Prospectus

Edinburgh Montessori Arts School

About MontessoriDr Montessori developed her educational method through her teaching and observations of children from a huge variety of backgrounds. She discovered that, given freedom to explore, in an environment designed to meet their needs, children developed confidence and made thoughtful choices. They learned the social mores and graces of their place and time, formed a caring community and explored their world with enthusiasm and joy. With encouragement, and time to develop at their own pace, children’s fascination with their world was always strengthened and developed.

Emma founded the school in 2006, shaped around her own passion for progressive education.

“The Montessori approach respects children as capable, willing learners. Our school gives them the tools to make connections for themselves, to truly know themselves and to value their own contribution to a global community.”

Emma divides her time between teaching and administration and, with The Montessori Partnership, delivers Montessori teacher training in Edinburgh.

EMMA RATTIGANPrincipal and Founder

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The creative curriculum comprises a great deal of the child’s undertakings within the Montessori classroom. The Montessori didactic materials are designed to lay the foundations from which children’s imaginations leap. Progressing from the familiar to the unknown our children’s discoveries of mathematics, science, language, literacy and culture are embedded in the creative thought processes laid down through a plethora of investigative work and play experiences.

The Montessori materials allow the child to develop concepts and make connections that enhance his/her powers of creative thought. The Montessori teacher designs the classroom environment in such a way that the child is exposed to a wide range of activities and experiences and is given the time and space to experiment freely.

The visual arts allow the child to experiment with many different media. As the child’s interest in a task increases he/she learns complex ways of manipulating materials. Together with drawing, painting and modelling, creating becomes a series of tactile and visual pleasures: the touch of smooth or rough wood, thin or gooey paint, furry felt, clingy wet clay, textured fabric to be sensed by fingertips, and materials to be manipulated, mixed or splattered.

Literature for children is not only a window to the wider world but also a means of exploring the inner world of feeling and emotion. Being able to identify with a character in a story provides the child with an external point of reference from which to view life. Exposure to literature enriches the vocabulary and the child’s awareness of the structure of language, bringing with it the ability to edit, to elaborate and to dramatise. Equally important; literature enhances the ability to convey meaning and explore individual perceptions.

Children intuitively experiment with rhythm, rhyme and repetition. In the Montessori classroom, circle games, rhyming songs, clapping rhythms, poetry and all manner of musical genres extend the child’s individual musical skills, both vocal and instrumental. Alongside music, there is always movement as children naturally translate musical sound into dance. our children have many opportunities to refine their physical abilities with opportunities for dance movement and self expression.

Drama is the art of the imagination in action. The moment the child takes on the role of something or someone else, drama is happening. Role play is the child’s natural resource for making sense of his/her experiences. Drama gives the child opportunities to act out roles they witness regularly in the adult world. They are free to discover the most effective ways of social problem solving in a simulated situation.

By exposing children to all manner of arts experiences the Montessori teacher ensures that the child acquires the tools to make relationships with others. For the child, this becomes an additional sophisticated means of communication on the path to original artistic expression. The more tools a child possesses, the more articulate the communication and the greater the use of the imagination.

The Creative Arts & Montessori

“ Creativity is not a fact, a skill or a custom. These are known. The results of these are predetermined; the results of creativity are a surprise.” REGINA REyNoLDS BARNETT

Infant & Parent classesages 0–3 years

Come and experience our infant community environment with your little one. Pop in or join us for a term. our twice weekly group is for children from birth to 3. Discover more about the benefits of the Montessori approach and observe your little one as they learn through many interesting play experiences. Contact the office for the current group schedule.

