Marshwood Montessori Preschool

This Montessori preschool employs teachers who have a rigorous expectation to put the children's best interests first in everything. While we came and stayed for the calm and loving nature of the school (really, children cry here way less than any other preschool I've observed!), the teachers are extremely capable educators with years of Montessori training each. The Director is very selective about who she hires, even working with the owners to keep enrolment lower until she could find excellent teachers during post-covid rehabilitation. Our highly sensory and reactionary child has thrived here, credit to the thoughtfully observant teachers who have learned how every individual child works best. Our only trouble has been that the hours are only until 430pm, making it harder for us as working parents. Yet the quality of the care and education provided here is so high we have happily worked around this. While the school does work within a Montessori framework, we didn't enrol for this philosophy. We feel the children all benefit from specific observations made by the teachers each day, leading to a real partnership between the parents and teachers. In short, it feels like we have a staff of child psychologists working with our kids every day. We get to discuss the day every time we come in, and teachers are always available for consultation. The outside area used to be the local PlayCentre, so it's an inviting and expansive fenced back section with trees, gardens, play areas, play structures, water features, tall grasses for the children to tunnel through, and sandpit. Giant, light-filled rooms open to the outdoors. There are lots of parent involvement opportunities and teachers are available through the app for pictures and sharing learning stories.