- The Montessori Philosophy -
The Montessori Philosophy emphasises a child-centered approach to education. It encourages independence, curiosity, and a love for learning by providing a prepared environment that fosters exploration. At Sinclair House Montessori Nursery, children are free to choose their activities, which promotes self-discipline and a sense of responsibility. The role of the teacher is to guide rather than direct, allowing children to learn at their own pace and develop essential life skills.
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A focus on developing the “whole child” in alignment with the Montessori philosophy, empowers children to be self-motivated and curious learners through exploratory activities using specially designed Montessori materials. ​​​
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Within the Montessori philosophy, the outdoor environment is a natural extension of the classroom.
Nursery pupils make use of various outdoor environments to build on their classroom knowledge through sensorial experiences of nature, the seasons and interactions with the natural world.
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In a Montessori environment, the children, not the adults are the focus of the classroom.
Our Montessori Directresses guide children with materials, but children learn through their own work within a prepared environment. Within child-led learning, teachers note developmental milestones and guide the children in new directions according to their level of work.
Research shows that children exposed to a Montessori education are well prepared for school from an emotional, social and academic perspective.
We believe that the success of Montessori teaching lies in the accomplishment and behaviour of the children, their happiness, maturity, kindness, level of work and love of learning.
- The Montessori Curriculum -
Exercises in
Practical Life
Sensorial
Maths
Knowledge &
Understanding of the World
Language Development
The Montessori early years curriculum is carefully structured around five key areas of learning, each designed to support the natural development of young children.
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Practical Life activities help children build independence, concentration, and co-ordination through everyday tasks like pouring, sweeping, and dressing.
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Sensorial materials refine the senses and lay the groundwork for cognitive skills by inviting children to sort, compare, and explore using sight, sound, touch, and more.
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In the Mathematics area, hands-on materials introduce numbers, quantity, and early problem-solving in a concrete, meaningful way.
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Language development is supported through rich verbal interaction, phonetic awareness, and materials that lead to early reading and writing.
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Finally, Knowledge and Understanding of the World —including geography, science, art, and music—open the child’s eyes to the wider world, encouraging curiosity and respect for different people, places, and ideas. Together, these areas form a holistic, child-centred foundation that supports lifelong learning.
- Integrating the EYFS -
The Montessori curriculum and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework may use different language, but share the core goal of supporting the holistic development of the child.
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The prime areas of the EYFS - Communication and Language, Physical Development, and Personal, Social and Emotional Development are considered the foundation for future learning. These areas are deeply embedded in the Montessori method in natural and practical ways.
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At Sinclair House, we focus on termly topics to ensure that children are engaged, challenged and exposed to in depth learning and discovery. Topic learning transforms the nursery into an immersive mini-world, where songs, stories and activities are connected. Topics also allow us to follow the child's curiosity, as the teachers can demonstrate research skills and empower their individual choices - key aims of both the EYFS and Montessori.
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A well-chosen topic can span many activities so that our nursery teachers can easily tailor tasks to each child's developmental stage. The range of activities naturally address the prime areas of the EYFS encouraging balanced development across the EYFS.
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