Infant cOMMUnItYages 1–3 years

our toddler community provides an environment which is carefully prepared to meet the unique needs of this age group. our classroom accommodates children 12 months to 3 years. In this setting the children come to feel the classroom is their own peaceful, special space where they play a meaningful role in their own care and the care of their environment. As each child’s independence and interests grow, a gradual transition to the Children’s House is facilitated.

cHIlDren’s HOUseages 3–6 years

In the Children’s House classroom children continue to explore and make choices that develop concentration, self esteem and independence. Teachers support the children by linking them with the environment and, driven by their interests, children set themselves challenges working alone, in parallel or cooperatively with friends. We are in partnership with Edinburgh City Council and provide partially funded pre-school places beginning the term after your child’s third birthday.

ages 4.5–6 years

In our Montessori classroom children remain within the nursery community until 6 years old (or such time as they are ready). As their ability to direct their own learning develops part-time pupils are invited to join the extended day programme, staying for lunch and afternoon activities until 3.30pm. During the extended day, upper nursery children have a number of opportunities to join the lower elementary class, following group lessons and working with the older children. Full transition to the lower elementary class is based upon each child’s readiness in all areas of their development and can be facilitated gradually if need be.

NURSERY

At Edinburgh Montessori Arts School each child’s social, physical, intellectual and emotional development is observed by staff whose job it is to ensure that individuals are given all manner of opportunities to satisfy their interests. By keeping our practice up to date, our ideas fresh and following the progress of child development research, our curriculum meets, and expands upon, the standards of the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence.

Children’s natural exploration is stimulated in all areas of the curriculum by hands on activities that give the child a concrete impression of concepts and ideas. Children are then able to develop abstract ideas through these hands on experiences.

Curriculum overview

“Through new education we must enable children to grow up with a healthy spirit, a strong character and a clear intellect, so that as adults they will not tolerate contradictory moral principles but will gather human energies for constructive purposes.”

ALINE D. WoLFE

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Curriculum by Subject

Practical life activities provide opportunities for the children to practice life skills such as caring for the classroom, using child-sized brushes and dusters, watering plants, and caring for pets. Children develop practical and social skills enabling them to feel capable, self-reliant members of the community.

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The Montessori cultural curriculum introduces a plethora of activities that develop the children’s understanding of the wider world. Children use globes, puzzle maps and artefact boxes to underpin activities which build their understanding of other countries, cultures and people, plants, animals and habitats.

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The roots of language communication and self expression stem from all areas of children’s exploration. There is free access to a library area where factual and fiction books are given equal prominence. Staff discuss storylines and characters with the children and our creative arts specialist hosts group activities during which the children role play characters from their favourite books. As they show an interest in alphabet sounds and letters they are guided to progress through the literacy curriculum step by step.

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The Montessori sensorial materials refine and enhance children’s sense perceptions allowing them to gain maximum stimulus from their explorations of the world around them. Children use construction games, puzzles and listening activities to investigate concepts such as big and small, light and heavy, or long and short. There are many opportunities to explore colours, textures, shapes and patterns.

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With the wide range of materials we provide, the children are free to innovate, to explore information and, in so doing, to assimilate new concepts of seeing and understanding. Imaginative exploration spans all areas of classroom experience and is complemented by our visiting arts specialists.

We recognise that mathematics is underpinned by an understanding of relationships in the environment and being able to express them in mathematical terms. our maths materials are simple and interesting and provide step-by-step learning. This enables each child to progress at their own rate and understand each stage thoroughly before they move on.

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tHe lOwer eleMentarYages 6–9 years (Primary 2 to 4)

The Lower Elementary classroom provides an expanded learning situation for the children as they continue to be interested in relating to the world around them. It is a natural progression from upper nursery and children are supported in their transition by the whole school community. As the world opens up to the older children, field trips are important, not just to see, but to study and understand. All areas of study are intertwined. Maths is learned by manipulation of materials and by stimulating the child’s imagination and desire to discover the fantastic secrets of numbers. Cultural knowledge is developed through the study of painting, literature, dance, drama and music, of our own and other societies. The teacher guides the children in setting their own challenges and broadening their personal interests.

tHe UPPer eleMentarYages 9–12 years (Primary 5 to 7)

By the time children reach the upper Elementary classroom they will have developed their ability to use imagination combined with research and will now use the classroom as a home base for their exploration into social studies, history and the sciences as they venture into the outdoor environment for a broader perspective. Individual and small group projects extend to wooded areas for shelter building and cooking, animal care and ecology, and biological studies.

