The Maria Montessori Preschool is a small authentic Montessori neighbourhood school on the slopes of Devil's Peak, Cape Town. Jenny Mason (BA hons) completed her AMI Montessori training in the UK and has owned and run this neighbourhood school since April 1994.

 

Jenny is passionate about creating safe and inclusive spaces, free from blame, shame or punishment. This offers children the opportunity to learn without judgement in an environment where expectations are clear and mistakes are part of the process. Children how to express their feelings and to listen to others.

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The school, beneath Jenny's home, is a child sized space with four interleading rooms and a garden where children play in the shade of a large Bauhinia tree. Children move freely between the classroom and the garden in a warm, nurturing environment.

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Having first been shown by a more experienced peer or Jenny, the Montessori materials allow children to work independently and accurately with the practical life, language, sensorial, mathematics and culture materials - on their own or collaboratively. The highly structured step at a time learning process, follows the child's ability and pace. The absence of failure builds confident and creative children.