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2015

MSA NATIONAL

CONFERENCE

TechnologyandMontessori

21stCentury

MONTESSORISCHOOLS ASSOCIATION

Montessori Schools Association

Sponsored by the Montessori St Nicholas Charity

in the

Saturday 21st March 2015 Institute of Education, University College London (UCL)


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At the 2014 conference I commented on the large

number of government consultations, and this

pattern has continued. By September 2014 there

had been over 35 consultations affecting early

years and primary schools. A pattern emerged as some such

as the Treasury and Revenue and Customs tax free childcare,

and the Department for Communities and Local Government

on more flexible planning for change of use of premises

sought to promote a cross-government view. This has been

most welcome. By contrast, the Department for Education

seems to have had what the NSPCC has called a silo

approach in their case referring to the agencies dealing with

safeguarding children not talking to one another. This

approach was evident when DfE issued the revised Statutory

Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage in March

2014, and followed it in April with Keeping Children Safe in

Education (generally referred to as KCSIE). Not only does the

revised EYFS not refer to the safeguarding document, but that

document only speaks of schools and colleges, not early years

settings. Clearly the intention is that settings should followKCSIE, and the Department has subsequently sought to

implement it by establishing that settings and schools which

receive three and four year old funding must follow KCSIE. Yet

another consultation seeking to revise safeguarding

requirements was held at the start of the present year.

Similarly revisions were made to the independent school

regulations at the end of 2014, with no link to the EYFS

although no doubt we would all have complained if this had

been revised so soon. Differences between EYFS and

independent school regulations are often glossed over by

Ofsted and other inspectorates an example being different

requirements for complaints procedures.

Last year I noted the problems faced by Discovery New School,

a Montessori free school which had been placed into special

measures by Ofsted and then had its funding withdrawn. I

was most grateful to Denys Lyne from Soaring High

Montessori for joining me in visiting Discovery and trying to

help them from September 2013, but the decision to close it

appeared to have already been taken. We were able to help

them, and they made significant improvements, although

considerable difficulties remained. Following the closure we

worked with the acting Headteacher to help dispose of their

Montessori equipment and I am grateful to the schools which

took advantage of this. The free school policy has changed

since its inception in 2010. From being a community and

parent-centred initiative, it has become a programme

whereby schools are set up by groups or consortia who either

already operate other free schools or who want to establish a

chain of such schools. No other Montessori proposals have

been accepted. The need for strong academic approaches,

professional support for finance, planning and other aspects,

coupled with the recognised shortage of potential

accommodation, and the rejection of small school proposals

have all militated against community-based Montessori

proposals. Accordingly we would be very cautious regarding

further schemes.

The Montessori accreditation scheme is now entering its next

cycle and Barbara and Michele have been reviewing the

documentation, as well as being very patient with my various

comments and suggestions on revisions. There are now nearly

200 accredited schools and settings, and the assessors

reports show how seriously you take comments and seek to

develop practices. The success of the accreditations shows

your deep professionalism and commitment to your work and

the children who come to you.

The childminding group has gone from strength to strength

in the past year, including a meeting in the south west with

members camping or in bed and breakfasts. With them, we

are monitoring childminder agencies and Andrea Dalling who

chairs the group has managed to get Ofsted to change their

requirements whereby currently registered childminders

could not become an agency without giving up their

registration (and thus their job and income).

Our primary group, chaired by Sarah Rowledge, has again held

very successful meetings this year. Less success has been had

following problems when some former parents at one school

decided to respond to Ofsteds inspection on-line Parents

Voice survey. They posted critical views which were plainly at

odds with the current parents views and despite protests

from the school and myself to Ofsted, the published report

noted that some responses were not supported by the

inspection evidence. I continue to follow this up with Ofsted.

The inspection agency commissioned by Ofsted to conduct

the inspection say that this is by no means unknown and that

pupils often respond, claiming to be parents. Advisers andheads of some academies have readily acknowledged the

issue. Also there is nothing to stop people with more than one

email address from responding from each address. All told it

serves to undermine the credibility of the inspections.

A Welcome from the Chairman of the MSA

Dr Martin Bradley


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At the beginning of December we had a week-long visit from

15 Czech Montessorians who had been funded under the

European Unions Comenius scheme and by their

government. I am most grateful to Emma Gowers and

Georgina Hood for letting them spend time in their schools.

