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SCHOOLS LTD
Nursery schools open all year caring & educating children from birth to 5 & after school club. Since 1997
www.macemontessori.com
Mace Montessori Schools Ltd, The old preschool rooms, rear of 38 42 Millman Street, London WC1N 3EW millman@macemontessori.com 0207 242 5842
2 min. walk from Russell Square Tube stations Piccadilly Line 5 min. walk from Chancery Lane Tube Station Central Line
Registered in England No: 3749583 Tel: 020 7242 5842 E-mail: millman@macemontessori.com Web: www.macemontessori.com
PROSPECTUS
Aims & Objectives Terms & Conditions About us
MACE Montessori Schools is owned by Rehana and Shahid Hamid. They have 3 young children. Rehana is a registered Health Care Professional and comes from a medical background, working in research and microbiology. Shahid has a business development and training background concentrating full time now on the schools education. Both Shahid and Rehana have an affinity towards childrens learning, having been at the front line of developing schools in Russell Square, Hammersmith, Wandsworth, East Putney, North Chiswick and Finchley and have achieved excellent credentials with Early Years Learning Departments, Local Councils and Ofsted.
Admitting Children
We admit children to school at Mace from 20months to 5 years of age. We employ fully-trained Montessori teachers and Early Years Graduates. This helps to ensure that our little children are carefully monitored, nurtured and supported throughout their school day. As parents, we understand that children of a younger age require different care and activities, as well as sleep, lots of cuddles and nappy changes. The teaching and caring teams head is Mansi Vora. Mansi has many years of knowledge and experience in Montessori teaching and caring for your children in a safe and homely environment. If you have any day-today issues Mansi will be happy to answer them.
A happy and healthy rewarding school is at the forefront of Mace Montessori schools ethos. We promote wellbeing by offering: All teachers working at Mace have access to a company bicycle to travel to and from work for their own wellbeing, as well as reducing their carbon footprint while travelling to work. All children at Mace Russell Square branch benefit from access to our fully equipped fantastic enclosed outdoor space. We have invested heavily in this enclosed adventure play area for the children as well as regular visits to Corams Field park.
Montessori at Mace
Montessori is a comprehensive educational approach from birth to adulthood based on the observations of children's needs in a variety of cultures. Maria Montessori was born in 1870 in Ancona, Italy. She studied engineering and mathematics then went on to qualify as the first woman doctor in her countrys history. In 1907 she opened her first school, in the area of San Lorenzo. She was so encouraged by her results that she began to share her discoveries with others by publishing books and lecturing. Thus the Montessori Method of education was born. In 1946 she helped found the St. Nicholas centre in London and after her death in 1952 her innovative system was carried on by centres around the world. The Montessori environment contains specially designed, manipulative "materials for development" that invite children to engage in learning activities of their own individual choice. Under the guidance of a trained teacher, children in a Montessori classroom learn by making discoveries with the materials, cultivating concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning. At Mace we recognise the parent carer as a primary educator of the child and we pride ourselves on working closely in partnership. Respect is shown to family traditions and childcare practices and every effort is made to comply with parents wishes for their children where appropriate to the ethos of our school. It is our aim to introduce the children to the philosophy of the Montessori method of education. To make this possible we have fully equipped our school with a complete range of genuine Montessori materials. Montessori materials are unique, beautiful, mainly wooden and carefully crafted by experts. We aim to make the children aware of others and be considerate and polite to each other while forging good friendships. We aim to build up their self-esteem, independence and confidence. We aim to introduce the child to Practical Life skills using a wide range of materials especially designed to develop the childs dexterity and muscle control. This prepares the child not only for writing at a later stage, but answers his pleas for help me to do it myself thus encouraging further independence and confidence. We aim to help the children with their gross and fine motor skills via the Montessori Sensorial apparatus, which also assists the childs own development stages, carefully monitoring their progress. We aim to provide a safe and stimulating environment in which the child can experiment with and learn through a variety of different art and craft materials and projects. A painting easel is freely available throughout the course of the childs day, as you never know when a budding Monet or Picasso might appear.
The children participate in group discussions and learn to express themselves clearly using a wide vocabulary. We introduce the children initially to numbers & letters indirectly through everyday activities and develop their social skills. The letters of the alphabet are taught phonetically using a wide range of specially designed materials, as are numbers and early mathematics. Later, as the children begin to read and write, we combine our Montessori education with the National Curriculum for the Foundation stage, aiming for all children to have reached and usually far exceed the required levels in Literacy, Reading and Numeracy expected in their reception year. To provide a range of multi-cultural activities to enhance the childs perception of the world and all who live in it. We use real life pictures of people, places and costumes from around the world. We provide the children with creative activities to enhance their awareness of various festivals celebrated throughout the year. Mace aims to introduce the child to Geography by providing globes, puzzle maps of the world and each continent, land and water forms, activities relating to soil, air and water and an introduction to flags from around the world. We aim to introduce the child to Biology by providing a range of materials such as puzzles containing different parts of animals, trees and flowers, bird cards, animal cards, fruit and flower cards and of course the nature table. We look at History with the child by using the unique Montessori timeline materials and the stories which go with it. We will introduce the Solar System a project that has proved a favourite with our children in the past. We help them make papier mache models of the planets, which the children can hold and touch, as well as providing real pictures of each planet and posters of the solar system. At the end of Summer term in August, we take the children on an end of term trip where the parents are invited to join in celebrating the end of the school year. We also like to arrange other school outings during the course of the year. The children benefit greatly from these extra excursions. We work in partnership with the Local Authority ensuring that during the school year we have covered all the Early Learning Goals for the Foundation Stage. It is expected that most children will achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Foundation stage (end of reception year) and that some children will achieve beyond them. The foundation aims of the Montessori method of education and the fundamental aims of MACE are to sow the seeds of interest that will fuel learning, giving children education for life. The welfare of the child is paramount. We want to provide a loving, safe and homely environment where the children can follow their inner teacher and develop at their own pace at a time when their mind is at its most absorbent. Our carefully trained and caring teaching staff team will help to ensure that this can be facilitated.
