Mace at Swan Lane Park Our beautiful fully equipped outdoor play area

Mace Montessori Schools Ltd, The old preschool rooms,

rear of 38 – 42 Millman Street, London WC1N 3EW

millman@macemontessori.com 0207 242 5842 2 min. walk from Russell Square Tube stations – Piccadilly Line

5 min. walk from Chancery Lane Tube Station – Central Line

MACE MONTESSORI SCHOOLS LTD

Nursery schools open all year

caring & educating children

from birth to 5½ & after

school club. Since 1997

www.macemontessori.com

Registered in England No: 3749583

Tel: 020 7242 5842 E-mail: millman@macemontessori.com Web: www.macemontessori.com

PROSPECTUS Aims & Objectives – Terms & Conditions

About us

MACE Montessori Schools is owned by Rehana and Shahid Hamid. They have 3 young children. Rehana is a registered Health Care Professional and comes from a medical background, working in research and microbiology. Shahid has a business development and training background concentrating full time now on the schools education. Both Shahid and Rehana have an affinity towards children’s learning, having been at the front line of developing schools in Russell Square, Hammersmith, Wandsworth, East Putney, North Chiswick and Finchley and have achieved excellent credentials with Early Years Learning Departments, Local Councils and Ofsted.

Admitting Children

We admit children to school at Mace from 20months to 5½ years of age. We employ fully-trained Montessori teachers and Early Years Graduates. This helps to ensure that our little children are carefully monitored, nurtured and supported throughout their school day. As parents, we understand that children of a younger age require different care and activities, as well as sleep, lots of cuddles and nappy changes.

The teaching and caring teams’ head is Mansi Vora. Mansi has many years of knowledge and experience in Montessori teaching and caring for your children in a safe and homely environment. If you have any day-to-day issues Mansi will be happy to answer them.

Wellbeing and rewards at Mace A happy and healthy rewarding school is at the forefront of Mace Montessori schools’ ethos. We promote wellbeing by offering:

All teachers working at Mace have access to a company bicycle to travel to and from work for their own wellbeing, as well as reducing their carbon footprint while travelling to work.

All children at Mace Russell Square branch benefit from access to our fully equipped fantastic enclosed outdoor space. We have invested heavily in this enclosed adventure play area for the children as well as regular visits to Corams Field park.

Montessori at Mace

Montessori is a comprehensive educational approach from birth to adulthood based on the observations of

children's needs in a variety of cultures.

Maria Montessori was born in 1870 in Ancona, Italy. She studied engineering and

mathematics then went on to qualify as the first woman doctor in her country’s

history.

In 1907 she opened her first school, in the area of San Lorenzo. She was so

encouraged by her results that she began to share her discoveries with others by

publishing books and lecturing. Thus the Montessori Method of education was

born. In 1946 she helped found the St. Nicholas centre in London and after her

death in 1952 her innovative system was carried on by centres around the world.

The Montessori environment contains specially designed, manipulative "materials for development" that

invite children to engage in learning activities of their own individual choice. Under the guidance of a

trained teacher, children in a Montessori classroom learn by making discoveries with the materials,

cultivating concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love

of learning.

At Mace we recognise the parent carer as a primary educator of

the child and we pride ourselves on working closely in

partnership. Respect is shown to family traditions and childcare

practices and every effort is made to comply with parents’

wishes for their children where appropriate to the ethos of our

school. It is our aim to introduce the children to the philosophy

of the Montessori method of education. To make this possible

we have fully equipped our school with a complete range of

genuine Montessori materials. Montessori materials are unique, beautiful, mainly wooden and carefully

crafted by experts. We aim to make the children aware of others and be considerate and polite to each other

while forging good friendships. We aim to build up their self-esteem, independence and confidence.

We aim to introduce the child to Practical Life skills using a wide range of materials especially designed to

develop the child’s dexterity and muscle control. This prepares the child not only for writing at a later

stage, but answers his pleas for ‘help me to do it myself’

thus encouraging further independence and confidence.

We aim to help the children with their gross and fine motor skills via the Montessori Sensorial apparatus,

which also assists the child’s own development stages, carefully monitoring their progress.

We aim to provide a safe and stimulating environment in which the child can experiment with and learn

through a variety of different art and craft materials and projects.

A painting easel is freely available throughout the course of the child’s day, as you never know when a

budding Monet or Picasso might appear.

The children participate in group discussions and learn to express themselves clearly using a wide vocabulary. We introduce the children initially to numbers & letters indirectly through everyday activities and develop their social skills.

