“It is the child who makes the man, and no man exists who was not made by the child he once was.”

As a community based Montessori preschool our intention is always to celebrate our philosophical identity and uniqueness, standing proud in the excellent service we provide to our community. Our Centre Philosophy expresses the fundamental beliefs, values and ideals by which we at the Courtyard Montessori Preschool choose to operate.

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Philosophy Statement

The Courtyard Montessori Preschool was established in 1982 to embrace the Montessori philosophy and offer a Montessori education to children and families in Christchurch.  To this day we continue to provide an authentic Montessori education to children growing up in a diverse society that comprises people from a wide variety of cultures and ethnicities.

At the Courtyard Montessori Preschool, we believe each child is a unique individual who has the potential to bring something distinctive and special to the world.  When we think of the ever-changing world, the future must lie in the next generation of children who will appreciate and learn to respect this beautiful planet that they live on.  The Courtyard’s prepared environment facilitates children’s exploration and self‑discovery vital to brain and general development.

It is our aspiration as Early Childhood and Montessori teachers to assist children to discover this inner potential by believing in them as capable individuals who can become lifelong learners.  To achieve each child’s holistic development to the fullest, we strive to build strong trusting relationships between preschool, child family/whanau and the wider community for each child to successfully achieve holistic development.

Our aim is to ensure all our teaching staff are qualified in both Early Childhood and Montessori Education.  Families/whanau and caregivers are recognised as ‘First Educators’ of their children and will be encouraged and given opportunities to share in the life of our preschool.

The Courtyard Montessori Preschool acknowledges Maori as tangata whenua and is committed to Tiriti-based partnerships through our partnerships/relationships with parents/whanau and through our preschool policies and practices.  We are committed to ensuring Maori succeed as Maori while realising their cultural distinctiveness and potential.

We endeavour to explore new ways of working alongside children that are based on collaboration, wonder and respect for what they bring.  Teachers will be at the fore‑front of teaching methods based on research, adapted to reflect our centre community.  We will keep up to date with current research in Early Childhood Education and participate in relevant professional development opportunities that ultimately provide successful outcomes for children.  Mutual respect will be developed through allowing children to express themselves and by responding to their cues and providing for their dispositional learning.

In conjunction with teaching ‘skills for life’ we aim to support children develop ‘ways of being’ which will lead to active roles in a harmonious, co-operative society.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to deliver excellence in Montessori preschool education that meets the needs of all the families within its community. Through our commitment to the Montessori Philosophy we will provide an environment that instils a love of learning in each individual child, while fostering the holistic development of body, mind and spirit leading to the fulfilment of each child’s individual potential.

History

The Courtyard Montessori Preschool that is situated at 99a Somerfield Street has been established since 1990. The preschool is situated on a beautiful established 1500 metre site on the southern side of Christchurch. The Courtyard Montessori Preschool was set up by a group of parents and educationalists determined to bring the choice of Montessori education to Christchurch families.