Welcome to our website, we hope you will enjoy reading about what we do.
Walthamstow Montessori School is a very special place in a lovely part of Walthamstow.
I have been a Montessori directress for 35 years now. I am also a lecturer, examiner and consultant in the methodology.
I first discovered the Montessori method when I was a nanny. The family who I worked for mentioned the method to me and it sounded intriguing, so off I went to the local library to research it (this was before the convenience of searching the internet on our phones!).
I had wanted to be a teacher for as long as I could remember but, after two years volunteering in a local primary school and hearing so many experienced teachers who were seemingly so disillusioned by teaching, I was confused. I decided to go and visit some Montessori schools and see the difference for myself. I was in awe of what I saw and felt so excited by this approach – the learning environments, the equipment and the passion of the teachers was infectious! I convinced my own parents that being a Montessori teacher was for me. I visited the Montessori training college in central London and was offered a place to study there under fantastic Montessorians.
I received the best possible training and had placements in wonderful and inspiring Montessori schools with some very special teachers. I loved these placements and I was hungry to learn everything I could.
I then spent 10 years teaching children mainly from 2 to 8 years of age. During that time I also studied for my Montessori Advanced course and so I am qualified to teach children up to the age of 11 years too. I also did my lecturer training and begun working as a lecturer, tutor and examiner at St Nicholas Montessori College, Montessori Centre International and Rainbow Montessori Training College.
I became the employed head of a school when I was 26 and loved bringing the method to children in many different schools in different areas. I loved mentoring and training staff – and visiting Montessori schools in other parts of the world is always very enjoyable.
I moved to Walthamstow in 1996 (my family have been in E17 for over 150 years). My daughter was born in 1998. I started meeting lots of local parents at groups and they would all ask me where I was going to be sending my daughter to nursery (given that they thought I had relevant experience and insight!). I couldn’t find anywhere near enough to send my daughter to and so these parents encouraged me to consider creating a small home-based Montessori group. Word spread about this and I had many families from all over London contacting me to ask if their child could also have a place. I held a public meeting in Walthamstow Village and realised that I had a whole community of parents who wanted the same thing. I started looking for a premises that would be right for us. The school opened in April 2001. We opened in a building where my parents and great grandparents had been married. We outgrew that building almost immediately and started looking for a bigger premises. We moved to Penrhyn Hall in October 2002 and it’s been my second home ever since! The school expanded rapidly and, for 15 years, we had children up to the age of 11. Our youngest children are at our Penrhyn Hall building; they then move up to our Children’s House which is 7 minutes’ walk away on the junction of Chingford Road and Brookscroft Road. My grandparents were married there and I have photos from 75 years ago of my mother as a child as a bridesmaid to her own aunt and uncle.
Both buildings are incredibly special spaces with so much light and space and lovely large gardens. The buildings have lots of history too and are well placed in Walthamstow. The park and library are near to us and buses stop very close by. We are equidistant to Walthamstow Central and Blackhorse Road tube stations and mainline rail stations.
We have a very experienced staff team of over 30 who all share my enthusiasm and passion about Montessori education and who are so committed to early years education.
I am lucky enough to work with some truly gifted teachers. My fellow class teacher from the first school that I worked in 34 years ago still works with me today and this brings me so much happiness.
Our curriculum is broad and exciting: we have a full-time Forest school teacher, ballet teacher, art teachers, music teacher, Italian teacher (Dr Maria Montessori was Italian) and tennis teacher.
No two days at WMS are ever the same! Please have a look at the weekly newsletters that are all stored on this website to see just a small part of what we do each week. We find it very hard each week to try and summarise our days to fit into the newsletter! We hope you enjoy reading these as much as we do!
Over the years many many children and families have come to WMS. Eight former WMS parents have trained as Montessori teachers after their child was with us. We provide Montessori training placements for teachers too. We also regularly have former WMS children back to do work experience, which is such a delight, and we have also had the children from one of our first WMS pupils attending. A former WMS pupil, now grown up, reflects on their time at WMS:
WMS was such a lovely, safe, stable space for me during a period of my childhood when I most needed that and some of my fondest childhood memories came from your school. WMS will truly always have a special place in my heart.The relationship the teachers build with the students is really unlike anything I have ever had at any other school, and the small class sizes meant I really did feel seen, heard and supported growing up at WMS in ways that I felt were lacking in my later schools.I just couldn’t imagine anything more wonderful than coming along and helping to support children in the same way I was supported as a child at WMS now that I am an adult.The Montessori environment is something which I have never forgotten, even as a teenager and I would really enjoy being somewhere that is so treasured to me.
Somehow the 25 years since we opened has flown by. Montessori teaching is still the most wonderful method and way of learning and of life!
I also provide support and training to students, parents and mentors, and provide consultancy to other schools and nurseries.
My own daughter, who was pupil number 1 at WMS when we opened, is now a qualified and very experienced teacher herself having grown up with education for young children all around her.
At WMS our children thrive in a nurturing and safe environment where small class sizes ensure that every child is known and is given the opportunity to develop at their own pace with the right level of encouragement and challenge.
Any school is a very busy place, but we pride ourselves on building strong relationships with all of the families that come to us, and we love sharing with you what we do. When you phone our office you will always speak to a really lovely, friendly person for whom nothing is too much trouble. Our admin team are extremely experienced in all matters to do with young children and ensure that everyone stays safe and safeguarded.
I am delighted that you are considering WMS for your child’s education and I hope to be able to meet you to show you our school so that you can really experience the warmth and excitement of a true Montessori education for yourself and to see what it’s like for a child here.
Please see our admissions process for full details of how to apply for a place with us.
Yours faithfully,
Lorna Mahoney
Principal and Founder