The letters of the alphabet are taught phonetically using a wide range of specially designed materials, as are numbers and early mathematics. Later, as the children begin to read and write, we combine our Montessori education with the National Curriculum for the Foundation stage, aiming for all children to have reached and usually far exceed the required levels in Literacy, Reading and Numeracy expected in their reception year. To provide a range of multi-cultural activities to enhance the child’s perception of the world and all who live in it. We use real life pictures of people, places and costumes from around

the world. We provide the children with creative activities to enhance their awareness of various festivals celebrated throughout the year. Mace aims to introduce the child to Geography by providing globes, puzzle maps of the world and each continent, land and water forms, activities relating to soil, air and water and an introduction to flags from around the world. We aim to introduce the child to Biology by providing a range of materials such as puzzles containing different parts of animals, trees and flowers, bird cards, animal cards, fruit and flower cards and of course the nature table. We look at History with the child by using the unique Montessori timeline materials and the stories which go with it. We will introduce the Solar System – a project that has proved a favourite with our children in the past. We help them make papier mache models of the planets, which the children can hold and touch, as well as providing real pictures of each planet and posters of the solar system. At the end of Summer term in August, we take the children on an end of term trip where the parents are invited to join in celebrating the end of the school year. We also like to arrange other school outings during the course of the year. The children benefit greatly from these extra excursions. We work in partnership with the Local Authority ensuring that during the school year we have covered all the Early Learning Goals for the Foundation Stage. It is expected that most children will achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Foundation stage (end of reception year) and that some children will achieve beyond them. The foundation aims of the Montessori method of education and the fundamental aims of MACE are to sow the seeds of interest that will fuel learning, giving children education for life. The welfare of the child is paramount. We want to provide a loving, safe and homely environment where the children can follow their ‘inner teacher’ and develop at their own pace at a time when their mind is at its most absorbent. Our carefully trained and caring teaching staff team will help to ensure that this can be facilitated.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

The revised 2012 Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) has created an opportunity for a new relationship between the Montessori in the UK and academics, policy makers and local authority professionals involved in the care and education of young children. There is a strong concordance between the themes and principles that underpin the EYFS and those that guide Montessori practice. Mace recognises that all children have from birth a need to develop, learning through interaction with people and exploration of the world around them. Our planning includes communication and interaction, cognition and learning, inclusion, problem solving, reasoning and numeracy, behavioural, emotional and social development and sensory and physical development. With this in mind, we have carefully integrated the EYFS into our successful Montessori Early learning program.

Montessori alongside EYFS

How we link the traditional Montessori areas of learning with EYFS*

Montessori EYFS Personal Social & Emotional Development Personal Social & Emotional Development

Communication Language and Literacy Literacy

Problem Solving, Reasoning & Numeracy Math’s

Knowledge & understanding of the World Understanding the World

Physical Development Physical Development Creative Development Expressive arts and design

* Sept 2010 and then government revision Sept2012 Throughout the EYFS, emphasis is placed upon understanding each child and their family as unique, with different needs and concerns. Children’s development is presented under six overlapping phases. This overlap is intended to emphasise the fact that there can be big differences between the development of children of similar ages. At the same time age can be a cue, when taken with all other factors, to indicate that development may be a typical and that a child may need extra support. At Mace this has been at the forefront of our methodologies and in which we will continue to strengthen.

The following are the key themes & principles:

2012 revised EYFS phases of development incorporated at Mace P

rim

e A

rea

s

Communication and language

Development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.

Listening and attention

Understanding

Speaking

Physical Development

Provides opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.

Moving and handling

Health and self-care

Personal, social and emotional development: Helps children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.

Self-confidence and self-awareness

Managing feelings and behaviour

Making relationships

Sp

ec

ific

Are

as

Literacy

Development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.

Reading

Writing

Mathematics

Provides children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.

Numbers

Shape, space and measures

Understanding the world

Guides children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.

People and communities

The world

Technology

Expressive arts and design

Enables children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.

Exploring and using media and materials

Being imaginative

2012 revised EYFS…continued

Drawing on the Birth to Three Matters Framework, the EYFS puts a new emphasis on children as active

learners throughout the foundation stage. This new emphasis has in turn increased the attention given to

the environments from which children learn. Dr. Montessori was one of the earliest pioneers of educational

practices based on these ideas. Today, Montessori communities have a unique contribution to make to the

delivery of the EYFS because of the very different way in which they function to support active learning.

Progress check at age two

When your child is aged between two and three, Mace Montessori practitioners review their progress, and

provide you, our parents, with a short written summary of your child’s development in the prime areas.

This progress check identifies a targeted plan to support your child’s future learning and development.