The Czechs thoroughly enjoyed their visit and it is good to

have the second group with us today to round off their week

in London.

Back in April, Barbara and I visited some pre-schools in

Tanzania, working with a small charity, EdUKaid, based near

Salisbury. Although the staff had been Montessori trained,

their limited equipment and enormous class sizes (up to 100)

meant that they were often not able to follow Montessori

practice imagine having one piece of equipment used by

one child, watched by 100 others. The local training seemed

good, from our brief visit, and so there is potentially a basis

for development.

I again express my thanks to the members of the National

Council for their help and support during the year. They have

all worked hard to organise meetings and to maintain

communications with you the members. That has often

involved wrestling with our database which is now in much

better shape, having been subject to Kristines scrutiny. This

greater efficiency, coupled with the major achievements of

MCI in establishing a broad range of qualifications, both

college-based and on-line, supports the whole of the charitys

work at the leading edge not only of Montessori work but

more widely within care and education nationally and

beyond. Finally, may I welcome Stephen Tommis to his new

role as Chief Executive. St Nicholas is surprisingly complex fora relatively small organisation and Stephen has already begun

to have a very positive impact on the charity. MSA looks

forward to working with him to promote Montessori practices

and ideas in the future.

Best wishes,

Dr Martin Bradley

As your relatively new Chief Executive it is my great

pleasure to welcome you to our MSA Annual

Conference 2015. The theme of this years

conference: Technology and Montessori in the 21st

Centuryis apt. We live in a world that is increasingly

influenced by fast-paced technology and to ignore such an

influence is to bury our heads in the sand. As educationists,

we need to be aware of how we can adapt these technologies

to the learning needs of young people. It is often the case that

young people take to our digital age far more readily than we

do, but once we see the potential of this technology it is

surely part of our professional responsibility to seek out ways

in which it can be used to maximum learning effect.

To help us in this quest we have an inspirational line-up of

speakers, including:

Dr Paul Epstein on If I-Pad, will I-Touch Tablets?

Professor Lydia Plowman, University of Edinburgh and Dr

Christine Stephen, University of Stirling on Play and learning

with digital media in the early years

Mr Noureddin Khassal and Lizzie Cotton on E-safety

guidance for teachers and parents

Towards the end of the conference we are also scheduling a

Panel Discussion in which we invite you to put questions to

our speakers. Do please participate in this because it is an

opportunity for you to share your personal experiences and

triumphs with other delegates or to raise issues that concern

you in the application of modern technology.

We have a number of exhibitors who offer a wealth of

resources to you. Do please find the time to visit them in the

programme breaks.

No conference just happens. It requires planning and detailed

administration to run effectively and smoothly. I am most

grateful to our staff for their willingness to take on these

tasks in their usual cheerful manner. And we are enormously

grateful to our partners Early Years Direct, Tower High

Learning and My School App, and exhibitors who have kindly

sponsored this years conference.

I look forward to meeting you at what promises to be a most

stimulating and enjoyable event!

Dr Stephen Tommis

A Welcomefrom theChief Executive

Dr Stephen Tommis


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This years conference was designed to give the MSA

community an opportunity to explore our attitudes

towards technology and its role in the everyday life

of young children. Most current literature refers to

young children as digital natives indicating the ease and

interest with which they engage with smart phones, iPads

and a range of on-screen games. They are not afraid to

explore the possibilities these tools offer; the intuitive nature

of these devices means that, if the young ones persevere, they

are likely to achieve their goal making the machine do what

they want it to do.

On the other hand, the older folk, like myself, are afraid of

ruining the programme or breaking the hardware, so we do

not explore and as a result to do not benefit from the full

range of tools on offer. As Montessori practitioners we often

hide behind Montessori did not believe in technology! It is

important that young children have real experiences, concrete

exploration and access to natural resources. Whilst the last

sentence endorses the principles of Montessori pedagogy, I

ask myself Is not it possible to have both; and use the

technology as another tool to enable childrens further

exploration, when they are developmentally ready?

At the end of the last academic year, I observed a four year old

exploring land and water forms. The practitioner took the

opportunity to explain what a lake and island are and used

her iPad to show the child aerial photographs of lakes in the

tropics and also in North America. They also looked at the

very diverse shapes of islands some in the middle of lakes,

others covered in snow with others surrounded by coral reefs.

