Cherry Tree Montessori

General information

Welcome to Cherry Tree Montessori Nursery in East Dulwich. We are a Montessori setting which is based on the principals of an Italian doctor, born in 1870, called Maria Montessori.

Maria Montessori noticed that if children were given the opportunity to select to partake in a challenging task appropriate to their developmental stage, they quickly became absorbed and gratified by that task.

The Montessori approach and resources help to identify any hidden learning impairments such as "Speech" "Hearing" and "Visual - Sight".

Montessori is about encouraging and enabling children to think independently via their own exploration and problem-solving abilities. Contrary to what is sometimes believed, although the children often work individually, they have the freedom to work with others if they wish and findings show they will often spontaneously help one another and support the group as a whole.

In Montessori schools, the child is seen as a unique sensory being and they aim to challenge each of the five senses throughout their education. There are no ‘formal’ lessons as such - but rather, all subjects on the curriculum are explored by individual and practical experience at the child’s own pace and development.

There is adult initiated play to introduce children to the Montessori resources, to give the children stimulation as well as challenging them at the same time. We find that this allows the children to benefit from quality playtime.