English as an Additional Language (EAL) For children whose home language is not English, at Mace we take reasonable steps to provide

opportunities for children to develop and use their home language in play and learning, supporting their

language development at home. Mace also ensures that children have sufficient opportunities to learn and

reach a good standard in English language during the EYFS, ensuring children are ready to benefit from

the opportunities available to them when they begin Year 1.

Every Child Matters

The Every Child Matters initiative remains as strong as ever at Mace. We focus on bringing together

services to support children and families. The Change for Children program aims to support parents from

pregnancy onwards. The vision is to create a joined-up system of health, family support, childcare and

education services so that all children get the best start possible in the vital early years. It sets out five major

outcomes for children and is part of the Children’s Act 2006.

Being healthy

Staying safe

Enjoying and achieving

Making a positive contribution

Economic well-being

Preparation for Key Stage 1 (KS1)

Education influences and reflects the values of society, and the kind of society we want to be. Mace recognises a broad set of common values and purposes that are underpinned in our preschool room curriculum and the work of the teachers across our schools in preparation for school and Key Stage 1.

Foremost is a belief in education, at home and at school, as a route to the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, physical and mental development, and thus the wellbeing of Mace children. At Mace we believe in equality of opportunity for all, a healthy and just democracy, a productive economy, and sustainable development. Mace education reflects the enduring values that contribute to these ends. These include valuing ourselves, our families and other relationships, the wider groups to which we belong, the diversity in our society and the environment in which we live.

At Mace we communicate with Primary schools within the vicinity and ensure there is a level of integration at the tail end of our preschool curriculum and the beginning of the Key Stage 1 curriculum. However alongside the new EYFS our aim is to reach the following standards before your child leaves us at Mace for Primary Schools KS1. Our KS1 objectives include:

Explore and experiment with sounds, words and texts.

Link sounds to letters, naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet.

Recognise letter shapes and say a sound for each.

Use a pencil and hold it effectively to form recognisable letters, most of which

are formed correctly

Hear and say sounds in words in the order in which they occur

Read simple words by sounding out and blending the phonemes (single letter

sound) all through the word from left to right

Children move from reading simple consonant–vowel–consonant (CVC)

words such as ‘cat’ and ‘bus’ to longer CCVC words such as ‘clap’ and ‘stop’,

and CVCC words such as ‘fast’ and ‘milk’

Recognise common digraphs (Two letters that represent one speech sound)

Read some high frequency words (Most common words in English)

Use phonic knowledge to write simple regular words and make phonetically

plausible attempts at more complex words

Read a range of familiar and common words and simple sentences

independently

Read texts compatible with their phonic knowledge and skills

Read and write one grapheme (a single written letter) for each of the 44

phonemes

Terms and Conditions of Business Opening hours and Holidays

The school is open from 8:00am – 6:00pm, Monday to Friday.

CHRISTMAS 2013: The School closes FRIDAY 20th DECEMBER 2013 at 4pm And re-opens WEDNESDAY 2nd JANUARY 2014 at 8am

Medications, Accidents and Sickness

The school staff are not permitted to administer any medicines unless they have been prescribed by a doctor and carry the pharmacy label with your child’s name, date and prescription instructions. Please read the Health and Medication policy, which sets out when, if necessary, staff can administer medications. You will be required to sign a consent form for each day that your child remains on medication, stating the times and amounts of the medication that you require our staff to administer. You are also required to sign a consent form in the event that your child needs emergency medical attention and/or treatment following an accident or sudden illness. We will use our best endeavours to contact you first. We cannot accept liability for parents’ loss of earnings/income following an accident on our premises and fees must continue to be paid throughout the entire period of absence. In the event of a minor illness or accident, we will provide such care and treatment as we think necessary. We cannot accept any liability in respect of such treatment and you will be asked to sign an accident administration form if your child has been hurt at school. At least one member of staff on the premises is required to hold a current First Aid Certificate. We always aim to ensure that all staff are First Aid trained. Any child with a contagious illness will be sent home from nursery. We ask that children stay at home for a minimum of 48 hours or until the illness has fully cleared. Parents should notify the nursery immediately such an illness is diagnosed. We reserve the right to ask for a clearance certificate from your doctor if we think a child’s disease is still infectious.

Reports and Parents’ evenings

Our staff keeps careful and detailed records of your child’s continuing progress. We invite parents to attend a pre-scheduled parents’ evening twice each year. These meetings will provide you with details on your child’s progress in all areas of the Montessori curriculum and the Early Learning Goals for the foundation stage.

Extra curricular activities

We offer Dance and Drama, Music, Cooking and Languages at various times throughout the year as extra curricular activities. More details will be given to you upon registering your child.