Montessori
Personal Social & Emotional Development Communication Language and Literacy Problem Solving, Reasoning & Numeracy Knowledge & understanding of the World Physical Development Creative Development
EYFS
Personal Social & Emotional Development Literacy Maths Understanding the World Physical Development Expressive arts and design
* Sept 2010 and then government revision Sept2012
Throughout the EYFS, emphasis is placed upon understanding each child and their family as unique, with different needs and concerns. Childrens development is presented under six overlapping phases. This overlap is intended to emphasise the fact that there can be big differences between the development of children of similar ages. At the same time age can be a cue, when taken with all other factors, to indicate that development may be a typical and that a child may need extra support. At Mace this has been at the forefront of our methodologies and in which we will continue to strengthen. The following are the key themes & principles:
Prime Areas
Physical Development
Provides opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
Health and self-care Self-confidence and self-awareness Managing feelings and behaviour Making relationships Reading Writing Numbers Shape, space and measures People and communities The world Technology
Literacy
Development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.
Specific Areas
Mathematics
Provides children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.
Being healthy Staying safe Enjoying and achieving Making a positive contribution Economic well-being
Safeguarding statement
Mace Montessori recognises the responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all the children by protecting them from any form of abuse i.e. physical, sexual and emotional harm, neglect or bullying. We believe that all children have a right to be protected and all suspicions and allegations will be taken seriously and investigated as per our policy. All applicants at Mace will be fully screened in accordance with DfES guidelines (safer recruitment and selection in education settings).
Equal Opportunities
MACE Montessori Schools Limited is committed to an equal opportunity policy in full, including respect of gender issues, race and religion. We reflect this approach in our cultural studies and activities with the children. We acknowledge that some groups suffer from discrimination and we strive to ensure equality and opportunity for all children, staff, parents and carers at or visiting our school.
Grievance/complaints procedure
Should you be unhappy about any aspect of our school we have a Parent Liaison Officer. If you do not wish to speak to this person or the Manager of the school, please feel free to speak with Rehana or Shahid direct. Any matters discussed will be treated with the strictest confidence. If we are concerned about something, we will take the earliest opportunity to talk with you. Similarly, we respect parents wishes and recognise the need for confidentiality; however our prime duty is towards the child in respect to child protection.
Non-Attendance
If your child is unable to attend school for any reason, please let us know by 9am on that day. Fees remain payable during all absence. If we have not been notified by 10am, or if they have not arrived, your child will not be accepted into school until the beginning of the afternoon session at 1pm. This is to ensure the non-disturbance of classes started for children who have arrived on time.
Late Collections
Please ensure your child is collected promptly at 6pm at the latest. We reserve the right to charge a late pickup fee. Any child who is collected persistently late will be excluded from school until such time as we are satisfied that appropriate collection arrangements have been made. We reserve the right in this respect to serve you with a 4-week notice of termination.
Possessions
Please do not send your child to school with any valuable possessions, as we cannot be held liable for any loss or damage caused to such possessions.
Nappies
We will assist you in the toilet training of your child, during their time at school, providing this is continued at home. Nappies are not supplied and you must therefore ensure that you let us have an appropriate supply of nappies and baby wipes/cotton wool, nappy cream etc.
Parking
Millman Street operates a 9am-6.30pm parking restriction and a pick up and drop off car voucher may be obtained from the local borough however this does not mean you wont get a ticket its just a measure to deter the traffic wardens !!! so please be warned.
Settling in policy
All parents are required to settle their children into the school. Time should be set aside on starting to enable you to do this. We ask that you set aside one week. However, please do not worry if you are unable to spare this much time from your work commitments; the process may not take that long and can be discussed, shared with a carer or other family member, to suit your needs. Please read the attached sheet on Points to consider when settling in a new child.
Most popular rates are published, please enquire for further details Oldest sibling receives 10% discount Fees include all meals Breakfast, Snacks, Lunch, Tea
Registration
If you wish to visit our school, please telephone to make an appointment. You will be given an appointment date and time for a wonderful show around! To register your child please fill in an application form and provide a registration fee of 40 and your deposit (see below), copy of the birth certificate or passport. You will then be provided with a start date or placed on our waiting list, depending on your requirement and the availability.
Notice period
A full six weeks notice in writing of your intentions to reduce your childs attendance or remove your child from the school is required.
If appropriate notice is not received, six weeks fees will be charged in lieu of the notice period.