Prospectus
Ducklings Montessori Nursery , Nash Village Hall, Nash, Milton Keynes,
Buckinghamshire, MK17 0ES
Ducklings Montessori Nursery was founded by Julia Jack in September 2002. It benefits from
the wonderful rural setting of Nash and runs on Mondays to Thursdays from the Village Hall.
We received a very good Ofsted report in 2009 gaining “Outstanding” ratings for our
effectiveness with which our setting deploys resources, the effectiveness with which we
promote equality and diversity, the effectiveness of partnerships and the effectiveness of our
engagement with parents and carers. The children have a busy time while they are at Nursery
covering a wide range of activities including music and movement, cookery, painting, ICT,
nature walks, number and language games and lots of wonderful play experiences. Most
important of all, Ducklings prides itself in providing children with a happy start to their
education.
Ducklings Montessori Nursery
A fulfilled child is a happy child. Our purpose is to help each child take
his or her fist steps towards self-fulfilment. We aim to generate security,
trust and independence in the child, as well as encouraging them to be
polite, considerate and kind, thus preparing them to fit into any situation
and to move on to their next school with confidence.
Ducklings Montessori School is a very well equipped Nursery for children
between the ages of 2 to 5 years and provides an excellent stepping
stone between home and school. It is our belief that each child should
be allowed to develop naturally at his or her own pace with the
opportunity for individual attention and we adopt an inclusive approach
promoting equality of opportunity.
Children of this age have an absorbent mind for knowledge; they desire
stimulation and this should be found in a full and exciting environment
through which they can explore and learn. Montessori recognises and
celebrates the unique individuality of each child and the potential that
they hold within themselves.
A practitioner should never be a taskmaster but a guide and helper. Her
role is to encourage positive attitudes, provide stimulus, and lay the
foundations for a child to enjoy discovering and learning. It is also the
practitioner’s duty, based on their observations of individual children, to
develop each child’s potential.
Ducklings Montessori Nursery sessions run from 9.15 a.m. to 1.15 p.m.
Mondays to Wednesdays and 9.15 a.m. to 12.15 p.m. on Thursdays,
term time only. From the start of term following their 3rd Birthday all
three year olds are entitled to access up to 15 hours per week free
Nursery funding for up to two academic years before they reach
compulsory school age.
Throughout the morning sessions at Ducklings the children are involved
in child initiated and adult led activities including art and craft, topic
work, nature study, singing, music, creative play and they have access to
a range of learning materials developed by Dr Maria Montessori. Our
aim is to develop the whole child and make their day fun.
The Nursery was established in September 2002 by Julia Jack. Julia has
twenty years experience working with children in Nurseries, Schools and
children with Special Educational Needs. She achieved a BA Degree from
the Open University in 2009 and is planning to undertake a four month
course in September 2010 to achieve her Early Years Professional Status
(EYPS). She is also a qualified Royal Academy of Dance teacher. Some of
the supporting members of staff are trained to NVQ Level 3 or are
training for this level and every member of staff is enthusiastic and
committed and has experience working with children.
Contact telephone numbers :Julia Jack - 07747 093222/
07716 386187
01525 270845
THE VALUE OF LEARNING THROUGH PLAY
By Joanne Gordon
So what did you do at nursery today, darling? “Well Mum …. I improved my
social skills by co-operating and sharing with my peers”.
“I used my skills of investigation and prediction while working in the sand
and water, to say nothing of the mathematical and scientific vocabulary I
was exercising”.
“I strengthened my fine motor skills by manipulating play-dough. threading
beads, painting and drawing”.
I used my imagination in the home corner to set the confused adult world
to rights by re-enacting it, and widening my vocabulary at the same time”.
“I laid the foundations for formal reading and writing in the book corner
and at the drawing table”.
“I used mathematical equipment, games and computer programmes to
build up my counting skills, number recognition and one to one
correspondence”.
“I used puzzles and construction equipment to develop my problem-solving
abilities and spatial awareness”.
“I learned about being part of a large group, about waiting my turn, sitting
still when necessary, listening to others, concentrating, and about what
behaviour is appropriate and what isn’t”.
“I learned to climb, run, jump and skip in the open air, I practised throwing,
catching, kicking and rolling, as well as spending time exploring the natural
environment”.
“I…… well, I packed so much into three hours that I can’t tell you the half of
it”.
Ducklings Montessori Nursery
Introduction to the Montessori Teaching Method
Montessori education aims at helping natural development, not simply imparting
information. It is an attitude as well as a teaching system. An understanding of each
individual child is crucially important. In a Montessori school the child is given a
room where everything is the right size for him or her and everything is useful and
interesting. They see other children playing and find that they can have
companionship while participating in both child-initiated and adult-led experiences.
