New Montessori free primary school opening in my area - good or not?

[SimLondon]

It looks like a brand new Montessori free primary school will be opening, possibly my nearest primary in time for dd starting school. I'm a bit unsure about this, on the one hand it could be brilliant but on the other hand I've heard about the 'Discovery School' in Sussex being borderline closed down. I want DD to have the best education that suits her, that I can manage - I'm also skeptical, I don't want to be a guinea pig. Any thoughts?

I wouldn't send my kid to an untested school, especially one a bit 'out there' in its educational philosophy. The fate of the Discovery New School just goes to show what could possibly go wrong in the first two years before ofsted are due.

I wouldn't but then I chose not to send to a montessori pre school as I don't like some of the under lying ideas.

I wouldn't call Montessori "out there". It's not dissimilar to the EYFS which is based on a child led approach.

My ds goes to a Montessori pre- school and it's brilliant. Much better than the other nurseries I looked at.

The things I'd look for are the qualifications of the head and other teachers and their Montessori experiences. Are they accredited or just adopting the ideas? You get good Montessori and crap.

I'd love a Montessori school near me.

As a parent at Discovery New School with two boys there, they have loved school and excelled there. I would highly recommend a Montessori School, just would never go to another free school ever again. The risk of what has happened to us as a community could happen again... would you risk puttng your children in school that can be closed in 7 months from failing an ofsted visit. Montessori will only work in the state system with a curriculum that is both Montessori and National Curriculum. Which if we had been given the chance is something we were about to do. Failed in so many ways by founders, previous managment and Dfe. It is now our children who suffer.

Sorry to hear that SaveDNS, I don't know what the current situation with Discovery is?

Our proposed school is a free school, however they do plan to split the day between Montessori and the national curiculeem. There is also a heavy involvement from the Montessori association which I believe wasn't the case initially with Discovery.

Can I ask what you mean by 'your kids excelled there'? I thought ofsted clamped down on Discovery because the teaching wasn't up to scratch but obviously I've only seen media headlines.

I thought the whole point of a free school is that it doesn't have to follow the national curriculum?

I went to a montessori nursery and infant school and my parents swear by it and say they could tell the difference between me and my sisters in terms of the way in which we learned and approached tasks (by the time my sisters came along they could no longer afford the montessori school fees.)

I think it depends on the personality of your child. If your child needs a lot of structure and encouragement I would not choose a Montessori school. If your child is very independent and learns easily it may be brilliant.

Failure of DNS comes down to the founders who then became the management. Teachers lacked guidance and proper leadership.
Children have done really well which for me this has way out weighed the previous issues.
New management and trust just not given the time to show this. Would recommend going to all the meeting they offer before opening and do all your homework. Check out governors and their experience to hold management to account.
As far as having Montessori support that is virtual, we have only just got this for several reasons.
The Montessori environment is a wonderful way to learn and I cannot fault that at all.
It may it suit every child but it suited my boys and I only wish it could continue.
Out if interest where is the school?

If the Montessori Association is heavily involved, I'd say that's a good sign. They'll probably be keen to give this school all the support they can, in order to show that it wasn't the Montessori system itself that was at fault with DNS.