Oxford Montessori Schools

www.oxfordmontessori.co.uk  

Buy your tickets from Emma, Rita, Victoria, Katie and Florence.

Do not forget to write your details on the back. Good luck and see you all on Friday (if you can not be there, we will keep your prizes safe!!).

Florence Darby.

Oxford Montessori Schools
 (in 20/10, We celebrate 20 years running our nursery schools & ten years at Forest Farm primary & senior school)
 (Iffley Village, Wolvercote & Forest Farm, Elsfield)  www.oxfordmontessori.co.uk / oms.schools@btconnect.com

Great News!  A 100% pass rate and fantastic grades at IGCSE!
 

High academic standards, a unique amount of freedom, an ethos that trusts children to self motivate, a philosophy that teaches independence, creativity and a broad range of life skills = GREAT EXAM RESULTS (AGAIN) 

We're absolutely thrilled with the students performance. WELL DONE TO YOU ALL:-)

In our November IGCSE session we are delighted to inform you that the students achieved these fantastic results ....

We look forward to seeing you and working with your children for the rest of the term.  If you are considering Forest Farm as an option for your child we would be very happy to show the school and all its facilities...

Keep in touch with us!

     and our web site at OXFORD MONTESSORI SCHOOLS





Daniel Ardizzone

Oxford Montessori Schools
(in 20/10, We celebrate 20 years running our nursery schools & ten years at Forest Farm primary & senior school)
(Iffley Village, Wolvercote & Forest Farm, Elsfield)  www.oxfordmontessori.co.uk / oms.schools@btconnect.com

Forest Farm News!
 
A Fantastic Fireworks Night.  Thanks so much to all those who helped. 

 This from Florence (Iffley's supervisor)

• Last chance to join IGCSE Biology. The tutor is our inspiring Matt Morton. Students would take exams next summer. Until then why not come up to the the beautiful farm school at Forest Farm Elsfield this Thursday and next for taster workshops and see how you get on? The Cambridge University International (IGCSE) offers a rich, broad and exciting curriculum.

• Save the planet. Well study to save it at least!  We're offering a two year course in Environmental Management starting after Christmas.
• Students following Key Stage 4 level (Cambridge IGCSE) - Cost is £340 per subject, per term.  Fantastic value in a unique environment.

The Advisers Parents Group.  'Your Views Shape Our Schools'

  We will soon be launching our next parent survey. OMS staff will shape the questions as we focus on insights from you that can help us further meet the needs of your children.

The surveys are one aspect of the Oxford Montessori Advisers Group.  See here for more information / newsletters etc.

By 'liking' the Oxford Montessori Advisers Group you will see news and general updates on your face book profile 

Keep in touch with us...

More and more we're updating Facebook pages to provide you with as it happens information, please be sure to 'like' the pages so you see the updates automatically in your profiles if you use Facebook...

If you don't use Facebook why not give it a try.  You may find it a better way to keep in touch with us, less time intensive than checking email or our web site.  Just click on the links below and then 'like' the page in the box you'll at the top of the page...

• Oxford Montessori Schools
• The Advisers Group 

We update Facebook with news and views on the schools and education in general.  If you're interested in following  and joining in with any issues raised 'click' ...

Create Holiday Club

With emphasis on the arts and bushcraft Create's popularity continues to grow.  This half term (Autumn) we had to turn children away.  So please avoid disappointment and make sure you book early HERE.


WHAT'S been keeping us busy?

At Forest Farm there's been a steady stream of improvements in the buildings.  New lighting outside for the shorter days, new electrical system in the DT room, new heating in the nursery, DT barn and shortly in the primary class.  There's a whole new carpentry room decked out with traditional woodworking too.  Thanks to Matt for all his work on this.  Thanks as well to Gary for the electrical work and to Adrian for the plumbing. Great work!  Take a look Here


New Progress Reporting System for the Seniors....

You have now been sent links to our new progress reports system. Many parents have found it a useful tool to track children's progress and overall well being at OMS.  The system is updated shortly after each workshop by the tutor responsible.

Saturday BushCrafters

We're planning a series of exciting bushcraft sessions on SATURDAYS.  So if you have a seven year old and above who would like to get out of the house, drink gallons of fresh air; learn how to observe nature and make wonderful natural things under the skilled guidance of Matt Morton find out more...

More details:


Snows!  Winter's closing in and there are already reports of snow on the way. Are you ready?

Last year we closed for 3 days during the worst of the heavy snows.  This year it's likely to happen again.  Staff could not get in, parents could not reach us.  The reads were dreadful.  Alex Koelbl who has a child at the Iffley nusery has put together this useful guide designed to make driving in poor conditions safer...

