montessori schools

[jenny2998]

i have been looking into the whole issue of education for my son who is 3. I like the idea of a montessori school, but my main concern is that the local one educates children up to the age of 11 and I feel having been educated to the montessori principles up to 11, it would then be very much more difficult to integrate into a "normal" school. Does anyone have any thoughts, ideas or experiences they could share.

[hwr]

I posted before about steiner schools as this is the "alternative " education system i have personal experience of. I'm sure that the same ideas about school transfer would apply for Montessori to "normal" school though. Children at my school swapped in and out of the steiner system and everyone left at 16, the only person I heard about who had problems went from Steiner to a very traditional public school (bowing at the headmaster type place). As the montessori school finishes at 11 they must be used to preparing kids for the transition, perhaps see if there are parents there with children who have made the switch and ask about their experiences. Also finding out as much as possible about the ethos of local senior schools and which would best suit your son (nearer the time) and if there are any schools preferred by ex-montessori parents. HTH

[Doddle]

My mother-in-law who was a head teacher has been actively encouraging us to send our son to a Montessori school. She felt that children she had taught at secondary level transfered very well into the stae system. She also thinks the children were more rounded and mature than those who had been through the state primary system.