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MEAB Newsletter Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation Board
Issue 10 February 2013 published three times a year for accredited schools
Dear MEAB accredited schools and nurseries, The end of 2012 was a whirlwind of activity for MEAB, with 30 settings receiving their accreditation awards. Most of these schools were able to make the MCI Graduation and MEAB Awards Ceremony. What was clear to any onlooker present at that ceremony, or indeed to anyone who continues to have an interest in MEAB, is that this has become a universal scheme. Not only are settings beyond the borders of England seeking the award as a means of self-evaluation, but within the country the types of setting that are coming forward for the first time are now more diverse than ever. The range extends from inner city, full day care chains right through to rural home based settings that have just a few children attending. This vote of confidence in the MEAB scheme appears to be the result of two factors:
The continued support of the St. Nicholas charity for the Montessori movement, which is translated into practical and professional representation for the individuals involved in the day to day delivery of good practice.
Confidence being demonstrated by those individuals – school owners/managers, staff and parents - in making the link with this national representation, whether it be attending conferences, responding to consultations or simply using the website as a means of keeping in touch.
If you were present at the MCI awards you will also have realised that there are ever-increasing numbers of people coming forward to train in our profession and that these people come from all walks of life. We are now strong enough as a cohesive body to reach out further and more effectively into the educational community; to work with families, politicians and our non-Montessori trained colleagues alike in sharing our understanding of child development and demonstrating good practice in our prepared environments. A vital part of this outreach is to maintain our standards and our Montessori essence. This is why MEAB remains relevant and necessary, helping to guide individual practitioners in quality improvement, no matter what their starting point, and keeping the Montessori philosophy and principles central in our practice. With the new year now in full swing, the MEAB team are supporting the 39 schools currently undergoing accreditation or re-accreditation and we are continuing to improve the quality of our reports and the management of the scheme. Dates for your diary: Saturday 9
th March 2013 MSA Conference
Friday 14th
June 2013 MEAB School Leaders' Conference Remember that if your setting is coming up for re-accreditation we will be in touch, giving you plenty of notice to prepare for it. If a school cannot commit to re-accreditation its MEAB logo and report link on the MSA website will be removed, therefore it is important that you share your plans with us. There are full details of the process on the Accreditation pages of the website, including the clear step-by-step guide and necessary documentation. We very much look forward to continuing our partnership with you and wish you a successful 2013. Michele Dows-Miller Barbara Isaacs February 2013
this issue
Message from Accreditation Officers p.1 Academic Matters p.2
Learning Together - Parenting p.3 Upcoming Events p.4
Academic Matters
OTHER NEWS
MSA National Conference 2013 We hope you have now booked your tickets to the MSA National Conference on the 9
th of March at the Logan Hall, Institute of
Education. This will be an exciting day exploring the ways that Montessori practitioners can best support children’s innate creative abilities. The main keynote speakers Liz Buckler, Jan Dubiel and Martin Pace will show ways to inspire children who are divergent thinkers while presenting practical aspects of how to effectively observe and assess in the new EYFS. Montessori practitioners will also present their own reflections on creativity with their own experiences in their settings thereby providing the delegates with more ways to bring creativity in babies and toddlers, nursery and primary aged children. Book by calling 020 7828 7740 or go online at http://www.montessori.org.uk/msa/msa/conference or email [email protected] to book your place. Conference for Leaders of Accredited Settings, Institute of Education, London, 14 June 2013 Please be sure to put this date in your diary and I would like to remind everyone that the focus of this year’s conference will be on current research in Montessori settings. You are invited to submit the abstract of your research for consideration by our panel. Please email the information to Kristine Largo at [email protected]. When selected you will be able to present the research at the conference and your findings will also be printed in the autumn issue of Montessori International. We believe that it is important to showcase the level of action research currently undertaken in Montessori settings and would like to give you the opportunity to share your findings with the MEAB community of schools.