Driving in wintry conditions

Vienna is a city where it snows regularly. Wintry conditions in Vienna are very much like they have been in Oxford this winter - it snows, the snow stays for a bit, gets dirty and slushy, and finally melts away. This cycle can repeat a few times each winter. So unlike ski resorts, where the snow stays all winter long, city people usually have to deal with changing conditions depending where and when they drive. Please find below my thoughts and recommendations on common measures for driving in winter. I hope they help you in some small way.

• Winter tyres -They are made out of a rubber compound which stays soft at low temperatures. Usually people have them on rims and change all four wheels every half year. This way the summer tyres do not wear as fast as when driving them the whole year round. Modern winter tyres are as comfortable to drive as summer tyres and don't have anything to do with the tractor-like tyres you see on some Landrovers. Of all the measures listed here, winter tyres make the biggest difference. Highly recommended for winters in Oxfordshire as they are a cheap measure and very effective. If you want to buy winter tyres, try here: http://mytyres.co.uk/
• 4WD - This is often quoted in the UK as the only method to get through snow. I think this is wrong. Few people I know have a car with 4WD and they still make it comfortably through snowy winters, while driving through hilly areas. It definitely helps, but is not a prerequisite. It is also more expensive to buy and to operate. And don't forget that a 4WD is much more effective with winter tyres. Good when you have it, but not a must-have for winters in Oxfordshire
• Studded tyres (spikes) - Also often quoted when I hear people in the UK talking about driving in snow. They do not give any more grip in snow or slush. It only helps on ice. On the other hand, they extend the stopping distance, are more expensive than normal winter tyres and destroy the roads. Not recommended for winters in Oxfordshire
• Snow chains - They help driving in snow. Modern chains can be put on in minutes, and you should remove them right away when you are back on a clear road. Not recommended for winters in Oxfordshire
• Ice scraper - I recommend only using an ice scraper when removing the ice from the windscreen and windows, no chemicals or hot water. Chemicals are not necessary and hot water might crack your windows. Use an ice scraper which has a strong plastic blade. Metal blades might damage the glass.
• Snow brush - I haven't seen dedicated car snow brushes in any UK shop. Use a small broom to sweep off all snow from the car for the safety of you and people driving behind you
• Salt grit - In Austria only used for motorways as it is said to damage plants and trees
• Stone grit - Used a lot on roads and paths. It helps cars and pedestrians alike on snow, slush and even ice.

Replacing Signage

Our painted signs at Forest Farm need replacing, here's the first design for their replacements.  Any comments?

Finally, this years Christmas Show at Forest Farm is Bugsy Malone.  All welcome.



The children are very excited. Take a look here at 'Getting ready for Bugsy'

That's all for now folks!

We look forward to seeing you and working with your children for the rest of the term. 




Daniel Ardizzone

  


Oxford Montessori Schools.  Learning Environments Based on Children's Developmental Needs

01865 358210 / www.oxfordmontessori.co.uk / oms.schools@btconnect.com
Wolvercote, Iffley & Forest Farm School.  Elsfield.  Oxford.  OX3 9UW. 

(Iffley Village, Wolvercote & Forest Farm, Elsfield)  www.oxfordmontessori.co.uk / oms.schools@btconnect.com

     

Ofsted - the verdict, your valuable advice and a threat to our nurseries

Ofsted - we couldn't have done it without you.  See below for the full report / our action plan etc...

 Revamped play space at Forest Farm.  Great for Create but all year round use for nursery, primary & Seniors too.

Ofsted have finally come back to us and we're delighted to inform you that the school has achieved an overall 'Good' in most key areas.  We are really delighted and thankful to you, the teachers and children who have made this possible.  The inspectors were particularly impressed with the children's enthusiasm, their nature, and achievements, our administration systems, the quality of our teaching and the overall environment.  They also expressed surprise at how quickly we had developed the senior school and how well it was running.  Overall we see the achievement as a step up from the inspection we had some 5 years ago.  We've already acted on the areas raised for improvements and an action plan will be published shortly detailing these in relation to our overall school development plan ...

But what does 'Good' mean we hear you cry?  They say Ofsted have raised the bar in the last year or so.  Good is the new ' nipping at the heals of Outstanding'.  According to Ofsted, 'Good' is a service that consistently delivers above minimum requirements and delivers education that has a strong impact on improving outcomes for children and young people.' 

We would like to say a big thank you to all the staff that work so hard to provide your children with the best learning experience and to you the parents who are fantastic in providing us with feedback which we listen to, and act on, every month. Our latest Adviser Group survey has just launched and can be taken here:

Full copies of the Ofsted reports can be seen here.  

The Action Plan developed to deal with the areas marked for improvements is here.  The work has already begun! 

