Weston Primary Montessori



 

 

"The senses, being explorers of the world, open the way to knowledge"

Maria Montessori

 

 

 

 


Our Curriculum

The Montessori Classroom is known as the Prepared Environment and contains all the educational materials for the growth and development of every child. Each classroom has children of mixed ages and abilities, forming a microcosm of the wider community where each child can feel part of a large group, while still being able to act as an individual.

The Montessori Materials provide sensory experiences, which enable the children to develop a keen sense of awareness of their environment. The materials have a built in correction system called a 'control of error'. This allows the child to correct his work himself. In this way the child can operate independently of the teacher, building self-esteem and self-confidence.

The differences between State National Schools and Montessori Schools are significant; Montessori is above all, a child-centred method of learning.

Our 16 student to 1 Teacher ratio gives the pupil individual attention daily and focuses on their learning abilities. As well as the full primary curriculum of English, Irish, Maths, History, Geography, Science and Nature, PE, Art and S.P.H.E., we also have specialist teachers for Irish, French, Cookery and Music.

Through intimate knowledge of each child the teachers can develop a programme suitable for each individual. Montessori teaches universal values with environmental awareness and living experience.

Each teacher will draw on the huge amount of materials available to design specific lessons, tailored to suit the specific needs of each individual child. No two children are at the same developmental stage at any given time, therefore all the children in our school are allowed the freedom to choose and complete their work at their own pace, in their own time.

Using real, concrete materials to help the child to "see" the concepts, unlike the abstract concepts used more frequently in the main-stream method, help the child to reach a real understanding much more quickly.