As we are approaching the MSA annual conference it may be appropriate to reflect on children’s creativity and how we promote it in our settings. Montessori’s deep interest with how children learn and their cognitive development has to be seen in the context of the early 20
th century when there
was so little information on this subject available. Yet it is not surprising that, guided by her intuition and observations of children, her focus on first hand experiences, linked with sensori-motor activity aligns her beautifully with later research by Piaget. Combining exploration and engagement with freedom of choice and recognition of children’s ability for spontaneous learning the Montessori favourable environment creates optimum conditions for nurturing children’s creativity. This is particularly so if we see creative potential in all that children engage in, not just in opportunities for arts and crafts. Scientific inventions, mathematical formulas, theories of quantum physics and the theory of relativity, dancing and early music compositions are all outcomes of creative
thought processes and this is what we should be nurturing in the children attending our nurseries. Giving them time and opportunities to be involved and to try things out, be supported by more able peers and sensitive adults who are able to encourage creative thought processes by open conversations and positive encouragement will provide the necessary foundation. In her book The Boy on the beach: building community through play Vivian Gussin Paley (2010) explores some of these ideas whilst sharing her experiences of supporting children’s role play and their story telling with a colleague in Taiwan. One consistent feature highlighted in this slim volume is children’s tremendous capacity for flexibility of thought. It made me wonder how much of this flexibility of thought is witnessed, noted and appreciated in Montessori settings. Why not listen to these stories whilst you observe children at play as they are working on ‘constructing the man’. Barbara Isaacs, MEAB Senior Accreditation Officer
Insurance Quick facts from dot2dot: What do I need to think about when setting my buildings sum insured?
The sum insured should reflect the rebuild figure and must not be mistaken with market value. The final figure needs to include outbuildings, fixed signs, walls, gates, fences, car parks, play areas and pathways. Remember to include an allowance for demolition, site clearance cost as well as professional fees (such as Architect and Surveyors). Nurseries are not VAT registered, so if you have not increased your sum insured since VAT increased to 20%, then it is likely you are under-insured now. Other considerations are: 1. If you personally own the building then your interest as an individual must be noted. If the nursery pays rent to you as an
individual owner then cover for any loss of rent subsequent to a claim can be included. 2. Remember to advise your insurer if your building is
Grade I or II Listed
Not built of brick or stone with a tiled/slate roof
modular or Lilliput building
Has a flat roof however minor
Is used for any other purpose than the nursery such as residential, shared premises (church hall) etc. – Jackie Hyde, Insurance Advisor, http://www.dot2dot.org.uk/
Learning Together – Montessori Parenting OTHER NEWS
Guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage EYFS You can order more copies of the second edition of the Montessori Guide to the EYFS on our webshop at http://shop.montessori.org.uk/ or call 020 7493 8300 Montessori Parenting classes The free Montessori parenting classes in Camden started on the 26 January. If you live in Camden, you can now download your voucher online at http://www.canparent.org.uk/get-a-voucher.html and register on our website at http://www.montessoricanparent.org.uk/canparent/ For more details call 020 78287740 or email [email protected] Montessori Parenting Book Provide parents in your setting their own copy of ‘Learning Together’. Order in bulk to benefit from the huge discounts available: (10+ for £3.99 per copy and for orders 20+ it’s £3.50 per copy plus p&p). For orders of 30 plus, please email [email protected] Study from Home Get ahead in your career through distance learning - contact 020 7493 8300 to or visit http://distancelearning.montessori.org.uk/ MCI East Do you live near Suffolk? You can now become Montessori trained and qualified locally at MCI East. Go to http://mci-east.montessori.org.uk/ or email [email protected]
USEFUL LINKS
Training Book early for the summer workshops, browse MCI’s Training Directory 2012-2013 online http://www.montessori.org.uk/mci_training Contact [email protected] to register your place in one of the summer courses. Montessori Grants Montessori offers grants and free primary training. Read the full article at the link http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/bulletin/nurseryworldupdate/article/1163404/?DCMP=EMC-CONNurseryWorldUpdate
The training for Facilitators to deliver Parenting classes in
Montessori settings is ready to start on Saturday 2nd
March at MCI; a
further two sessions are planned for 27 April and 18 May. All those
interested in participating should contact Susan Balcombe on
[email protected] to register their interest and secure a place
on this bespoke training which will not only enhance your partnership
with parents but could serve as an introduction to Montessori practice
before their children begin at your setting. Should you wish to get more
details do contact Barbara Isaacs on [email protected]
2 March
Familiarisation with the scheme
Overview of the course materials
Role of the facilitator
Issues relating to working with parents with special
emphasis on working with fathers
27 April
Closer examinations of parenting course content –
Being a parent, playing with children, helping
children thrive and grow, exploring relationships,
talking with children and parents,
Guiding parents in discussions about their children
– based on observations at home
18 May
Further examinations of parenting course content -
setting boundaries and nurturing independence
and learning about the Montessori classroom.