The child was enthralled by the diversity of the images. This

experience prompted thinking on the value of the flat

teacher-made maps on brown or blue card which are

supposed to scaffold the childs knowledge of what lakes and

islands are. Why would we want to offer such images to

young children when the wonders of the planet are at our

fingertips? Recently when I was re-reading Montessoris

Education and Peace, I came across the following statement:

We have come to realise that intellectual progress is not at

odds with technical progress, but rather goes hand in hand

with it (1992, p.43)

A Message from the Conference Organiser

Barbara Isaacs


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I was delighted to see this endorsement for the focus of this

years conference. If we consider technology as a valuable tool

for learning then we need to embrace it with understanding

and respect for childrens capacity to benefit from these 21st

century inventions. At the same time we need to consider

their unique developmental stages and their need to explore

the world through their senses and develop communication

and manipulative skills which will enable them to benefit

from these tools more fully a little later. And of course we

must not forget social skills which will enable them to share

and learn from their friends and peers.

I hope the conference will encourage us to examine the

benefits as well as the challenges of technology and so

provide us with better understanding of its pedagogical value.

It should also guide us in considering how best to support

parents in their efforts to help children grow into citizens of

tomorrow, whilst appreciating the riches of the Earth today.

We do not aim to provide participants with definitive answers,

but we hope to spark informed discussion. Therefore I would

like to start the conference with some quotations from Fred

Rogers (1994), the founder of the Fred Rogers Center for Early

Learning and Childrens Media, in Technology and Digital

Media in the Early Years edited by Chip Donohue and

published by NAEYC and Routledge in January 2015.

Make no mistake digital tools arent the same as real things

kids absolutely need the tactile experience of fresh clay,

finger paint, dress-up play, and musical instruments. They are

different, a new category of play and self-expression, and

were still learning the contexts in which theyre best used.

Digital playthings and learning aids are simply tools their

potential lies in the hands of the people who program them,

the loving caregivers who choose how and when to use them,

and who consider the needs and abilities of specific children.

A computer can help you learn to spell HUG, but it can never

know the risk and joy of actually giving or receiving one

Barbara Isaacs

Director of National Strategies Montessori St. Nicholas

MSA National Conference

2015 Programme

9.30 Coffee and Registration

10.15 Welcome and IntroductionDr Stephen Tommis, Chief Executive,

Montessori St Nicholas Charity

10.20 Reflections on MSA ActivitiesDr Martin Bradley, National Chairman of the MSA

10.45 Play and learning with digital mediain the early yearsProfessor Lydia Plowman, University of Edinburgh and

Dr Christine Stephen, University of Stirling

11.30 My Montessori Child documenting childrens learningWhat does it mean to the practitioners, children and

their families

12.00 E-safety guidance for teachers and parents

Noureddin Khassal and Lizzie CottonEmbedICT LTD

12.30 Presentation of Montessorian of the Year &Montessori Practitioner of the Year 2015 awards

12.45 Lunch break

14.00 If I-Pad, will I-Touch Tablets?Paul Epstein, PhD

Head of School, Rochester Montessori School, USA

15.15 Questions and Answers

15.30 Panel DiscussionQuestions for the Panel Discussion

For a successful debate we will need you to submit your

questions at the MSA stand or to post your questions to the

Panel on designated flipcharts during conference lunch time.

As you will see from the programme there will be an

opportunity for a Q&A session following Paul Epsteins

presentation. We intend the debate to contribute towards

development of the first MSA guidance on this topic.

15.55 Closing remarksBarbara Isaacs, Director of National Strategies,

Montessori St Nicholas Charity

MONTESSORISCHOOLS ASSOCIATION


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Lydia Plowman is Chair in Education and

Technology and Director of Research and

Knowledge Exchange in the Moray House School of

Education, University of Edinburgh. She is an

invited member of the National Toy Council and a

Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. Lydia has

more than twenty years experience of conducting

research with children and digital media. She is

interested in young childrens learning in a range of formal

and informal settings, particularly in the ways in which digital

media are integrated into family life and used for leisure,

work and educational purposes in the home. Lydia has

completed a number of projects funded by the Economic and

Social Research Council (ESRC) and has conducted research or

consultancy for the Scottish Government, the English

Department for Education, the European Commission and

the BBC.

Christine Stephen is a Research Fellow in the

School of Education, University of Stirling. The

focus of her research and writing is childrens

learning in the early years and the ways in which

this is supported in pre-school settings and athome. Evaluating the impact of interventions, and

investigating pedagogic actions and interactions

and the everyday experiences of children, parents

and practitioners is at the centre of her work. Her studies

have included exploring childrens engagement with

technologies in their homes and educational settings.

