MEAB Newsletter

Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation Board

Issue 7 February 2012
published three times a year for accredited schools

this issue
Message from Accreditation Officers p.1 Academic Matters p.2 MEAB Accredited Schools p.3 Upcoming Events p.4

Dear MEAB accredited schools and nurseries, We hope that the Spring term started well for all of you. The expectation in the revised EYFS is that settings will continue to engage in self-reflective processes and that quality improvement tools are used to maintain and improve practice standards. MEAB will continue to provide cost-effective and relevant support to schools in fulfilling this requirement. There are now 124 MEAB accredited schools. Many congratulations to all the staff at the settings that have just been accredited, we hope that your school and its pupils are reaping the rewards of this self-evaluation. There are now many more schools coming forward for the first time and the re-accreditations have begun in earnest. Both first time accreditations and re-accreditations have the same structure and time frame and for this reason we have updated all relevant sections of the web pages. There are full details of the process, including the criteria, how to prepare and a clear step-by-step guide, as well as an FAQ page. We have also revised our documentation, which can be downloaded from the site. The focus of the accreditation process is on Montessori practice, so the assessors will be looking for spontaneous opportunities for learning within a two and a half to three hour work cycle. Observations of children, the environment and peers will also feature prominently in the re-accreditations. For those settings whose accreditations are due to expire, we will be in touch, giving you plenty of notice to prepare for the re-accreditation. For those settings that decide not to pursue re-accreditation at this point we will remove the MEAB logo and report link on the MSA website, therefore it is important that you share your plans with us. If your school is due for re-accreditation you will need to: prepare an S1 form: you can download a blank copy to complete from www.montessori.org.uk/msa/accreditation/documents__and__guidance. If you have stored your original S1 electronically you can cut and paste relevant sections look again at any recommendations that your original assessor put forward, thinking about how you have progressed with these and how you have moved forward in other areas of your Montessori practice inform your assessor of any CPD and development plans that you have at your setting liaise with Kristine Largo about the time-scale of your re-accreditation, she will make initial contact. In issue 101 of Montessori International the MSA published their Code of Conduct. We strongly recommend that you sign up to this document and that you discuss its content and implications with your staff and make it available to parents. Having been launched in 2008, the MEAB scheme is nearing the end of its infancy. This is now an excellent time for us to reflect on the service that we offer Montessori settings and would be really interested in knowing what you think of the scheme, its benefits and what we can improve upon. We are pleased to announce that five assessors have now achieved the professional status of Chartered Educational Assessors, awarded by the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors. We also have two in-house MEAB assessor training days per year, which serve to develop our skills as individuals and as a team. We will be inviting more practitioners to become MEAB assessors this year, so please look out for our advertisement in the next issue of Montessori International and visit the Assessor page on the website. Please note this change of date: the first conference for MEAB accredited schools will now be held on June 20, 2012 at the Jeffery Hall, Institute of Education, Bedford Way, London. This is fully funded by the Montessori St. Nicholas charity, which continues to focus its support on MEAB accredited settings, a focus that is shared by the MSA in order that standards in high quality Montessori schools are perpetuated and recognised. Have you also booked your tickets to the MSA National Conference which is at the Institute of Education on Saturday 24th March? This year we will continue with our intention of broadening and strengthening MEABs ability to help raise the quality of Montessori provision. We look forward to continuing our partnership with you and would welcome your comments on our service. Michele Dows-Miller Barbara Isaacs Feb 2012

Academic Matters
On a recent trip to Gorton Mount Primary school I had the opportunity to revisit the Practical life shelves with the teachers and TAs in the Foundation unit. It was reassuring to note their continued commitment to this area of learning and their growing understanding of the importance of these activities in support of childrens sensitive periods and general well-being. They reflected on the childrens levels of concentration, their joy in achieving a task and sharing in activities such as washing up. They also commented on the value of practical life activities for the older children. I wonder if we always appreciate what practical life skills, applied to the everyday life of the classroom, really gives to the older children. This is particularly relevant to activities in the area of care of the environment and care of the self as older children can take turns in the daily upkeep of the classroom and learning the value of responsibility as they contribute to the school life. Why not reflect on this idea and offer children opportunities to engage with activities which are no longer ready off the shelf, but which engage them in finding the necessary tools and doing the required task as a matter of daily routine, without the teachers prompting or reminders. I would love to hear from our readers to find out how this idea works in their settings.
Barbara Isaacs, MEAB Senior Accreditation Officer

OTHER NEWS
MSA National Conference 2012 Hurry only a few spaces left this is your last chance to buy tickets to the MSA National Conference 2012, so book your tickets online at http://www.montessori.org.uk/msa/msa/conference. The theme of this years conference is The hand is the pathway to the brain, which features renowned speakers: Sally Goddard Blythe, Charles Fernyhough and Susie Pearl. This whole day affair at the th Institute of Education on the 24 March 2012 promises learning about Neuro-developmental factors and their contribution to education, How little minds lead to big ideas and Creating our world through frames of happiness new roads for empowerment and success in learning and development. Visit the programme page at http://www.montessori.org.uk/msa/msa/conference/programme for a look at what is in store. Our great line-up of exhibitors is ready to provide you with everything you need to run your Montessori settings and much more. Dont forget to visit the stands as soon as you arrive at the venue and during lunchtime. MEAB Conference on the 20 June The first ever MEAB School Conference will focus on the theme of Leadership. This event is free for all MEAB Accredited School th Heads and Managers and will now be held at the Jeffery Hall, Institute of Education, University of London on the 20 June 2012 from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Please re-confirm your availability for the new date. You can bring your managers and deputies so please email kristine@montessori.org.uk with names of people attending from your setting. We are still looking for Montessorians wishing to present a 15 minute paper on an element of Leadership. If you are interested, please contact Kristine Largo on 020 7493 8300 with your topic, summary and plan. Staff Training Partner logo
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The new logo recognises the efforts that schools make worldwide to increase standards by employing and working with MCI trained staff. Any school that deploys MCI Trained staff or which has staff in training with MCI is entitled to use the logo. The aim is to enhance the credibility of schools and publicise the partnership with the college for mutual benefit. We recommend that the logo and the hyperlink http://www.montessori.org.uk/ be placed on the schools website. This will create an electronic connection between your school website and that of MCI. This will increase traffic to both of our websites to create a connection between the school and MCI. We also recommend that the logo is used in auto signatures and also on any brochures or printed materials. To receive your logo and hyperlink, please email kristine@montessori.org.uk

