They say that it’s too individualistic in its approach at the expense of group work and social interaction that it focuses too much on the practical and that it’s elitist, with most schools only being available to those who can afford the private fees. Time is the currency of relationships, and relationships precede learning and success.”īut the Montessori approach is not without its critics. Dr Robert Loe, director of education consultancy and research organisation Relational Schools, believes it’s an approach that has value: “One of the biggest issues we face is that schools these days are time poor. There’s a joy to studying a subject without curriculum constraint.” Elitist?ĭuring sessions, students are also encouraged to take time out to reflect and “just be”. “Before that, we just want to feed a passion. “There is a point at which a qualification is valuable and that’s A-level,” says Pillai.
Students will take GCSEs in English and maths with the option to take science and other subjects by request, but qualifications aren’t the main focus. So they help with cooking, cleaning and the maintenance of the building, as well as running a bed and breakfast for visitors. “Real work” and looking after the community are other vital elements of the student experience. And then the students more or less get on with it.
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I meet with the students individually, we discuss goals and how we’ll achieve them, and then we meet again and see how they’ve got on.”ĭeciding what each student will work on is about looking for “a spark”, says Pillai: “What fires this student up? If we don’t find that, we are wasting our time.” From there, they work together to plan a series of activities loosely covering recognisable curriculum areas such as the humanities, arts and maths.
Paul Pillai, the softly spoken and intellectual head guide, describes the partnerships between students and guides as “a different relationship” to the usual teacher-student dynamic: “I’m more of a coach, or a line manager.
The school opened its doors to adolescents in September and although there are currently only seven students, it plans to expand to 60 in the coming years.
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The Montessori Place is a converted conference centre in East Sussex with an extensive walled garden, “the living laboratory”, where students spend a large part of their time learning how to grow vegetables and tend to animals.
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