Christines research has been funded by the Economic and

Social Research Council, the Scottish Government and other

government and third sector agencies. She has been

consulted by the Scottish Government about early yearscurriculum and pedagogy and is currently contributing to the

review of the early years workforce in Scotland.

Play and learning with digital media in the early years

Lydia and Christine have been conducting research that

focuses on children aged five and under and technology for

fifteen years or so. There have been many changes to the

technological devices and toys that children encounter over

this time, but discussions about the perceived desirability of

these encounters remain. Both speakers will provide an

overview of a series of case studies that investigate the role ofthe family in supporting play and learning with digital media

in the home, and then consider some of the ways in which

educators can support childrens play and learning with

technologies in early years settings.

Professor Lydia Plowman andDr Christine Stephen

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SPEAKERS: PROFESSOR LYDIA PLOWMAN AND DR CHRISTINE STEPHEN


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SPEAKERS: PROFESSOR LYDIA PLOWMAN AND DR CHRISTINE STEPHEN


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Do you want a copy of yourphotos from the MSANational Conference 2015?Visit our website

www.montessori.org.uk/msa/msa/photosYou may view or purchase photos by using the

below login details:

Username: MONTESSORIPassword: 6600

(2014Conferencephotosshown)


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David Gettman published Basic Montessori in

1987, the first book to explain the basic method in

modern, accessible language. As well as running

his own Montessori school in California, David has

worked as a White House speechwriter, biomedical

researcher, IBM advertising manager, and

McKinsey consultant. In 1995 he founded the

worlds first e-book publishers. Returning to his

roots, David set up My Montessori Child in 2012 with two

partners. The system records teacher observations on iPads,

monitors every childs Montessori and EYFS progress,

automatically runs out learning journals and statutory

reports, and updates a unique website for each set of parents

on how to support their childs learning at home.

Melanie Simpsons first vocation was to be a

shepherd. She discovered Montessori when her

daughter attended The Village Montessori some 21

years ago; she is now owner and head teacher of

that same nursery, located in Blackheath, South

East London. Melanie is committed to the

educational philosophy of the Montessori method

and to following the natural development of thechild. She strives to create a loving, secure environment where

all children can flourish. Melanie is also a passionate

conservationist, clearly reflected in her nature-friendly

nursery practice with a much-used outdoor space. The Village

Montessori was an early adopter of My Montessori Child

only the tenth school to install it.

My Montessori Child

Many Montessorians have a natural resistance to technology.

We resist its power to quantify, abstract and objectify

tendencies that run counter to Montessoris values. We also

feel that automation can leave us, as human beings,

demeaned, debased and dependent. However, young children

today are digital natives. As their educational followers, we

must accompany them in this brave new technological world.

The good news is that some technologies, if ethically and

sensitively conceived, can actually enable us to become not

less human, but more. Well use one particular example to

illustrate this: the Internet-based early education system, My

Montessori Child.

David Gettman andMelanie Simpson

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SPEAKERS: DAVID GETTMAN AND MELANIE SIMPSON


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SPEAKERS: DAVID GETTMAN AND MELANIE SIMPSON


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My Montessori Child is a new kind of software for early

years record-keeping that frees teachers, parents and

children from the burdens of modern educational

bureaucracy, so we can all be more true to Montessorisprinciples and priorities. It stops teachers having to think

about children as objects to be measured and analysed. It

avoids parents feeling as though theyve handed over

their child to a closed community of specialist educators.

And by protecting childrens individuality, it enables

teachers, parents and educational professionals to

become true companions on rather than mere

administrative enforcers of each childs personal

learning journey.

My Montessori Child

Continued from page 10


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Noureddin Khassal was the ICT advisor for

Westminster LA and Joint manager of Westminster

and RBKC City Learning Centre (CLC) from

September 2004 until August 2011. He has been

teaching for 22 years and has worked directly with

Headteachers and subject leaders of ICT, both

strategically and in the classroom, focusing on how

ICT can raise attainment and progress for pupils of

all abilities in the Early Years, Primary and Secondary schools.

He provided E-safety guidance and support to all the primary

and secondary schools in Westminster and was CEOP

ambassador at the time.

