School to offer guidance on adopting Montessori methods
Catherine Gaunt
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Five years on from becoming the first state primary school to introduce Montessori teaching, Gorton Mount Primary School in Manchester is producing a 'how-to' guide for other state schools that are considering adopting Montessori methods.
Last year the school's Early Years Foundation Stage Profile results went up by 20 per cent in all areas of learning.
Gorton Mount is in the 10 per cent most deprived areas in the country. The guide points out that the area has high rates of unemployment, crime and drug misuse, with poor health and literacy levels.
More than half of the 456 children aged from three to 11 years at Gorton Mount have special educational needs, with 69 per cent of children on free school meals and 45 different languages spoken at the school.
Head teacher Carol Powell credits the school's success to the one-to-one element of Montessori teaching, which sees teachers as 'facilitators'. She said that the approach improves children's 'concentration and risk-taking'.
Ms Powell added, 'All the behaviours for learning and all the emotional skills are embedded in the equipment. Children don't have to adapt to the curriculum - Montessori adapts to them and their interests.'
Ms Powell said that the school's Foundation Stage results had risen 'gently' over the past five years but were 'most dramatic' last year.
'The method is embedded and we've got better at the Montessori approach,' she said.
Montessori is now integral to the school's foundation department and KS1, and Gorton Mount plans to introduce the approach into KS2 and to be 'fully Montessori' by 2012.
The guide says, 'The Montessori approach is our strongest and most effective school improvement strategy.'
It says that parents have noticed the difference between children who attended the school before it became Montessori and those who attend the school now.
'In every case, they report that children who have received a Montessori education are more independent in thought and action at home as well as at school, and that their skills in reading, writing and maths are more advanced than older siblings were at the same age.'
The first Montessori state primary school to be set up from scratch is now being planned by the Montessori Schools Association (News, 10 February).
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