Design Concept
General description of the philosophy of design and construction
All the spaces in our schools have been designed as prepared environments that promote the learning and development of our students. The exterior and interior spaces are open plan. Every detail has been considered with an educational outlook while also ensuring the design is innovative and aesthetically pleasing. The environments that we have created allow for free and easy movement, awakening children’s curiosity and aiming to foster integration within our community.
Creation of a Montessori environment
In Montessori, the prepared environment is the physical and psychological space in which the child can find everything they need for independent learning and their development process.
- Physical environment: it is arranged in a way that is accessible to children. This means that we use furniture (shelves, tables, chairs…), tools and resources adapted to the height and characteristics of children. While the learning materials are always freely available to students, there are also clear and consistent rules in the classroom. The materials are scientifically designed to promote independence, confidence, knowledge, and intelligence.
- The psychological aspect of the environment are the Guides and Assistants who have been trained and have experience in working with children. The Guides and Assistants tailor the learning process for each individual child. They will also encourage good behaviour and a positive attitude towards work and towards their fellow students. The Guides plan the daily activities which they will undertake with each child and carry out ongoing observation to record their progress. The Guides maintain a close relationship with the families so they can work together to help in the child’s development.
The school as the first teaching material
In addition to traditional factors such as the curriculum, pedagogy, food, teachers, and facilities, at Imagine Montessori School we are focused on another fundamental aspect: creating a school that contributes to the well-being of everyone concerned.
According to the report by Schools for Health, (Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health) the school building affects the health and performance of the student. By the time a student graduates from school, they will have spent more than 15,000 hours there, second only to the home in terms of time spent indoors.
With this in mind, we have created an environment in which the ideal conditions are created to benefit the students well-being while contributing to their cognitive, physiological, social and emotional development. This environment also serves to transmit a message of sustainability to the students.
Our commitment to nature and society
We incorporate sustainability as a way of life into our educational system. A few day to day examples of this are recycling, minimising kitchen waste, creating green spaces that contribute to local biodiversity, using renewable energy sources and applying the principles of rainwater recovery for use in irrigation.