He has a Mathematics in Education BSC (Hons) degree,

Diploma in ICT for Education and a PGCE. He has been

inspecting since 2011 as an additional inspector in primary

and secondary schools. He currently works with senior

leadership on school improvement issues including

developing teaching and learning. He has held a range of

leadership positions including advisor for ICT for a local

authority. He has experience of conducting local authority

reviews in primary and secondary schools and has used

coaching very effectively in a range of contexts on behalf ofinspection providers. He was an IEB governor of a primary

school in London and is currently supporting the education

department in the Channel Islands and the education

provision for an education charity in India for disadvantaged

pupils in remote locations in Gujarat state.

His particular areas of expertise are in the use of ICT and

Mathematics to support the curriculum in primary and

secondary education, in leadership and management,

curriculum, assessment, school improvement and

professional development. Recently he was commended by SirMichael Wilshaw for the highly professional way he

undertook an inspection.

Lizzie Cotton is currently a freelance Early Years

inspector, consultant, accredited EYFS Profile

moderator and mum of two young daughters.

Particular interests include collaborative

approaches to learning, ICT in the Early Years, and

documenting learning. Lizzie has taught in the UK

and Australia, working with children from 6

months to 7 years within the maintained, privateand voluntary sectors. This has included being co-director of a

Reggio Emilia-inspired nursery in Australia and most recently

working as an Early Years Advisory Teacher for Westminster

Noureddin Khassal andLizzie Cotton

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SPEAKERS: NOUREDDIN KHASSAL AND LIZZIE COTTON


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City Council. In this role she planned and delivered

training and provided tailored in-setting support to a

broad range of practitioners. This included teaching basic

and intermediate ICT skills for childcare and training NQTs

and experienced practitioners in everyday technology, e-

safety and the use of digital images. She gained her MA

in Early Years Education with distinction in 2010.

Peer reviewed published articles:

Cotton, L (2013) It's just more in the real world really':

how can a local project support early years practitioners

from different settings in working and learning together?

Early Years 33:1, pp18-32

E-safety guidance for teachers and parents

Noureddin and Lizzie will talk about safeguarding

children, teachers and parents in the digital world with

particular focus on e-safety in the EYFS. They will touch on

the Thinkyouknow e-safety resources for EYFS and

Keystage 1 and give examples of good practice observed

as an additional inspector. Practical suggestions to test

whether the setting(s) and provision have effective

policies which inform practice to safeguard children is in

place will be outlined. This will cover safer recruitment,

keeping a single central record and a child protection

policy which is child centered.

In addition they will briefly discuss the lessons learnt

following the recent Serious Case Reviews (SCR) involving

nurseries. This will help to answer the following question

Does safeguarding in my setting meet statutory

requirements?

Noureddin Khassal and Lizzie CottonContinued from page 14


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Dr Paul Epstein, Head of School of the Rochester

Montessori School, Minnesota, has worked in

Montessori education as an administrator, teacher,

researcher, consultant, speaker, and author. His

administrative experiences include working as a

head of schools, executive director of a school

consulting agency, director of teacher education

programs, and coordinator of a public school

magnet program.

As a teacher educator, Paul has directed Montessori teacher

education programs for both early childhood and secondary

programs. He has been a Montessori classroom teacher in

Montessori early childhood, middle, and high school

programs. He holds Montessori teacher certification in early

childhood and secondary levels one and two from the

American Montessori Society. In addition, Paul was an

associate professor at Transylvania University and an adjunct

professor at Northwestern University.

His work as a speaker and educational consultant has taken

him to schools throughout the United States and also to

Canada, Sweden, Great Britain, Mexico, Russia, Brazil, Japan,

China, Australia, Nepal, Poland, and South Africa.

Paul received his B.A. at Dartmouth College and his M.A. and

Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology at S.U.N.Y. Buffalo. Paul is an

author of articles appearing in Montessori journals. His

bibliography of publications and presentations is available by

request. Pauls most recent publication is An Observers

Notebook: Learning from Children with the Observation

C.O.R.E. He is also the co-author of The Montessori Way, a

definitive work on the Montessori experience.

"If I-pad, why should I touch-tablets?"

The Digital Child: Learning in an Ever-Changing Future

Montessori's amazing discoveries of the child occurred as the

world transitioned from an agricultural to an industrial

economy and endured two global wars. She lived in an ever-

changing future, and she appealed to children's spirituality as

a source for world peace. We also live now in an ever-

changing future. Ours is characterized by technological and

economic transformation, not global warfare. The impact of

this reality on children's development and their learning will

be outlined in this presentation.

