Montessori nurseries - are they as good as they sound and how much are they, roughly?

[bohemianbint]

I really like the sound of them and think DS would really benefit, but money a huge factor. Are they significantly better than regular nurseries? I don't think there's many locally unfortunately either, but am just generally interested in case circumstances change.

Don't know how much better they are, but the ones round here (Hampshire) charge about £12.50 compared to the £8 or so for "usual" pre-schools. (Don't know if the Montessori schools can register to take the nursery vouchers? Might help if you only had to pay the difference?)

montessori in my area is the same price but apart from wooden toys appears to be the same as the good other nurseries

Here they are same price too as regural ones and my one accepts childcare vouchers. The reason I choose montessori one is that's the closest to our home and they had good staff turnover and any other reason you usually look from nursery, don't think they're actually much different from any other ones.

A proper Montessori should organise the time and activities according to Montessori principles, which are quite specific. Is it an official Montessori nursery, accredited with the UK Montessori society?

DD2 attended a Montessori pre-school (in France, she is still there in the primary school now) which was and is excellent, she developed a very firm grounding in all sorts of concepts. It was a million times better than the other options locally but we would have happily left her at her previous non-Montessori pre-school had we not moved.

I hope that makes sense. It's all relative, is what I'm saying...

Oh, of course they have the principles they follow and it's all great, i love all that! But if I had a great 'regular' nursery locally I would have considered it too, I just didn't choose montessori because of it's method of teaching - it has great staff and happy children, including my DD now

Dd goes to a Montessori nursery and I love it. But I think most of that is down to the atmosphere of the place and the natures of the keyworkers and carers, and not the Montessori tag. Dd (17mo) goes two days a week, at £36 per day.

imo they are not "better" than other nurseries - you can get good/bad ones in different areas/philosophies

we rejected a place at a montessori nursery in favour of a small, community nursery and never looked back (the montessori one was freakishly quiet and gloomy)

This is my experience of montessori nursery.

"Our nursery routine sounds a bit like what Soapbox desribed. the teachers are always interacting with the children when they are carrying out activities. DD comes back with oodles of drawings and craft activities most days - lots of painting, sticking etc"

er this is what happens at most nurseries I've been to

and they're not "teachers" (usually)

ds2 goes to a montessori nursery - he's nearly 4 and its fab, he loves it.

Montessori is scary tbh.

Take time to find a good state run preschool.

'Not expensive either I pay just under 700 pcm'

Good lord that's a lot.

anniemac is right it is cheap if that is a full time place in London.

surely a full time preschool place is at most 15 hours per week?

Hardly cheap.

I thought it was a nursery, no? if it's just part time then no, not cheap

DS loves his montessori nursery.
It was the best option for us and for him. It suits his personality and he's very confident there whereas he was quiet and withdrawn at the one he was initially meant to go to.
not gloomy in the slightest, one whole wall is huge windows looking out to a big field and a tor, beautiful collages on the wall and the kids are all very happy from what i can see.
our costs are covered mostly by his childcare vouchers we just pay for him to stay for lunch between the morning and afternoon sessions.
It's true there are some equally good normal nurseries. but i didn't find one in my area.

At one we visited, which was run absolutely along Montessori lines, I just could not see ds being happy to sit quietly for an hour playing with some keys on a tray...or indeed, building and rebuilding the famous pink tower.

Another Montessori nursery seemed much jollier - and his teacher at the pre-school nursery he eventually went to was Montessori trained and she was possibly the teacher who has had the greates and most beneficial effect on his outlook on learning and playing for pleasure.

I suspect it is down to the individual nursery - same as with any other nursery. There is a mother on the SN board having a dreadful time with a Montessori nursery which clearly has no clue!

have a look at this too

TDWP - a state pre-schoolnursery is for 2hrs 10 mins a day- no use at all if you need a nursery that offers f/t childcare!

also, a friend of mine trained to work in a montessori nursery and was made "directress" (ugh, terrible title!) almost instantly, on real pittance wages...

I was confused as some seem to be talking of preschools, some of nurseries (which some people use to mean preschool). My DC use both.