Shere Montessori Pre-School in Pretoria caters for children between the ages of two and a half and six years old, with tuition in English, and making provision for Afrikaans-language learners.
Shere Montessori Pre-School aims to develop independent, self-motivated and self-disciplined children. This is achieved through a comprehensive Montessori education through a highly-qualified staff. The school atmosphere and structure provides opportunities to children that give them a thorough knowledge of the world around them, making them well-rounded members of society. These opportunities include our environment, social behaviour and respect for others around them.
The Montessori classroom merges children of different ages to work together and at their own pace, selecting the activities that strike their interest, both as individuals and as part of a group. This helps them to develop their strengths, while teacher guidance assists them in paying sufficient attention to the full spectrum of learning areas on offer. This also means that there is a valuable mentorship and peer learning system that benefits all children irrespective of age.
The class activities at Shere closely follow the internationally-recognised Montessori philosophy. Classroom activities include activities covering the different Montessori learning areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Math, Art and Creativity, Language, Geography and Culture, and Science. The group activities are also fulfilling and augment the learning experiences of learners. These include Art, Music and Movement and learners go on nature walks to expand their knowledge and develop a keen sense of environmental awareness.
Classes at Shere Montessori Pre-School maintain a low pupil to teacher ratio. The optimal cycle of child development is a three to four year cycle in the Montessori system. As such, four years at Shere is viewed as optimal for learners, with certain skills and attitudes being allotted according to their developmental stages. The programme is specially organised in order to give children a solid foundation to succeed in their future learning. In their final year, children receive a thorough assessment to determine their school readiness and assign attention to certain areas according to their levels of progress. The result of this system is that children have positive attitudes and the confidence, motivation and discipline to achieve their highest potential throughout their academic years.