At the Elmwood Montessori School, we follow a curriculum based on the Montessori approach and materials, and also work within the Government’s Foundation Stage curriculum, which is presented in six areas of learning – Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication, Language and Literacy, Mathematical Development, Knowledge and Understanding of the World, Physical Development and Creative Development.

The Montessori materials and equipment are broad in their scope, and include creative activities; exercises in practical skills which develop fine motor skills and concentration (Practical Life); materials which explore colour, shape, dimension, weight, sound and texture (Sensorial); as well as academic activities including matching and pairing, sequencing, correlating numbers and quantities, number recognition, addition and subtraction (Mathematics); learning the sounds and shapes of the phonetic alphabet and progressing through to reading and writing (Language and Literacy); not forgetting nature studies, geography (physical and social), history and early science (Cultural).

The children work in these areas individually during the daily free-choice period, continuously building up their own confidence and independence, with teachers spending one-to-one time with each child, working at the right level and pace.

The children also participate in group activities – including circle times, story-times, outside playtimes, break-times, and general knowledge discussion and activity sessions, as well as music, drama, cooking, PE and movement sessions. There are also optional afternoon sessions, incorporating times for French, art & craft, and PE.

Group activities help children develop their listening skills and concentration, their social skills, their creative, imaginative and expressive skills, their general knowledge and interest in the world around them, and their physical skills.

The aim of all the activities is to give the children access to a wide range of learning experiences, foster their growing independence, help their confidence to blossom, help them to learn about friendship, considerate social behaviour, and acquire an appropriate value system, and to encourage and support them in their learning in all areas. And hopefully to have fun at the same time!

The children’s progress is recorded on a daily basis, and their development in all areas assessed regularly. Feedback to parents comes within the child’s first term and every Spring term thereafter in the form of a parent-teacher meeting, as well as in written form at the end of each Summer term. Parents can speak to their child’s teacher or to the Principal at any time of mutual convenience. We value our contact with each child’s parents or carers, so that we can work together to give all of the children a rich, varied and happy experience while they are with us at school.

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