‘Education should no longer be mostly imparting of knowledge, but must take a new path, seeking the release of human potentialities.’

Maria Montessori

In September 2008 the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) came into force placing, for the first time, a legal requirement on all early years’ providers to comply with the Government’s learning, development and welfare requirements for 0-5 year-olds. In addition the EYFS obliges early years’ providers to deliver these requirements through the approach specified in the statutory guidance unless they can demonstrate and articulate clear reasons for delivering the aims in a different way.

EYFS is based on four principles which are each attached to a ‘theme’. The learning and development requirements of the EYFS are organised within these themes:

• Every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured (A Unique Child).
• Children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person (Positive Relationships).
• The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children's development and learning (Enabling Environments).
• Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of Learning and Development are equally important and inter-connected (Learning and Development).

The purpose of this document is to outline how the statutory requirements related to learning and development are met through the alternative developmental approach to education pioneered by Dr Montessori and practised today in over 20,000 Montessori schools around the world.

In many respects, these principles sit very comfortably within the framework of the Montessori approach. The overall motivation behind Montessori education is to support the natural development of the human child into maturity. When the child experiences environments prepared appropriately for his age, and has the freedom to act within those environments throughout his development, the natural state of the mature adolescent is to be comfortable with his place in the world.

Montessori education is structured into age-groups that follow the developmental stages of the child into adulthood; infancy (0-6 years), childhood (6-12 years), adolescence (12-18 years) and maturity (18-24 years). Montessori environments for infants are widespread in the UK and around the world. Globally, there are also significant numbers of primary classes including some 25 in the UK. The environments for each age-group reflect the different developmental needs. Although there are many Montessori communities for children aged 0-3 years in the UK, this document relates to Montessori practice for children aged between 2 ½ and 6 years.

In these years the essential elements of the individual’s character and personality are created and the structure of the mind is laid down. Central to all Montessori practice is the understanding that the creative energy for this formative work resides within the child. The task of the adult is twofold: first, to prepare environments that support the child’s natural development and secondly to give the guidance to link the child to this environment so that he can find what he needs to create himself.

The over-arching aim of the EYFS is to help children achieve the ‘Every Child Matters’ outcomes. These aims, for children and young people aged 0-19, are to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being. This is also the aim of Montessori Education.