Primary School

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Curriculum overview

We believe the best foundation for a strong education is learning how to learn. our students are actively engaged in the learning process through guided exploration and discovery. We recognise that elementary students possess the ability to think abstractly, have a tremendous appetite for knowledge and powerful imaginations.

The underlying philosophy of the elementary programme - originally known as Cosmic Education - is designed to help children search for their place in the universe and recognise the interrelatedness of all living things. This is accomplished by tying the separate disciplines of the curriculum together in an integrated thematic approach that encompasses the physical universe, the world of nature and the human experience.

Fundamental skills in reading, spelling, language arts, and maths are studied within this meaningful context. Students gain cultural literacy with a basic core knowledge of the sciences, history, geography, great literature and anthropology.

Concepts are introduced and revisited at increasing complexity and abstraction throughout the child’s years in the class. Subjects are taught in an interdisciplinary manner, a tried and tested approach which nurtures the child’s innate curiosity and imagination.

Students spend most mornings in the classroom following individual or group studies and using project work and research as focus for application of core skills in mathematics and language arts.

Afternoons often begin outdoors in our extensive paddock areas, followed by specialist lessons in the creative arts subjects.

Students are given the opportunity to explore topics that interest them. They engage in individual or small group research projects learning how to use the library, reference materials and the Internet to gather information. They also learn how to organise and present their findings in written reports and oral presentations.

Montessori is often described as an education for life. our students learn to collaborate with children of different ages and abilities to accomplish goals cooperatively. Children learn to both contribute ideas and listen to the ideas of others. Students compete only against themselves to achieve their personal best. Mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities, and students know they can try again without embarrassment. These real world skills serve the student well throughout their school and work careers.

• Time management and organisation skills • Conflict resolution tools • Personal hygiene • Cooking, sewing, gardening, cleaning • Plant and animal care • Earning and using money• Exercise and outdoor activity• yoga

• Physical – land and water formations, maps & globes, hydrosphere, biomes

• Cultural – continent and country studies • Economic – natural resources and their uses,

interdependence of nations

Curriculum by Subject

• Always moves from the concrete to the abstract• Builds a mathematical mind• Develops understanding of concepts through sensorial

exploration of concrete materials • Discovery based • Includes arithmetic, geometry, algebra, problem solving,

history of mathematics

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• Includes cosmology, chemistry, astronomy, palaeontology and geology

• Extensive biology nomenclature study • Classification of living organisms • Ecological viewpoint – the interdependence of all life • using the scientific inquiry skills • Development of observation skills • Health and nutrition

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• History studied through the use of timelines and visual learning materials.

• Development of life on Earth • Ancient civilisations • Modern history• Anthropology

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• Experiential learning of visual art techniques• Projects and study areas linked to cultural project

work• Drama skills, movement, interpretation of poetry

and literature• Music and movement, listening, interpretation,

composition and voice, all intertwined with children’s areas of classroom study.

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• Drama, poetry, literature, song, music, dance, story• Reading taught with both phonetic and whole language

approach • Grammar studies present the structure of language

coherently, so the child will learn to speak and write well. • Library and reference books are used for research and

pleasure • Handwriting begins with hand control exercises • Creative writing skills develop from level to level • Spelling taught by analysing generalisations and rules

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• outdoor exploration in paddocks and the garden• Growing own produce and care of pets• Weekly trips to nature reserve• Extended free play outdoors that enhances physical

abilities and gives hands on experience of personal and group risk management

• Camping and hiking; exploration of natural surroundings

further afield

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Mill House, Tower Mains Studios18N Liberton Brae, Edinburgh, EH16 6AET 0131 446 0777 E office@emaschool.co.uk www.emaschool.co.uk