Photographs & birth certificate

Please supply a copy of their birth certificate with your application for registration. Our school

photographer attends at least once per year to take photographs of individual children and

siblings.

Safeguarding statement

Mace Montessori recognises the responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all the children by

protecting them from any form of abuse i.e. physical, sexual and emotional harm, neglect or

bullying. We believe that all children have a right to be protected and all suspicions and

allegations will be taken seriously and investigated as per our policy. All applicants at Mace will

be fully screened in accordance with DfES guidelines (safer recruitment and selection in education

settings).

Medical conditions, allergies and food preferences

If your child has any dietary requirements, allergies or medical conditions please advise us upon

registration. Although no liability can be accepted for any illness due to food allergies, please note

that our staff are experienced in dealing with children with food allergies.

Equal Opportunities

MACE Montessori Schools Limited is committed to an equal opportunity policy in full, including

respect of gender issues, race and religion. We reflect this approach in our cultural studies and

activities with the children. We acknowledge that some groups suffer from discrimination and we

strive to ensure equality and opportunity for all children, staff, parents and carers at or visiting

our school.

Grievance/complaints procedure

Should you be unhappy about any aspect of our school we have a Parent Liaison Officer. If you do

not wish to speak to this person or the Manager of the school, please feel free to speak with

Rehana or Shahid direct. Any matters discussed will be treated with the strictest confidence. If we

are concerned about something, we will take the earliest opportunity to talk with you. Similarly,

we respect parent’s wishes and recognise the need for confidentiality; however our prime duty is

towards the child in respect to child protection.

Classroom access restrictions

To ensure the non-interruption of teaching and children’s work, parents are not permitted to enter

classrooms between 9am and 3pm. Children are to be taken to the door of the classroom and met

by their teacher.

Non-Attendance

If your child is unable to attend school for any reason, please let us know by 9am on that day. Fees

remain payable during all absence. If we have not been notified by 10am, or if they have not

arrived, your child will not be accepted into school until the beginning of the afternoon session at

1pm. This is to ensure the non-disturbance of classes started for children who have arrived on

time.

Late Collections

Please ensure your child is collected promptly at 6pm at the latest. We reserve the right to charge a

late pickup fee. Any child who is collected persistently late will be excluded from school until

such time as we are satisfied that appropriate collection arrangements have been made. We

reserve the right in this respect to serve you with a 4-week notice of termination.

Possessions

Please do not send your child to school with any valuable possessions, as we cannot be held liable

for any loss or damage caused to such possessions.

Person collecting your child

We require in advance the name, description and telephone number of your child minder, after

school carer, or any other person authorised by you to collect your child from school. This person

must also hold a pre-arranged password. Your child will not be allowed to leave with a person we

have not been introduced to, or if this has not been possible, a person who is not aware of your

child’s password.

Changes to personal details

Please notify the school in writing immediately if you change your address, telephone number,

place of work or doctor.

Nappies

We will assist you in the toilet training of your child, during their time at school, providing this is

continued at home. Nappies are not supplied and you must therefore ensure that you let us have

an appropriate supply of nappies and baby wipes/cotton wool, nappy cream etc.

Parking Millman Street operates a 9am-6.30pm parking restriction and a pick up and drop off car voucher

may be obtained from the local borough however this does not mean you wont get a ticket its just

a measure to deter the traffic wardens !!! so please be warned.

Breakfast, Lunch & Snacks

Breakfast is served between 8am & 9am. A mid-morning snack is available to the children. Lunch

is served between 11:30am and midday. A light afternoon tea is served between 3pm & 4pm.

There is no extra charge for these meals. Food is prepared freshly on a daily basis by the chef on

the premises and the menus are varied. At least one member of staff holds a current Food Hygiene

Certificate.

Settling in policy

All parents are required to ‘settle’ their children into the school. Time should be set aside on

starting to enable you to do this. We ask that you set aside one week. However, please do not

worry if you are unable to spare this much time from your work commitments; the process may

not take that long and can be discussed, shared with a carer or other family member, to suit your

needs. Please read the attached sheet on ‘Points to consider when settling in a new child’.

