Nursery School
Since 1956, the M. Montessori Nursery School has proudly nurtured the well-being and education of young children.
Today, it stands as a non-denominational, independent school drawing inspiration from the Montessori philosophy. As part of its commitment to fostering excellence, the school has recently bolstered its curriculum to offer enhanced foreign language instruction.
Driven by passion, dedication, and an abiding love for childhood, our dedicated staff provides a tranquil environment where children can flourish. Embracing the spirit of spontaneity, we create a haven where young minds can explore and learn, feeling as secure and cared for as they would in their homes.
Recognising parents’ vital role in their children’s lives, we actively cultivate strong relationships with families. We strive to empower parents in their nurturing journey through open dialogue and mutual support, fostering an alliance built on understanding and compassion.
ORGANISATION
The nursery school welcomes children from the age of 2-3, whether or not they are potty trained.
It is composed of homogeneous sections to guarantee accurate didactic planning and attention to the developmental stage, offering children a classroom environment that is appropriate in terms of time and activities.
Each section welcomes a maximum of 15-20 children who interact with the class teacher, the language teachers, the assistants, and the psychologist.
TIMETABLES
The school is open from the first days of September until the end of June. It is closed on Saturdays and holidays established by the ministerial calendar.
Here are some additional details about the organisation of the nursery school:
Homogeneous sections: Children are grouped together in sections based on their age and developmental stage. This ensures that they are all learning at the same pace and that the activities are appropriate for their needs.
Maximum of 15-20 children per section: This small class size allows the teachers to give each child the individual attention they need.
Variety of staff: The children interact with a variety of staff members, including the class teacher, the language teachers, the assistants, and the psychologist. This provides them with a variety of perspectives and role models.
Long opening hours: The school is open from early September to late June, which provides parents with a flexible childcare option.
During July, summer school is offered. The summer school offers children the opportunity to continue learning and playing during the summer months.
SAFETY
Throughout the day (7:45am-6:00pm), teachers and school staff are present to assist the children.
All staff is trained and up-to-date on BLS, defibrillator use, paediatric choking manoeuvres, and fire safety procedures.
INDUCTION AND SETTLING IN
Starting nursery school is a delicate and important time, full of emotions, fears, and expectations.
The family’s welcome begins when we get to know each other and together build the experience that the child, but also the parents, will go through.
From the comparison and sharing of ideas, needs, and expectations, the “induction project” is born, which will then be concretely experienced together with the support of the nursery school teacher and psychologist. The induction is tailored to the characteristics, resources and needs of each child, and therefore takes place individually and gradually.
EDUCATIONAL OFFER PLAN
Every child has within them a spontaneous interest, a natural drive to act and learn. The child’s instinct is to interact with the environment, with the world of things and people, and that is why the school environment is rich and articulated with spaces designed to work, imagine and grow at their own pace and inner rhythms.
The concept around which the whole nursery school experience is built is “individuality”, which characterises every moment of school life from induction to lunch, nap time and teaching.
Everything revolves around the child and their characteristics.
The teacher therefore becomes a facilitator who does not impose, arrange or prevent, but proposes, prepares, stimulates and guides.
The appropriate environment, free choice and appropriate work are the elements that favour harmonious learning and serene growth, respecting the potential of each individual.
Educational and Teaching Project
The “M. Montessori” nursery school is a private non-denominational school with a high-quality standard for teaching and organisation.
Each child is respected for their developmental characteristics and growth times, gradually integrating into the activities and environment to favour the development of their motor, cognitive, linguistic, emotional, and social skills, thus stimulating a harmonious and serene growth path.
School life is characterised by particular attention to emotional, creative, and movement aspects, to support a free expression of oneself, integrating the teaching of two foreign languages (English and French).
Emotional Education
A path that leads children to recognise their own emotions and those of others, cultivating respect and sensitivity towards others. They thus learn to deal with successes, failures, criticisms and appreciations with an attitude of sharing and positive self-acceptance.
Education to Creativity
Children are free to express themselves creatively through different artistic forms, such as music, drawing and theatre, and the first STEM skills are cultivated to stimulate a progressive opening up to the world.
Education to Movement
Movement, together with play, represents a fundamental learning opportunity, therefore in our nursery school children are free to move even during teaching, to favour attention and presence.
Curricular Activities: traditional teaching and Montessori experiences
About the Ministerial Guidelines and the European Key Competences for lifelong learning, the teaching programme, based on the fields of experience and Montessori activities, offers children opportunities for growth and comparison, respecting the personal times of each individual and favouring collaborative learning.
Language Project
From the age of 2-3, English and French are offered in a path that gradually leads children to understand in a global way, exploiting the natural learning of the language.
The teaching of English uses the Cambridge methodology (the teacher is Celt-P qualified) in continuity with the teaching offer of the primary school, and provides for 2 hours of language per week in the first year, 4 hours in the second year and 6 hours in the last year.
Structured activities are accompanied by spontaneous experiences of daily life during which comprehension and the ability to communicate in English are trained.
French is offered as a second language with the aim of making the child flexible, open and spontaneous towards the foreign language. The qualified native language teacher also accompanies the children in the primary school.
The path leads children to spontaneously build an excellent linguistic base on which to grow their communicative competence.
Extracurricular Activities
Starting from the characteristics of each child, it is possible to combine optional activities with the basic teaching, carried out during school hours and chosen together with the family, with the aim of enriching and personalising the school experience.
FUNCTIONAL PSYCHOMOTRICITY
Multisensory path that aims to create situations of play, movement and expression that allow children to discover, know and then cultivate the possibilities of their own body.
MUSIC IN ENGLISH
Music is a tool to develop creativity, curiosity, know-how and being. Rhythm, melody and movement to train listening, coordination and memory.
The course is conducted in English.
EDUCATIONAL CONTINUITY
From the very first year of nursery school, a gradual path is established that provides for the acquisition of educational skills and tools to enable children to face the future school reality serenely, recognising the specificities and potential of each individual.
The teachers and the psychologists monitor the progress and achievements of each child to assess the attainment of the educational prerequisites and an adequate maturity, useful for feeling “ready” to grow academically.
INTERNAL SERVICES
Parental and Psychological Counselling
A parental and psychological counselling service is active within the nursery school that offers families support during the child’s growth.
The psychologist, who is also the coordinator of teaching and activities, meets families, welcoming their individual specificities, monitors activities, and collaborates with teachers to provide suitable paths for each child in a perspective of prevention and attention to any need for intervention.
Pre and Post School
Family services allow you to adapt your child’s school hours to your working day, offering flexibility in entry and exit. During the summer season, children who stay at school after 4:15pm can spend their after-school hours in our outdoor space: a 250 square metre terrace full of games and activities.
Summer School
During July, the nursery school’s summer school service is active. All families who wish to do so can participate in the summer activities, which offer maximum flexibility and care for the little guests. The summer school follows the same timetable as the school year, is run by our teachers, and is also open to children from outside the school, subject to an interview with the Headmistress.
