Group News
Montessori Articles & Reflections
Keep up to date with all the exciting news from The Montessori Group. From our social impact work to government initiatives and campaigning, the latest from our International Training Centre, and inspirational stories from the world of Montessori.
Group News
Montessori Articles & Reflections
Keep up to date with all the exciting news from The Montessori Group. From our social impact work to government initiatives and campaigning, the latest from our International Montessori Institute, and inspirational stories from the world of Montessori.
Why we need to help, by Leonor Stjepic
Leonor Stjepic, CEO of Montessori Group reflects on the war in Ukraine, sharing her experience of working with refugee children in Croatia.
As one of a small team of volunteers working and living in a refugee camp in Croatia, based in a Croatian army barracks that had been converted into a refugee camp and hospital for the walking wounded, volunteers would try to provide the children and young people with activities that mimicked, as far as possible, the experience of going to school.
In the coming weeks we will hear much talk of refugees, as if somehow being a refugee makes you something alien or apart from the rest of us. Let’s not forget that these are people like you, like me, who had lives like you have; people whose lives have been turned upside down by the decision made by someone who, for political reasons, wanted to take over their country. People who would like nothing better for their lives to go back to what they were but whose lives have been altered forever.
The children we want to help are children who should have the right to have an education, a safe environment to grow up in and should not have to feel fear and sadness at their age. Children like your children.
Support for refugee families fleeing the war in Ukraine
We are raising vital funds so that we can deliver a Montessori Care and Education Programme in Croatia for refugee families fleeing the war in Ukraine. We are working with local partners in Croatia to set up an innovative pilot project to support families with children. If successful, our pilot project will be scaled up to cover other countries in the region which are also accepting large numbers of refugees.
Our initial aim is to help 1,000 Ukrainian families in Croatia get back on their feet, helping them live a free and safe future where their children no longer hear the sounds of explosions in the morning and a chance for parents to work in a peaceful country.
Who We Are
The Montessori Group is a global leader in Montessori provision, supporting quality Montessori education throughout the world through social impact, training, quality assurance and support for families and educators.
With the child at the heart of all it does, the Montessori Group works with governments, organisations, families and Montessori educators to ensure that the Montessori approach is as beneficial to society in the 21st Century as it was in the 20th Century.
What Do We Stand For?
Dr. Maria Montessori envisaged an education system that allows the child to reach its full potential; an approach that instils a love of learning and curiosity about the world that is lifelong, one that we believe is as viable and needed today as it was 100 years ago.
In a world of that is rapidly changing and undergoing a digital revolution, with the consequences for humanity as far-reaching as those of the industrial revolution, Montessori provides an alternative pedagogy that will prepare children for the world in which they are growing up.
From learning skills needed for future work to an understanding of the respect for the natural world around us, instilling respect for diversity and developing emotional resilience – the Montessori pedagogy covers them all.
Our vision is a world where every child is given the tools to grow into adults who will have a positive and transformational impact on the world.
The purpose of life is to obey the hidden command which ensures harmony among all and creates an ever better world. We are not created only to enjoy the world, we are created in order to evolve the cosmos.
Maria Montessori
The purpose of life is to obey the hidden command which ensures harmony among all and creates an ever better world. We are not created only to enjoy the world, we are created in order to evolve the cosmos.
Maria Montessori
What We Offer
The Montessori Group offers world-class training from diploma to degree level, partnerships, quality assurance, social impact and support for families and educators alike.
Training
Montessori Centre International (MCI) is one of the world’s leading providers of Montessori and Early Years training, inspiring change through a universally recognised holistic approach to learning.
We offer a range of training opportunities, including nationally recognised qualifications, to both start new journeys and continue professional development in Montessori education. We also write and deliver bespoke training programmes.
Our blended learning approach allows a mix of online and face-to-face study, connecting students globally in a transformational way. Through our global network of accredited settings, which provide a public statement of quality, students can expect the highest quality of practical experience whether in their placement or practical workshop training.
Our tutors are simply passionate about what they do; providing quality teaching and supporting students through their journey every step of the way.
Social Impact
Dr Maria Montessori was not only an educator and scientist but also a champion of humanitarian causes. We honour her work and legacy by having a range of social impact programmes that are allied and use Montessorian values to create social impact.
Collaboration is an important tenet of Montessori and we put collaborative relationships at the heart of all we do.
Standards & Training Accreditation Review (STAR) framework
Recognition through our quality assurance scheme, known as the Standards and Training Accreditation (STAR) framework, provides public recognition of quality educational provision which is innovative and relevant; it can help educators to make more informed decisions when looking for high-quality training or study and can help parents make more informed decisions about which Montessori environment to choose.
Achievement within the STAR framework provides assurance to communities, illustrating that the educational provider maintains compliance with our standards, operating in accordance with well-defined and objective benchmarks, routed in authentic and sustainable Montessori practice.
Support for Educators
We believe we need to address the status of the early years Montessori Educator – both in terms of being able to gain funding for their training and being paid in line with mainstream educators. To do this:
- We have supported the workforce survey relating to the review of the EYFS commissioned by the Early Years Coalition.
- We have commissioned research from the OU focusing on Montessori workforce and quality of provision linked to qualification. The findings will give us an opportunity to highlight this issue to the public.
- We are continuing to work with other early years organisations on this work.
- We provide bursaries for those wishing to upskill or train as Montessori practitioners.
- We provide free and accessible resources online to our members through our Montessori Network. Join the Network community today!
Support for Families
To support families we:
- We provide free and accessible resources online for our members through our Montessori Network
- Raise awareness of and encourage engagement of families in legislative and policy changes that we believe will have a negative impact on children e.g. the proposed changes on the Early Years Foundation Stage and proposed testing of 4-5 year olds.
