Spitalgate Church of England Primary School this term became only the fourth maintained primary school in England to introduce Montessori methods.
The school's business manager, Debra Moore, secured £20,000 in funding from the charity Montessori St Nicholas, funding which has been matched by the school.
Over the summer the classrooms at Spitalgate were refurbished with wooden furniture and other resources and equipment, and the EYFS teaching staff received training on how to use the equipment at the Montessori International School in London. Several of the staff and teaching assistants are now studying the foundation course in Montessori Education.
Ms Moore said parents had commented on improvements to children's behaviour at home.
She said, 'We have found that after giving children the freedom to learn at their own pace, choosing, trying and doing for themselves, they are building in confidence, self-esteem and concentration.
'Children become independent very quickly. Even the three-year-olds - if they spill something they go and get a cloth and clear it up.'
One parent said, 'There is a notable change in my daughter's social skills and I can tell that she is benefiting from a nurturing environment, as well as learning values such as friendship, independence and individuality.'
Ms Moore said it was apt that children from Spitalgate, an area with high unemployment and over half of the children on free school meals, were benefiting from Maria Montessori's philosophy, which was developed to teach deprived children in Rome over 100 years ago.
Montessori has been credited with improving attainment levels at Gorton Mount Primary in Manchester, the first state school to use the method since the 1920s (News 7 July 2005 and 23 March 2006).
Further information
www.montessori.org or emaildvd@montessori.org.uk for a free DVD 'Discovering Montessori with Tan Ramsay'.