Children of pre school age have an absorbent mind for knowledge: they desire
stimulation and this is found in a full and exciting environment through which they
can explore and learn. For Dr Maria Montessori, learning was the key to children’s
development and education and the main contributing factor to the child’s
preparation for life. However, she also recognised that young children do not learn
subjects, but that their learning is integrated and holistic in its nature. The child’s
ability to observe, explore, investigate, ask questions, share ideas and so learn about
the world is not necessarily organised into lessons or subjects. The child observes
and explores when they become interested and when they are able to engage in an
activity which involves their whole being. It is also generally agreed today that play is
the most effective tool for the child’s learning and therefore we need to recognise
that in the early years, ‘learning occurs constantly whether intentionally or
incidentally’ (Macleod-Brunell 2004: 45).
At Ducklings Montessori Nursery it is our aim ito develop the whole child and make
their day fun. Each child’s progress is followed in a Unique Profile, which lists the
progression of the activities and experiences they have participated in, building on
skills they have learned. Each child’s individual profile is supplemented by detailed
observations, samples of their work and photographs documenting their progress.
These profiles are sent on to the child’s next setting and an individual photograph
album is given to each family at the end of their child’s time at Ducklings. Each child
is allocated a Key Worker and Parent consultations are held once a term, in order to
give the key worker and parent/carer the opportunity to discuss their child’s
progress and be closely involved in their development.
Montessori practice and the Early Years Foundation Stage
Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates; and all areas of
learning and development are equally important and integrated. Therefore at
Ducklings our planning is based on developmentally appropriate activities, which
reflect the child’s interest and promote engagement, concentration and exploration.
The six areas of learning are as follows:
Personal, social and emotional development.
Practical life exercises are an important part of the Montessori system of teaching.
The activities in this area reflect the children’s need to model behaviours reflecting
their family life. They also allow children to contribute towards the cultural and
social life of the classroom, offering them the opportunity to experience a sense of
belonging. One of the aims of the practical life activities is to make a link between
the home and Nursery environment. This is done by representing tasks and activities
which children may be already familiar with from their home environment such as
pouring their own drinks, getting dressed, washing or sweeping the classroom. We
also encourage social interaction and co-operation between the children, teaching
them to be polite, considerate and kind.
Communication, Language and Literacy
In this area of learning, there are six key features, which focus on communication as
well as use of language as a cognitive skill and the introduction of reading and
writing. At Ducklings we encourage conversation, discussion and dialogue as part of
everyday life. The journey towards reading and writing is often initially motivated by
personal interest, such as recognition of one’s own name, a friend’s or sibling’s
names. It is vital that we acknowledge that in the early years, this journey is likely to
be longer and not as clearly defined as it is when the child is five, six or seven. The
Montessori Language materials use all the senses to help children develop their
language, communication and listening skills. We also encourage the development of
mark making and pencil control and the children enjoy listening to stories and
spending time in the reading corner.
Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy
Children often come to Ducklings with a passive knowledge of numbers through
everyday use, such as counting steps, reciting nursery rhymes, looking at number
books and recognising numerals on car number plates or on houses. The Montessori
mathematical apparatus offers children the opportunity to hold, count and
manipulate objects which helps them to learn concepts through concrete activities.
The sensorial area of learning provides many opportunities for problem solving,
reasoning and also for exploration of shape and space. For example, children can use
the geometric cabinet to become familiar with shapes of varying sizes. Also
participating in cooking activities encourages the children to weigh and measure out
ingredients.
Knowledge and Understanding of the world
This area of development offers opportunities for children and teachers to explore a
wide range of topics of interest in biology, geography and history. The activities in
this area centre on real experiences that give children opportunities to observe,
explore and investigate things such as trees, seasons, farmyard animals, the solar
system, how a volcano works and so on. The exploration of continents and their
countries also give us opportunities to explore similarities and differences in the lives
of children and their families around the world. We also include ICT as part of our
curriculum as well as encouraging the children to explore everyday technology such
as using digital cameras, calculators and toy telephones.
Creative Development
Creativity provides children with opportunities to develop both their practical skills
as well as their imagination. This area of learning acknowledges the importance of
self-expression and highlights the need for children to have opportunities to
participate in self-chosen and self-initiated arts and craft activities, as well as music
and movement and socio-dramatic play. This approach relies on the adults’
observation skills and good range of resources to facilitate role play as it emerges.
Physical Development
Physical development is inherent in all the activities carried out at Ducklings.
Movement consists of gross and fine motor skills, awareness of space and balance.
This area of learning takes place both indoors as well as outdoors. At the Nursery we
have extensive outdoor facilities including a large field attached to the setting where
the children can participate in active outdoor play. Ducklings Montessori Nursery is
also committed to healthy-eating programmes as we offer a daily snack of fresh fruit
and milk.