Already the digital child asks us, "If I-pad, why should I touch-

tablets?" What does this mean for our time-honoured and

treasured materials and principles?

Dr Paul Epstein

SPEAKERS: DR PAUL EPSTEIN

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At the time of writing we have 177 MEAB schools

accredited and 35 are preparing for the third or

second accreditation cycles, whilst three are

undergoing accreditation. Montessori St Nicholas

are proud of the commitment these schools have made to the

MEAB scheme and delighted with their success in respect of

parental recognition of their accreditation. MEAB accredited

nurseries and schools continue to be recognised by Ofsted for

their commitment to on-going improvement.

22

MEAB Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation Board

International

Region 1Scotland

2

Region 4North

England

15

Region 7Southwest

& Wales

10

Region 6East

Midlands

3

Region 9EasternEngland

21

Region 3Middlesex

14

Region 8Southeast a

14

International

13

Region 5

WestMidlands

7

Region 10London

48

Total

177

Region 11

EastAnglia

12

Region 12Southeast b

18

The leaders and managers of the MEAB accredited schools will meet once again

this coming June at the conference organised specifically for them. On the 26th

of June we will explore issues relating to management of Montessori settings

including supporting and managing staff. We look forward to welcoming

Montessori leaders at this annual event, when schools currently undergoing

accreditation will receive their plaques. The new plaque design, introduced at

the graduation awards in December, was welcomed by all recipients.

We encourage those schools who have not yet embraced the MEAB

accreditation challenge to talk to our assessors on the MEAB stand and also to

their colleagues whose schools have been accredited. We encourage you to join

the MEAB community of Montessori practitioners there is much we can learn

from each other.

MEAB Accredited Schools numbers by region

to four years. This new criterion will apply to all schools and

nurseries participating in the third cycle of accreditation who

demonstrate consistently good practice. During their last

meeting in November, the Board also agreed that where a

school provides an education which broadly follows the

principles of the Montessori approach but has not fully met

the recommendations, the accreditation period will be for one

year.

The MEAB Board, whose members meet twice a year in

November and in May, also recognises the high level of

commitment to quality provision by the accredited schools

and has agreed to extend the accreditation period from three

MEAB School Leaders ConferenceFriday 26 June 2015, Institute of Education, UCL

Region 1210% Region 4

8%

Region 54%

Region 62%

Region 76%

Region 88%

Region 912%

International

10%

Region 1

1%

Region 3

8%

Region 117%

Region 1027%

MEAB Accredited Schools per region


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Call: 020 7493 8300or email: [email protected]

MONTESSORICENTRE INTERNATIONAL

MCI is hosting a range of OPEN EVENTS to provide further information.

Email: [email protected] telephone: 020 7493 8300VISIT OUR WEBSITE


NEW Certificate HigherEducation Montessori EarlyChildhood Practice

Studentfinance

nowavailable

New for September 2015

I year full-time Cert HE

Meets the new Early Years

Educator criteria

Professional placement inMontessori Early Years setting

120 University Credits


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Tower High Learning is a supplier of

Montessori materials. They are very active

in using the Montessori method at home

and in other small group settings. As such,

they are only too aware of the desire for

good quality materials at affordable prices.

Their aim is to provide materials to the

Montessori community quickly and

honestly and to discuss your Montessori

requirements. Through their website,

Facebook and blog Tower High Learning

enjoy engaging with other Montessorians

and it is there you will find their frequent

offers, prizes and giveaways. Thank you all

for welcoming them into the community.

towerhighlearning.com

Thank you

Montessori partner Early Years Direct has

been supplying thoughtfully designed

furniture, equipment and toys from the

Gloucestershire countryside since 2007.

Pick up a QuickGuide catalogue from their

stand for over 60 pages of wooden

furniture, storage solutions, play materials

for inside and out and much more.

Montessori customers receive a 5%

discount on every order, but to mark the

MSA National Conference, this discount

has been doubled to 10% until 31st March

2015. Simply quote MSAC15 when you

order. Visit the Early Years Direct stand, call

0845 603 3195 or visit

earlyyearsdirect.com

Exclusive doublediscountTo mark our second visit to the MSANational Conference, we are doublingour usual Montessori partner discountfor ten days only. This means that until31st March 2015 you can save 10%*on the entire Early Years Direct range.

