and spontaneous activities that have taken place. The key person system is organised according to year group, although as all staff work with all children they are able to feed back to any parents appropriately.

The records kept on children are excellent. All observations are linked to both the Montessori materials if appropriate, and to the EYFS areas of learning. Entries are dated to enable tracking of development and the highlighting of coverage or gaps in learning. Reports are sent to parents twice per year, and regular newsletters keep them updated with current news and events. There is also a formal parents’ evening during the year.

Parents are invited to observe their child during a work cycle and have a follow up session with a member of staff, who is then able to discuss what the parent has seen and link it to their child’s development. Following a recommendation made at the first re-accreditation visit, parental input is now included in the records kept by the department. A letter is sent out to parents termly, along with their child’s record of achievement, asking for input to reflect the child’s achievement at home. These records are passed on when children leave the Early Years.

During the re-accreditation visits parents reported that it was the Montessori element of the setting that attracted them to it, and that staff showed real empathy for their children. They commented on the differences they have seen in their children at home, including an increase in confidence and a desire to help with household tasks. Staff sometimes visit families at home in an effort to support both parents and children.

Staffing: The Department benefits from energetic, innovative and self-reflective leadership. The practice of self-reflection is valued highly, and enables all staff to develop within a clearly defined organizational structure. This reflection also assists in preparing both the long and short term plans for the development of the Department, which feed into the whole school development plans.

Staff are very well qualified. The Head of the Department holds a degree, EYPS and a Montessori diploma. One other member of staff holds a Montessori diploma, and two have gained the Montessori Foundation Certificate. The emphasis placed on continued professional development is strong, all staff are able to keep up to date with new initiatives and research, sharing good practice and developing new skills and knowledge.

Although staff turnover is very low, the induction procedures for new staff are good. Job descriptions are clear and regularly reviewed, annual appraisals take place and there are regular staff meetings held covering both operational and strategic content.

The Early Years Department’s staff are well led, and they work together as a single unit whose prime purpose is to deliver an education to all the children that follows the principles and practices of Maria Montessori. They do this exceptionally well, reflecting on their own work and constantly developing.

Name of Assessor: Jeremy Clarke

Date of reports: First visit – 1st March 2013

Second visit – 6th June 2013