What is Montessori?
Montessori is a child-centred approach to learning that nurtures confidence, curiosity and independence.
Rather than directing every activity, children are encouraged to explore, make choices and learn at their own pace within a carefully prepared environment.
Our curriculum focuses on five key areas of development—Practical Life, Sensorial, Literacy, Mathematics and Understanding the World—helping children build the skills and confidence to become independent, lifelong learners.
At the heart of Montessori are three simple freedoms: the freedom to move, the freedom to choose and the freedom to repeat. These principles shape everything we do at Village Montessori.
Our Curriculum
Our carefully prepared environment supports children aged 3–5 to learn at their own pace, nurturing confidence, curiosity and personal, social and emotional development.
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Children develop confidence and independence through everyday activities that build practical skills, responsibility and care for themselves, others and the world around them.
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Through carefully designed, hands-on materials, children explore the world using their senses, developing observation, concentration and the foundations for future learning through discovery and repetition.
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Stories, songs, conversation and hands-on activities nurture a lifelong love of language, preparing children for reading and writing at their own pace.
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Children develop mathematical thinking through hands-on exploration, discovering patterns, order and relationships before progressing naturally to numbers and more abstract concepts.
Our Classroom and Garden
Our carefully prepared classroom encourages children to explore, discover and learn at their own pace. Mixed-age groups create opportunities for younger children to learn through observation, while older children develop confidence by supporting others.
Beyond the classroom, our established all-weather garden is an extension of the learning environment. Children climb, cycle, grow vegetables, care for wildlife and experience the changing seasons through everyday exploration of the natural world.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Montessori is a child-centred approach to learning built on the belief that children have a natural drive to explore and learn. Teachers prepare a carefully ordered environment, observe each child and introduce activities when they are ready.
At Village Montessori, children are free to choose activities, move around the classroom, work at their own pace and repeat tasks as often as they need. Through hands-on, purposeful learning, children develop independence, curiosity and confidence.
Discover our Montessori approach -
Yes. We offer full-day places from 9am–4pm, as well as morning sessions from 9am–12pm and afternoon sessions from 1pm–4pm. A lunch session from 12pm–1pm can be added to a morning or afternoon place.
Village Montessori is open during term time, following London Borough of Lewisham school term dates.
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Yes. We encourage prospective families to come and see Village Montessori in action.
Visits usually take place at 9:30am on Tuesday and Thursday mornings during term time. You'll start at our Montessori Toddler Group, where Mel will introduce you to the pre-school and our ethos, before taking you across to see the nursery.
If these times don't work for you, please get in touch and we'll do our best to arrange an alternative.
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We strongly encourage prospective families to visit us before registering— there's nothing quite like seeing the children and environment in action.
When you're ready to register, complete the registration form on our Admissions page and we'll be in touch about availability and next steps.
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We take a gentle, individual approach to settling in, allowing each child to build familiarity and trust at their own pace. This typically takes between three days and two weeks, but there is no set timeline — we follow the child.
Children who have attended our Toddler Group are often already familiar with the environment and adults. If your child experiences separation anxiety, we'll work closely with you to find an approach that feels right for your family.
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Each day has a consistent rhythm, giving children a sense of security while allowing plenty of freedom to follow their own interests.
A typical session includes free-flow time in the classroom and garden; individual or small-group Montessori activities; Practical Life activities such as caring for plants and our guinea pig; stories, songs and conversation; and outdoor play and nature exploration. On Wednesdays, children also have dance and movement with Emma, our Trinity Laban dance specialist.
Thinking about joining us?
Find out how our admissions process works and register your interest.