124 MEAB Accredited Schools

Congratulations to our newly Accredited Schools: Region 4 Malton Montessori School and Nursery Malton, North Yorkshire Rigg Farm Montessori School Harrogate, North Yorkshire Region 8 The Old School House Montessori Tenterden, Kent Region 11 Chives Montessori School Ipswich, Suffolk International Gulf Montessori Nursery Kuwait Gulf Montessori Nursery Dubai, United Arab Emirates

OTHER NEWS
Charity launches Montessori Parenting Book In line with the Montessori St Nicholas (MSN) Charitys commitment to raise awareness and understanding of the Montessori approach, the charity is publishing a new book called Learning Together, What Montessori can offer your family in March 2012 for parents in the UK and abroad. The book takes a fresh look at family life to help parents put the child at the heart of the home and unlock their amazing potential, and is aimed at parents of young children from birth upwards. If youd like more details about the book, and want to consider reseller opportunities, email book@montessori.org.uk Training Solutions The MSN Charity continues to support the development of the Montessori standards by raising the number of Montessori qualified teachers in each of our settings by providing access to distance learning courses and giving Montessori schools personalized training solutions for their settings needs. Our new member of staff Vicky McKillop, an MCI trained teacher will contact each MSA member school regarding your training requirements. You can email vicky@montessori.org.uk to discuss your training needs. FPIs Family Friendly Scheme Family Friendly is a major scheme that aims to change the way UK society views families by giving you and your family the voice you deserve. It provides the chance to tell local organisations what theyre doing right, and how they could improve, in terms of providing services for families. For more info, visit www.wearefamilyfriendly.org/family/home

We are growing at a rapid pace as more and more schools and nurseries are being accredited. Watch this space for more news.

Summary
3 7 8 6 1 9 11 19 33 8 9 Region 1 - Scotland Region 3 - Middlesex Region 4 - North England Region 5 - West Midlands Region 6 - East Midlands Region 7 -Southwest and Wales Region 8 Kent and Sussex Region 9 - Eastern England Region 10 - London Region 11 - East Anglia Region 12 Hampshire, Berkshire, Surrey 10 International

124 MEAB Accredited Schools

For the complete list of accredited schools, visit http://www.montessori.org.uk/msa/accreditation/accreditation_reports. This list is also a regular feature of Montessori International.

USEFUL LINKS
Foundation Years Forum Post your comments, views and questions on anything from support to your ideas on current government programme at this new link, http://foundationyears.org.uk/forum/ Training To help you plan your CPD training workshops and seminars this year access the 2011-2012 MCI Training Directory online at http://www.montessori.org.uk/mci_training

Connect with Montessori

Get all the info on distance learning at

distancelearning.montessori.org.uk
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Upcoming Events
14 January 28 January 4 February 11 February 11 February 25 February 3 March 24 March 19 May 16 June 20 June 7 September R3 Forest School Skills Development Day R3 Infant and Toddler Session with Dawn Nasser (5 sessions 25 Feb, 10 Mar, 28 Apr & 19 May) R11 Preparing for MEAB Accreditation with Dawn Nasser R9 Drama workshop with Chris Manville and Practical Life Session with Sarah Rowledge R7 - The World of Stuff and Possibilities with Gail Alder and Jenni Dutton R8 Non-violent/Compassionate Communication with Tracy Seed at Little Oaks Montessori R5/6 Preparing for MEAB Accreditation with Barbara Isaacs MSA National Conference at the Institute of Education R9 Outdoor Classroom with Wendy Compson R3 EYFS: The New Document MEAB School Leaders Conference R3- Forest School Leader Training (7, 8, 9, 22, 23 Sept) Contact Amanda at a.gilchrist@montessori.org.uk to contribute your news, films and photos.

USEFUL LINKS
Recruiting Staff Advertise your job vacancy online, in the magazine, or on notice boards at MCI by emailing stephanie@montessori.org.uk to place your vacancy. For Montessori job vacancies visit http://www.montessori.org.uk/magazineand-jobs/jobs Montessori Books Purchase new Montessori books, magazine subscriptions or order REACH brochures through our webshop, check out http://shop.montessori.org.uk/ Shopping Our online Montessori International Market Place is now live. Browse through http://www.montessori.org.uk/magazineand-jobs/market_place2 to get the hottest deals, special discounts and latest offers on Montessori products and services

Browse http://www.montessori.org.uk/msa/msa/events_msa for the full list of events. Get contact details of your regional chairs and read more information about Regional Events at http://www.montessori.org.uk/msa/msa/msa_regions

Preferred partners
For more information on our preferred partners, click on the logos:

MEAB
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