Mace Montessori School Fees

Most popular rates are published, please enquire for further details

Oldest sibling receives 10% discount

Fees include all meals Breakfast, Snacks, Lunch, Tea

Place type Hours Daily cost Weekly cost Monthly fee

2-3 Year olds 5 Full days 8:00am 6:00pm £49 £244 £1058

3 Full days 8:00am 6:00pm £53 £159 £691

1 Full days 8:00am 6:00pm £62 £62 £269

5 School days 9:00am 3:00pm £43 £216 £937

3 School days 9:00am 3:00pm £47 £140 £605

1 School day 9:00am 3:00pm £61 £61 £265

5 sessions AM/PM 8 to 1 or 1 to 6 £29 £143 £620

3 sessions AM/PM 8 to 1 or 1 to 6 £32 £97 £422

1 session AM/PM 8 to 1 or 1 to 6 £41 £41 £179

3-5 year olds With NEF applied. 5 Full days 8:00am 6:00pm £41 £207 £897

3 Full days 8:00am 6:00pm £46 £138 £597

1 Full days 8:00am 6:00pm £56 £56 £242

5 School days 9:00am 3:00pm £39 £194 £839

3 School days 9:00am 3:00pm £43 £129 £561

1 School day 9:00am 3:00pm £56 £56 £242

5 sessions AM/PM 8 to 1 or 1 to 6 £25 £127 £550

3 sessions AM/PM 8 to 1 or 1 to 6 £29 £87 £377

1 session AM/PM 8 to 1 or 1 to 6 £39 £39 £170

Registration

If you wish to visit our school, please telephone to make an appointment. You will be given an

appointment date and time for a wonderful show around! To register your child please fill in an

application form and provide a registration fee of £40 and your deposit (see below), copy of the

birth certificate or passport. You will then be provided with a start date or placed on our waiting

list, depending on your requirement and the availability.

Fees and Deposits

A deposit of £300 is required to secure a full time place and £150 for part time. This deposit is non-

refundable in the event of your child not starting on the date you have reserved. Deposits are

repaid to you once all outstanding fees have been paid and providing the required six weeks

notice period has been served.

Fees are to be fully paid by the 5th of the month – invoices will be issued on the 1st of the month.

Fees will be paid by Standing Order, and we also accept Childcare Vouchers.

Please see our current fee schedule, which forms part of these Terms and Conditions of Business.

Fees are usually set for a full calendar year, but we reserve the right to review them at any time

during the course of the school year.

If more than one child is registered with us per immediate family, then a 10% sibling discount is

deducted from the eldest child’s fees.

Please be aware that we cannot offer you an alternative day for any bank Holidays.

If you are a part-time place and you wish your child to attend one or more extra days in any one

week, the extra fee will be payable on the day at the current daily rate.

We are unable to swap days of attendance on a temporary basis.

The fees for the first two weeks of a holiday are fully payable.

Although we are closed for a week over the Christmas period, this is reflected in the years fees.

Any subsequent weeks are charged at one session per full week away.

Notice period

A full six weeks notice in writing of your intentions to reduce your child’s attendance or remove

your child from the school is required.

If appropriate notice is not received, six weeks fees will be charged in lieu of the notice period.

POINTS TO CONSIDER FOR SETTLING IN A NEW CHILD

1. The child’s intended key worker will make sure they have read and familiarised themselves

with the application forms and information supplied therein relating to the new child before the child begins school.

2. The key worker should make themselves available as much as possible to the parent/carer and the child, even if it means freeing themselves from the daily routine. Other staff will need to be supportive during this period.

3. The key worker will suggest a plan for the first week the child settles in and discuss this with the parents on the first day. No new children are asked to stay to lunch or tea during their first week, unless they have settled in exceptionally well in the first few days.

4. The key worker should explain to the child what is happening during the course of the day so the child begins to understand the routines of the day.

5. It is important for the parent/carer to say goodbye when separating from the child and to go promptly when they say they are going. Long or delayed goodbyes or returning because the child is crying do not help the settling in process.

6. It is important for the parent/carer to return at the time they have told the child they will be back. Being late or disappointing the child by sending another collector will only delay and prolong the settling in process.

7. It is important for the parent/carer to ensure that the child has adequate change of clothing available at the nursery at all times.

8. Staff must be perceptive to signs of anxiety and pre-empt these, to reassure the child and parents.

9. If the key worker is leaving the nursery for any reason, they should tell the child where they are going and when they will be back.

10. The key worker should give the parent/carer verbal reports at the end of each day with regards to sleep, eating and general well being.

11. Parents can telephone the school at any time during the settling in period if they are worried or concerned about their child.

Some children may show signs of upset or anxiety when separating from the parent/carer during their early days at nursery. Although this is quite normal, it can be quite upsetting for the parent/carer leaving the child behind. However, take a look around at all the happy little faces and rest assured that many have come before them, and many will come after them and never have we met a child yet who has not one day become very happy to come to school.

Happy settling in!

Kiddie Vouchers

Mace Montessori Schools Ltd The Old preschool Rooms, rear of 38-42 Millman Street, London WC1N 3EW

0207 242 5842 millman@macemonterssori.com www.macemontessori.com

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