Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation Board

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 Copyright Montessori St. Nicholas: Form B2 January 2013 Page 1 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. Copyright Montessori St. Nicholas: Form B2 January 2013 Page 2 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- Copyright Montessori St. Nicholas: Form B2 January 2013 Page 3 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.

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