Maria Montessori’s Life and Work
“Supposing I said there was a planet without schools or teachers, study
was unknown, and yet the inhabitants - doing nothing but living and
walking about - came to know all things, to carry in their minds the
whole of learning: would you not think I was romancing? Well, just this,
which seems so fanciful as to be nothing but the invention of a fertile
imagination, is a reality. It is the child's way of learning. This is the path
he follows. He learns everything without knowing he is learning it, and in
doing so passes little from the unconscious to the conscious, treading
always in the paths of joy and love.” (Maria Montessori
Dr Maria Montessori was born in 1870. She studied medicine at the
University in Rome and in 1900 went back to the same University to
pursue her interest in psychology and education. Montessori decided in
1913 to give up both her lectureship at the university and the medical
profession and went on to set up her first Children’s House in Rome in
1907. Montessori’s observations made her believe that children were
capable of extended periods of concentration, they enjoyed repetition,
freedom of movement and choice and enjoyed purposeful activities and
it was discoveries such as these that led her to believe that these
characteristics in children represented the potential of humanity. She
advocated that all children should be given the opportunity to ‘reveal
themselves’ in a developmentally appropriate environment that would
facilitate their natural growth.
Maria Montessori went on to devote her energies to the training of
Montessori teachers, to the development of Montessori learning
materials and to the establishment of the Montessori network
worldwide. Between 1907 and 1914 interest in Montessori education
flourished and many opportunities were opened to Montessori to
promote her unique view of children and their learning. By 1914, there
were hundreds of Montessori schools established in Europe, North and
South America as well as India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Montessori died in the Netherlands in 1952 wanting to be known as a
citizen of the world.
Registration Form
Childs First Name
Childs Last Name
Date Of Birth
Male \ Female
First Language
I give consent to pass this
record on to my child’s
next setting. Please sign.
Home address
Telephone Number
Name(s) of
parent(s) / carer(s)
Do you have parental
Yes \ No
responsibility for the
child? If no please
give details
Child Position on
family
Names and ages of
brothers \ sisters
Religion(s)
Ethnic Origin(s)
Contact Names and addresses
Contact 1
Name
Contact 2
Name
Address (If different to the
above)
Address (If different to the above)
Phone Numbers
Phone Numbers
Is \ has your child been cared for frequently by any of the following?
Childminder
Friend
Other
(Please specify)
Relative
Day Nursery
Which other groups or pre-schools is your child attending or
attended?
Has your child ever been referred to any of these specialists?
 Speech Therapist
 Orthopist
 Occupational Therapist
 Psychologist
 Other
 Audiologist
 Community paediatrician
 Physiotherapist
 Dietician
(Please specify)
Does your child have any allergies?
If Yes Please give details
Yes \ No
Does your child have asthma \ eczema?
If Yes Please give details
Yes \ No
Does your child have any particular dietary needs?
If Yes Please give details
Yes \ No
Does your child have any other medical needs
that the setting should be aware of?
If Yes Please give details
Yes \ No
Is there anything you would like us to know about your child (e.g.
significant experiences in the family, particular interests)? Yes \ No
If Yes Please give details
Are there any special words your child uses (e.g. for toilet)?
Yes\No
If Yes Please give details
Does your child use sign assisted language?
Yes \ No
If Yes Please give details
Our child usually prefers to use :
 His\her right hand
Is your child able
to:
Eat with a spoon
Yes








Use a knife & fork
Drink out of a cup
Put on their own coat
Put on their own
shoes
Do up buttons
Do up buckles
Go the to the toilet on 
his \ her own
Wash and dry hands
 His\her left hand
Needs a
little
help









either hand
Further details
Ducklings Montessori Nursery
Sessions and Fees
Morning Weekly Sessions will be held from 9.15 a.m. to 1.15 p.m. @
£17.00 per session on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 9.15
a.m. to 12.15 p.m. on Thursdays @ £13.00 per session. We would
recommend a minimum of two sessions per week. All 3 and 4 year old
pupils are eligible to receive the Flexible Free Entitlement (FFE) Funding
from the Buckinghamshire County Council. As of September 2010 the
entitlement for funding is for 15 hours per week. Children will continue
to be eligible for free provision from 1st April, 1st September or 1st
January following their third birthday and will cease to be eligible when
they reach compulsory school age (term after their fifth birthday).
Please send the completed documents to Mrs J. Jack, The Old Rectory,
Church Road, Stoke Hammond, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK17
9BP.
Child’s Name ____________________________________________
Please tick weekly sessions required:
Monday _________________
Tuesday _________________
Wednesday ______________
Thursday ________________
Signed ______________________________ Date _______________