Simply quote MSAC15when you placeyour order. Delivery is within five daysand free when you spend over 75.

To order call 0845 603 3195or visit earlyyearsdirect.com

10%off

* Discount will be applied before VAT and cannot be combined with any other offers.

everything you orderuntil 31st March 2015*

fo10%

ch 2015*until 31st Mar

erou oreveryt ing

on t e e31st Maor ten

our usuNationao mar

ect range.ears D re Ear y Yntirc 2015 you can save 10%*r

. T is means t at untiays on yMontessori partner iscount

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T ae Viscount will be applied befor

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eeand fryour orSimply q

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earsdirect.co

when you spend over 75.. Delivery is within ve dayser

when you placeMSAC15uote

ers.er of

mySchoolAppoffer a smartphone app

branded to your nursery, it is free for

parents to download. The app will help

you to engage with parents on the same

mobile device they use for everything from

shopping to banking. App features

include: news, events, up-to-date calendar,

image gallery, nursery contact details, free

push-note messaging and secure absence

notifications all just a few taps away. Its

very simple to use and will send the

message that your nursery is up-to-speed

with the latest technology. We

recommend you visit their stand for a

demonstration and free trial.

myschoolapp.co.uk

Montessori St Nicholas would like to thank its partners for their continued support.

These special relationships help to provide tremendous benefits to the charity and its members.

MONTESSORI

PARTNER


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Please visit our stand to see a demonstration or to request afree trial for your nursery. Email [email protected]

myschoolapp.co.uk

mySchoolApp a simple and cost-effective wayof engaging with parentsPeople use their smartphones for almost everything

mySchoolApp will put your nursery on their phone too.

Its very simple to use and will send out the message

that your nursery is up-to-speed with the latest technology.

Branded for your nursery, using your colours and logo

Free for parents to download

Instant access to news items and an up-to-date calendar

Nursery contact details email and phone

Image gallery for events and works of art

Free push notification messaging

Absence notifications managed securely

Translation option view app content in 80+ languages

mySchoolApp costs just 250 per year* and is availableon both Apple and Android.

* Plus 250 set-up in year 1 only. Prices exclude VAT.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

We are a growing materials company selling

Montessori products to parents, nurseries,

schools and childcare providers at affordable

prices. Our equipment will help you

create a favourable learning

environment at home or at nursery.

towerhighlearning.com Tel: 01623 723 089

Tower High Learning is theEquipment Supplier Partner to

Montessori St NicholasMONTESSORI

PARTNER

*10% discount code 2015CONFERENCE (offer ends June 30th 2015)

10%DISCOUNTONFIRSTORDER*


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The worlds most advanced early-education system,specially-designed for the worlds most popularearly-education method, My Montessori Child is thenew, easy way to run a nursery. It records teachers

routine observations and intelligently turns them intolearning insights, next-step ideas, teaching plans,parent-collaboration tools and progress reports.

A

WEBSITE

www.

mymonte

ssorichil

d.com

E-MAILadm

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ssorichild

.com

PHONEOR

TEXT

+44(0)7

5115771

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intons,s.


27/3227


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Building the foundations for lifelong learning

Childs Play (International) LtdTel: 01793 616286 Fax: 01793 512795

@childsplaybooks

/childsplaybooks

ChildsPlay

Exhibition contact: [email protected]

[email protected]

www.childs-play.com

A childs early years are more important than anyother. For 40 years, Childs Play has put enormousthought and care into creating exactly the right sort

of material for this all-important time.


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Award-winningMusic Resourcesfrom the Early Years music experts

Guidance & IdeasOnline Resources

Expert Advice

All Sound ChildrenKits includea Complete Support Package

Orderyour FREECatalogue

0115 931 [email protected]

Visit us today at www.soundchildren.co.ukand claim your 30% discount*

Lots of Littles KitTeachers Kit

Home Starter Kit

Nursery Rhythm Kit

30%discount*for Montessori

Nurseries

Big Stuff Kit

*Edu price includes 30% discount

Aw

rd-

inn

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orf ae ecismsr30% tnocs

rossenoourser es

srep

KreratemoH

Teac er s K t

Guidance & IdOnline Resour

All Sounda Complete

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seduclniceirpud*

OrderEERF

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day at www.soun

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30/32


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NEW MCI Diploma inMontessori Pedagogy birth to seven (Early Years Educator)

Next course starts September 2015

MCI is delivering Early Years Educatortraining to its first cohort of students.

