Playwright Bonnie Greer (right) presented the certificates at the annual graduation ceremony and Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation Board (MEAB) school awards.
More than 120 of the 500 students Montessori Centre International teaches every year on diploma, foundation degree and continued professional development courses were honoured.
This year saw more students than ever studying for a Montessori foundation degree after Student Finance England became a designated financial support provider for the course.
MCI’s director of studies Penny Johns said, ‘We are delighted that MCI is now a designated provider for Student Finance. The financial incentive has opened up many more opportunities for students to study on our foundation degree course’.
Fifteen Montessori schools were presented with MEAB accreditation as part of the evening. MEAB is a quality improvement scheme created by MCI to acknowledge and support good Montessori practice in Montessori Schools’ Association (MSA) member settings.
All accredited schools and nurseries carry the MEAB logo and a plaque to display in their setting.
The proportion of MSA members with MEAB accreditation is now approaching 25 per cent, with 156 Montessori settings across the country receiving the endorsement since it was established in 2007.
Michele Dows-Miller, deputy accreditation officer for the MEAB scheme, said, 'It is a testament to all MEAB participants that the scheme is now beginning to be recognised as a benchmark, not only for good Montessori practice but for good early years’ practice as a whole. It is committed to continue to improve practice for the benefit of all those involved with a setting – children, parents, staff and students.’
The MSA was set up by the Montessori St. Nicholas Charity in 2004 to offer practitioners the opportunity to be represented within the national education forum. There are now more than 650 MSA schools and 4,000 individual members.
