Montessori accredited schools - why are there so few of them???

[me4sunny]

I am looking into a nursery and primary montessori school for my DS ... There are a few of them and all are located in and around ... West Heamstead in London (b* if I only knew! I lived thre before getting merried and having children! Would have never moved away!)
anyway - my point is - I am really struggling to find nursery + school anywhere else! We currently live in Watford - any ideas or advise?

There is a Montessori school in Garston but it has a suspiciously mediocre OFSTED report and is not listed on www.montessorieducationuk.org/ ...

Or is all of it not important? How should I establish a good Montessori primary and do you know one?

Berhamstead has several Montessori nurseries I think ... but they as well don't appear on that Montessori accredited list ...

Please help and advise!

I think that there is a fair amount of politics involved within the uk montessori organisation who accredit both the school and I believe individual teachers.

I thought so:-) but how than would one know which school to choose? Nursery is all about gut-feeling but when they go to school ... I can't just change schools if one doesn't work out especially because the approach is so different to the mainstreem school ...

What to do???

Gut instinct is still important at primary school.

Given the non conventional nature I would look very carefully at what happens to the pupils - at what point do they join other schools, and how successfully do they integrate. If the school is successful in this then there should be some parents who have seen older children through the school and have younger siblings still there. I would specifically ask to check that such families exist. If they don't they would indicate to me that parents remove their children simultaneously from the school because they are unhappy.

It is also worth checking when children arrive at the school. Are the majority there from nursery or do they have a significant number transfer in after having difficulties in other schools?

and how far awawy would you look for a school? I am a full time working mum and my nanny doesn't drive (and doesn't want to learn to drive either) would you concider a school/nursery that is 40 -60 minutes away by public transport or is it unreasonable?

No. If it is that important to you, then you have to move closer. You cannot impose a 2 hour commute on your child, let alone 4 hours of commuting on your nanny. Do bear in mind that there will be times when you have to get to the nursery too.