The NEW Early Years Educator qualifications

(Level 3 & 4) reflect the international nature of

Montessori education and combine theoretical

subjects with Montessori areas of learning.

The qualification provides opportunities for blended

learning for all our students including distance

learners.

The EYE qualification has been approved by the

National College for Teaching and Leadership as

meeting the full and relevant criteria required for

those wishing to enter the workforce as Early Years

Educators.





PhotocourtesyofIvernaGa

rdensMontessori




The Introduction to

Montessori Practice

Continuing professional

development for Early Years

Practitioners with Level 3qualification (or above) who

want to bring Montessori to

their practice

Study includes Montessori

philosophy and Montessori

areas of learning

Practical workshop

Study online or attend part-time at our London College

NEW Introduction to MontessoriPractice for Qualified Practitioners


Coursecanbestudiedonline


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Montessori Schools Association

Whos Who in the MSA

The Montessori Schools Association (MSA) is a professional organisation that supports

over 4000 Montessori schools and teachers throughout the UK. The MSA provides

information, advice, subsidised continued professional development training and

networking opportunities to our members. The MSA also works to raise the profile of

Montessori education and issues affecting it within the government and with the public.

The UK is split into several regions each of which has Regional Chairman who organises

meetings and events for local members. If you live in the UK and are involved in Montessori,

make sure you join this growing organisation for free at www.montessori.org.uk/msa

National Chairman

Dr Martin Bradley

Contact through the

MSA office

Email: kristine@ montessori. org.uk

Tel: 020 7828 7740

Region 1 ScotlandArea covered: Scotland

Region 3Chair Rosie Roberts

Email: rosewood@

rosieroberts.demon.co.uk

Tel: 020 8866 7653

Deputy Felicity Fenemore

Tel: 01280 848 626

Area covered: Buckinghamshire, Middlesex,

Oxfordshire

Region 4 The NorthChair Alison Barker

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 01748 821 466

Deputy Sylwia Zywotko

Tel: 07969 654 879

Area covered:

Cheshire, Co Durham, Cumbria, East Yorkshire,

Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, North

Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, Northumberland, South

Yorkshire, West Yorkshire

Region 5/6 The MidlandsChair Raju Surelia

Email:

[email protected]

Tel: 0121 709 1157

Deputy Janet Millar

Tel: 07850 990 444

Area covered:

Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire,

Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire,

Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands,

Worcestershire

Region 7 South West andWalesChair Pauline Bamford

Email: paulinebamford@

hotmail.com

Tel: 07702 083 348

Deputy Sandra PidgeonEmail: [email protected]

Area covered: Cornwall, Devon, Dorset,

Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Wales

Region 8 South EastChair Fiona Brissenden

Tel: 01233 850 239

Deputy Candy Balfour


Area covered: East Sussex, Kent,

West Sussex

Region 9 Eastern England

Chair Joahnne CousinsEmail: jcousins@wivenhoe

montessori.co.uk

Tel: 01206 827 126

Deputy Sarah Drummond


Area covered:Befordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire

Region 10 LondonChair Georgina Hood


Tel: 08456 43 44 41

Deputy: Carol Flynn and Jai Patel


Area covered: London

Region 11 East AngliaChair Ruth Palmer


Tel: 01449 721 602

Deputy Clare Harris

Email: clare@phoenix-

montessori.co.uk

Tel: 01553 766 409

Area covered: Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk

Region 12 South East bChair Shaunagh de Boinville


Tel: 0118 981 5821

Area covered: Berkshire ,

Surrey, Hampshire

MSA PrimaryChair Sarah Rowledge

Email: sarahrowledge@

absoluteangels. freeserve.co.uk

Tel: 01376 562 000

Deputy Emma Gowers

Email: [email protected]: 020 7278 2020

MSA Childminders NetworkIf you are a Montessorian registered or considering

registering as a childminder, please join us for a

meeting at the end of the MSA Conference. It will be

held in the Drama Studio on Level 1, please refer to

the layout plan.

MSA Childminders Chair Andrea Dalling


Tel: 020 8133 4932

Deputy Jennifer McArthur


Tel: 01395 263868

MSA Office:Kristine Largo MSA Administration and Social

Network Manager


Philip Davies MEAB Administrator


msa conf brochure 2015.k

Documents