Families’ questions about early learning
How does a young child learn best?
What do these educational philosophies believe: Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia?
How do they enrich our work at The Olive Tree?
How does this sit alongside the British curriculum?
Placing your child at the heart of her/his learning
At The Olive Tree, we draw on the three traditions of Montessori, Reggio Emilia and Waldorf to some extent, synthesising elements of each and fusing them with the aims of the English National Curriculum.
The result makes for a robust, inspiring start to school life, and places your child at the heart of every hour of her/his learning.
Child-centred philosophies of education
The three main philosophies have at their core a deep trust in every child’s innate capacity and desire to learn, and a belief in the child’s power to create that learning for him/herself.
The differences between the three traditions lie in their beliefs about the best conditions for learning: physical spaces, activities, materials, interactions with others, and the role of the adult.
So how do the child-centred philosophies show up in our Saplings class (ages 3-5)?
Reggio Emilia: how does it inspire us?
From Reggio Emilia, we draw on the principles of learning through close relationships and project-based learning. Teachers listen and observe closely each child’s interests and conversations; the adult then uses these prompts to set up ‘provocations’ (activities and projects) that will promote creativity and problem solving. The adult steps back and allows the child to create her/his own solutions and understanding. Our classroom and garden are full of these sensory, experiential activities.
Reggio also teaches us to value the process over the product; learning is an endless, beautiful journey, never a finished product.
Montessori: how does it inspire us?
From Montessori, we draw on practical life skills: real tools, activities and materials such as wood and fabric instead of plastic. This tradition encourages the adult to prepare individual activities, then step back and invite the child to direct and create his/her own learning.
Creativity in this tradition comes from within the child; it cannot be taught by the adult. The adult observes, then offers new structured activities to further the learning.
We also love Montessori’s mixed-age approach; we know that a child learns from other children as much, or more, than from adults.
Waldorf: how does it inspire us?
The Steiner-Waldorf tradition teaches us to place great emphasis on the imaginative power of the arts and the world around us; magical stories, poetry, songs, baking, gardening, sewing and textiles, rich colours, the natural world and its seasons. The adult is more present here, guiding and gently teaching the skills of each art form.
In our school, we also love the soft, muted lighting and warm, homely feel of Waldorf spaces.
However, unlike in Waldorf schools, where literacy and mathematics are only introduced at age 7, we at The Olive Tree do start early reading, writing and maths when we see that a 3-5 year old child is ready; these skills can be deeply exciting and empowering for children.
The National Curriculum of England & Wales: our framework
As a British school, we pay close attention to the UK government’s National Curriculum of England & Wales for our 3-5s, known as the EYFS Areas of Learning and Development.
There are seven areas, each of which gives us clear targets for our children aged 3-4 and 4-5.
These targets are reached by our children through inspiring daily activities, many of them rooted in the traditions of Montessori, Reggio and Waldorf.
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Personal, Social, Emotional Development
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
What does The Olive Tree add that is uniquely ours to this mix?
- To this rich blend we add our own Olive Tree ingredients:
- a small number of pupils per teacher
- warm, trusting bonds between child-adult
- our ethos of gentle care: care for the self, for others and for our world
- a balance between exploratory learning and teacher guidance
- a mix of personalised learning and group activities
- inspiring questions to awaken critical thinking
- close, supportive dialogue with families
Come and meet us soon
We’d love to meet you and your child at our next Open Morning.
You’ll be able to spend time with us in our beautiful Saplings classroom, gardens and library; your child is welcome to paint, garden, climb, explore, build and play!
Audrey Reeder
Headteacher
