The Montessori Place

This school is everything you want for your child. The school's is really educating as is the latin word educe drawing from within the child. A place where the children are stimulated and facilitated in their curiosities. The environment is friendly, no bullies, the teachers are guides and the children are inspired and taking on the most interesting research, and creations. Our daughter(7) is so happy going to school all children are lovely with each other. I can only highly recommend the school

My 2 children attend this school. One is in the Elementary, and one in the Young People Community. They both love it. I can see it gives them so much more than excellent academia. They find purpose, drive and confidence. The staff is fully dedicated, and the whole project absolutely wonderful. Every time I see these inspiring environments I wish I could go back in time!

The Montessori Place is a blessing. I would have dreamed of attending here as a young person. Our children attend the Eason’s Green site and they get to benefit both from beautiful surroundings and an incredible Montessori environment. All the guides show a level of attention and care that is quite incredible. Our children are very happy and eager to be there even during holidays and weekends. The affect that this environment has on them is increased confidence, caring of others, care for their environment, a desire to help and contribute and a love of learning. Simply put, the Montessori Place is the benchmark for how children should experience learning.

Simply put, the Montessori Place is an incredibly special environment in which children can thrive and find their path. Everyone from the expert guides, through to the wider community are warm, loving and completely dedicated to creating the optimum environment for the children in their care to grow and develop to the very best of their abilities. I can think of no better schooling environment for children to find their own value, to feel appreciated and loved and to develop a sense of contribution and the inner will to share their innate gifts.

This is an amazing school. The staff are warm, thoughtful, dedicated and inspiring and our son has flourished. He is happy and engaged, learning so much - not only academically but also how to be with others. I thoroughly recommend it.

This school is wonderful, the teachers are inspiring and nurturing. Not only that, the environment is warm, caring and beautiful. My seven year old daughter is having an amazing time at the Eason's Green site between Uckfield & Lewes. She was previously at the school in Hove, which is equally outstanding, before we relocated to East Sussex. I cannot recommend The Montessori Place highly enough!

The Montessori Place is an amazing school and community. Both our children started their journey at the age of 2 in the Infant Community and have progressed through the Children's House to the Elementary in Hove. The dedication and commitment to an authentic Montessori approach to learning is demonstrated by all the staff. The children are guided beautifully, but essentially make independent choices and follow their own interests. They are therefore genuinely engaged with their work. Alongside their work, they are all encouraged to take responsibility for the day to day running of their respective communities; these responsibilities start small at an early age and increase as the children move through the school. Parents are offered frequent study groups that allow us to learn alongside our children. These groups have proven invaluable over the years and have helped us to support the guides. In summary, The Montessori Place is a wonderful and loving environment; it offers the children unlimited opportunities both academically and socially.

Glimpses into the children's world at TMP: Episode 1: Children plan and own their work and it helps them feel proud of their achievements. The mixed age class rooms give younger children the opportunity to observe, discuss and learn from older role models: One morning on the school run with three boys (7, 5 & 4) to TMP Hove when I overhear this conversation. The seven year old ; “Nana, guess what I am going to do at school today? I am going to work on that presentation on birds and animals that I was doing with [a friend] yesterday. I loved it. Nana, what are you going to do today?” I could see the two little ones thinking about it. I never had the opportunity to plan what work to do at school. Each day it was decided by the timetable for my class, not my interest on that day. Episode 2: What is homework? The boys come back from school (after a little run around in the park or outside the school) and almost always joyfully settle into something like weaving, writing, drawing, colouring, making something with clay or lego, reading, doing research on some topic, singing or playing with a friend who has come on a play date and so on... usually their work is an extension of or has some correlation with what they have been doing at school. Once a child that attends a conventional school was visiting and talked to the boys about homework. The boys asked me what homework was. I told them that when they do a certain work at school and then come home and continue/extend it by doing some research or weaving or making Roman mosaic with clay, that is homework. The visiting child asked if they had been asked by someone to do it and whether it would be marked. I answered in the negative. She then categorically stated that it was not homework. Apparently to her, it is homework only if they had to do it and there would be a consequence for not doing it. The boys immediately agreed that they did not like the latter sort of homework. I wish I had the opportunity to extend my learning from school voluntarily at home. I couldn’t wait to start my real homework after getting through the ‘homework’. I wish that my parents would be given the confidence and support to give me the freedom to chase my interests in my own way rather than be told that I did not putting my best efforts into ‘homework’. Episode 3: Concrete presentations and independent repetition help children internalise various concepts and express it in their own way, thus taking it from concrete to abstract. A couple of years back on a school run I hear this: “Addition is easy” someone stated and the littlest one said, “I don’t know addition.” Oldest one (who is five): “Do you know to put things together?” Littlest one: Yes.” Oldest one: “Then you know addition.” Oldest one: “Do you know to take things away?” Littlest one: Yes.” Oldest one: “Then you know subtraction.” Oldest one: “Do you know to share?” Littlest one: Yes, of course.” Oldest one: “Then you know division.” There is a pause and I can’t wait to hear what he will say next. Oldest one (after a bit of thinking): “Do you know to count?” Littlest one: Yes.” Oldest one: “Then you know multiplication.” I marvelled at this beautiful internalisation of mathematical operations and their expression! Episode 4: A lesson for life - you only stand to lose if you argue pointlessly Setting: The boys are sat at the dining table and doing some work. Mathew and I are in the kitchen, cooking dinner when we hear this snippet from their conversation. Little one: No, she wants to marry me Littlest one: No, she wants to marry me Little one: But she said she does not want to marry you and that she wants to marry me Littlest one: She did not say any such thing, she wants to marry me, she said that Little one: No, she wants to marry me Littlest one: No, she wants to marry me (Argument continues for quite a while, and the oldest one is getting annoyed. Finally….) Oldest one: If you guys keep on arguing like this, she will marry me instead to spare the trouble. (Little and littlest ones stop arguing and think)

The Montessori Place is a unique, inspiring and outstanding school. The project itself is absolutely amazing, the guides are completely involved and have the best training, the community is exceptional. After looking for the school that better fits our interests, we are completely sure this is the perfect one and the best we have found, not only in the UK, but also in France or Spain. True Montessori philosophy runs in every corner, and every single working person is kind, trained and involved. We have no doubts our children are getting the best education possible, to become the best version of their very own selves, being respected in their individuality, capacities, abilities, interests and at the same time being part of a respectful and caring community.

After discovering the Montessori Place and experiencing it for myself and through my children, it is clear that this school is the very best chance my kids have of discovering the people they are meant to be and finding their place in life and the world. No other educational option I have seen, and like most parents we have researched high and low, comes even close in educational scope; care and attention given; opportunities presented and, above all the feeling of being part of a community. “Pupils master a wide range of learning skills and are impressively self-sufficient in sustaining their focus and engagement. There is a palpable sense of ownership by pupils in their activities, learning and work. They are rightly and hugely proud of their school.” (Ofsted report 2017)