Philosophy

Our program is based on the Montessori Philosophy which was developed as a result of years of patient and scientific observation of children in all areas of their day to day life.

Quote: “There is a great sense of community within the Montessori classroom, where children of differing ages work together in an atmosphere of cooperation rather than competitiveness. There is respect for the environment and for the individuals within it, which comes through experience of freedom within the community.”

Dr Maria Montessori (as cited in Elizabeth Hainstock, 1986, p. 81 – The Essential Montessori)

• We recognise all children as individuals and acknowledge their interests and stages of development
• Our Montessori programme and environment is purposefully designed for children to freely choose learning experiences and specialised Montessori activities and equipment that both interest and challenge them
• We believe learning occurs both inside the classroom and outside the classroom
• We believe in giving each child time to develop at their own pace, and we emphasise the potential of each child
• We acknowledge a child’s need to learn by doing
• Within the Montessori philosophy we encourage children to be independent, ‘self managing’ individuals who are respectful of others and themselves and are self-determining
• As teachers, we see our role as providers of a loving, welcoming, safe, and caring environment, which fosters the child’s interests and facilitates their ability to learn, grow, and develop. To do this, we constantly assess their current stage of development and assist them to progress to the next
• We aim to foster competent, adaptive, responsible citizens who are creative problem solvers and contributors to a peaceful and sustainable society
• Our strong belief in Montessori education guides us to provide a specially prepared learning environment in which the child’s personal growth is valued as much as their academic achievements
• We believe that children are naturally curious and interested in learning and we work alongside them to support their development of a disposition towards life-long learning. At PMK we work to provide them with intriguing learning materials as they spontaneously investigate, explore and discover
• We aim to provide a high quality, rich and diverse curriculum that supports the child’s holistic development
• We offer specialised classes in music, art, language (Spanish) and cooking
• Each child is presented with many opportunities for mutual co–operation and team work, an experience necessary for today’s child in preparation for their future.

Quote: “Preventing conflicts is the work of politics: establishing peace is the work of education.”  Montessori, M. (1992). Education and Peace.  Oxford: Clio Press. p. 24.