Marketing of parenting classes at your nursery
Explanations of how the annual licence to deliver
parenting classes will work
Montessori Community Manifesto
This three year strategic plan by the Montessori St. Nicholas Charity was launched at the House of Commons, Westminster on St. Nicholas Day, 6 December last year. During this grand occasion the Charity pledged its support for creation of three community champions ensuring that Montessori values and principles are available to children and families across the whole spectrum of society in the UK. They also declared continued commitment to developing Montessori teacher training by ensuring that the qualifications remain current and relevant and meet the aspirations of the Nutbrown Review. Furthermore the Charity will continue to financially support the MEAB scheme with a target of 250 fully accredited Montessori schools. To find out more please see the copy of the manifesto posted to you in January or look it up on our website www.montessori.org.uk.
t
Upcoming Events
2 February 2013 R3 – Music workshop 9 February 2013 Primary – INPP with Sally Goddard-Blythe 16 February 2013 R10 – Rescheduled EYFS workshop 23 February 2013 R7 – Materials Making Day led by Ania
Steele 9 March 2013 MSA National Conference 2013 18 May 2013 R9 – Dalcroze Music with Margaretta
Burrell 8 June 2013 R11 – Working with Babies with Barbara 14 June 2013 MEAB Leaders Conference 2013 22 June 2013 R3 – Working with Babies with Barbara Browse http://www.montessori.org.uk/msa/msa/events_msa for the full list of events. Get contact details of your regional chairs and read more information about Regional Events at http://www.montessori.org.uk/msa/msa/msa_regions Watch out for MCI seminars on observing and assessing 2-year olds working with parents to be launched at the MSA National Conference on the 9th March.
Preferred partners
For more information on our preferred partners, click on the logos:
MEAB
All Rights Reserved Montessori St Nicholas. No. 313636 to Unsubscribe email [email protected] | You are receiving this email because you are a current MEAB accredited school and member of Montessori Schools Association and have opted in to emails. Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation Board Suites One and Two, University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place, London SW1W 0EX Copyright (C) 2013 MEAB. All rights reserved.
Montessori Social Media
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Join us in the social media sphere by liking us on facebook, commenting on our weekly blogs, following us on twitter and contributing any exciting stories you have in your settings or regions. Email [email protected] with your articles and photos for a chance to be featured in one of our social media sites. We’d love to hear from you and encourage your active engagement with the rest of the Montessori community.
USEFUL LINKS
Job Vacancy Are you looking for a new job? Try browsing vacancies in Montessori schools at http://www.montessori.org.uk/magazine-and-jobs/jobs To place an advert email [email protected] and enquire on opportunities to promote your job vacancy online, in the magazine and our college noticeboards. Subscribe to Montessori International Visit http://shop.montessori.org.uk/ to purchase a magazine subscription Shopping Looking for Montessori related deals and offers, go to our shopping page at http://www.montessori.org.uk/magazine-and-jobs/market_place2
