Much has been written in recent weeks about the changing face of education, and whether traditional teaching in conventional classrooms meets the learning needs of the 21st century. The past year has certainly made us re-evaluate how our children acquire knowledge and experience their learning; I’m sure we’ve all wondered if the schools our children attend really offer what we want for them in this ever-evolving world we live in.

Montessori education has always been an alternative approach in how we help young people prepare for the wider world; Its five principles—respect for the child, the absorbing mind, sensitive periods, the prepared environment, and the concept of self-education—place the child firmly at the center of the process, and with the help of experienced Montessori guides, the child becomes the primary architect of his or her education. Maria Montessori was ahead of her time at the beginning of the 20th century, developing the 21st century learning skills that are now suggested as the way forward for today’s children.

Throughout the uncertainties of 2020, IMS has been a positive and constant presence in our community, maintaining contact with parents and students through online classes and always available for advice and help. We opened the doors again in September to our spacious new facility with twice as many children as when we had to close in March 2020. Word has spread that this is a truly innovative place for your child to learn and grow in an environment full of love and friendship.

With the prospect of more and more freedom in what we can do and offer to the community, we have many plans for workshops, visits and excursions for everyone in the coming academic year. We love to involve everyone in the process of educating the child, thus connecting the home with the school and the wider community. When we are able, parents and other visitors will be invited back to our doors to see the children and their education in action.

One of the features of the Montessori approach is “The Learning Walk”: each week, children ages 3 and up go out into the community to experience their world. Sometimes it is a trip to the beach to explore what the ocean brings: other times a walk through the countryside to discover the beauty of the trees, flowers and birds: other times it can be an outing to one of the white villages in our hills, or a visit to a museum. All of these day trips will have a theme that extends and develops the ideas that children have been exploring in the classroom.

Traditional education has been turned upside down: come and see for yourself how the Montessori system offers a fully integrated approach to education. We understand that more than teaching, we guide and facilitate the learning that the child initiates and absorbs through his or her developing interests and skills. Thus, the child educates himself. Montessori has been ahead of the curve this whole time.