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Judith or Daniel to talk you through any points.  Contact numbers are found here.

So thank you again for your advice. We're using it to shape important decisions...  As shown with Ofsted, your invaluable feedback has helped us to improve across all of our schools and nurseries.

  Perry's in bloom at Forest Farm.  He's officially announced Spring.

We had a record response to our survey last month and we'll be getting those Cafe Coco vouchers to all advisers that took part as soon as possible. Bon Appetit.

Two months ago we gave you the option of picking the event you'd most like to see us put on in 2010, and 66% of you voted for a musical. So last month, we asked you to choose the musical concert and a resounding 72% voted for West Side Story. So we shall be performing selected scenes and songs from this classic quality musical for you later in the year. As one adviser pointed out, West Side Story does have some 'adult' content and we, of course, never intended to include that. We will focus on the fun and romantic side only.  Thank you also for your good ideas for the next concert with Joseph, Hair and Mary Poppins as possible suggestions.

In our new short adviser survey this month, we have key decisions we need your help on including : the format for open/induction days; how to select free places; being part of an important selection panel and, choosing the subjects where we might offer bursaries.

 Anoushka and Henry's Den.  The things children can make when left to their own devices

Government Grants.  A threat to our existence & limiting your choices?

Lastly but critically, moves are afoot from the present government to alter the nursery grant arrangements.  We are concerned that the new rules may make it impossible to offer the 'free places' required in the legislation for the money offered by the LEA's.  We are looking for a member of our community to coordinate our response to these proposals.  If you  feel strongly that you could play a part in helping us protect the quality we offer and to ensure that you continue to receive grants please let us know.   Please, please, please click the link below to send your support to the campaign, so every child can continue to enjoy our service...  More information and ways to support us can be found here where you may sign a petition to government etc.  This campaign is important.  If we do nothing the rights of parents to choose where they spend government grant will be dramatically reduced as providers like us will have no option but to leave the scheme.
 

Thank you all so much for your continued support, Happy Easter and don't forget to take the survey and join us in the decision making process!  

Daniel, Judith & the OMS Team

Oxford Montessori Schools.  Learning Environments Based on Children's Developmental Needs

01865 358210 / www.oxfordmontessori.co.uk / oms.schools@btconnect.com
Wolvercote, Iffley & Forest Farm School.  Elsfield.  Oxford.  OX3 9UW.

(Iffley Village, Wolvercote & Forest Farm, Elsfield)  www.oxfordmontessori.co.uk / oms.schools@btconnect.com

         

Dear Advisers,

Happy New Year to everyone and what a New Year it has been so far! We appreciate your patience throughout this extreme cold snap that would not have been out of place in Lapland. We only wish it had fallen throughout Christmas to give all the children a real winter wonderland feel.

In this newsletter we are launching our third quick Advisers Group survey, visit it by clicking here. However before you do,  we thought you’d like to know what you told us in the last survey of 2009 and the action we have already taken. We also want to share with you a special deal we have secured for our Advisers. 

 It doesn’t need to be Christmas to give a gift – 2 for 1 meal vouchers at Cafe Coco for our advisers – first come first served.  Oxford’s very own Cafe Coco, next to the Royal Oxford Hotel, has kindly donated 40 2 for 1 vouchers on food to be used in the month of February with the exception of Friday and Saturday nights. The vouchers are easy to win. All you need to do is complete our quick survey by clicking here, to provide us with your invaluable advice. If you are one of the first 40 to complete it then we will send you your very own voucher as a thank you.

Free places to disadvantaged children, a musical concert and a real team spirit.
Last month we asked you what you’d recommend we do to mark our 20th anniversary in 2010. The two most popular choices were to provide free places to disadvantaged children and make additions to the curriculum/facilities - with 44% each.

So based on your advice we are delighted to announce that from  Summer Term 2010 we will be offering three funded places for new children joining the OMS fold - two at the senior school and one in the primary school at Forest Farm. Now all we need to do is find the most deserving families with children who will flourish with our special educational approach. 

We hope that you’re pleased to hear that we are also looking at the curriculum question too. To that end, in this month’s survey we are asking your advice about what additions to the curriculum/facilities you’d like to see introduced. Let us know your thoughts by clicking here to complete the  3rd OMS Advisers Survey

The curriculum at Forest Farm is always evolving in the primary and senior school. We use two central methods and of course map children's progress to the general needs of the National Curriculum as required...

Montessori underpins most of our teaching - interest led and child/student centred.  Based on observations of how your children develop, our training helps us to adapt the learning environment to meet your children's needs.  Our second passion is making the learning experience hands on, fun and practical.  There are so many different types of personality, so many different ways of learning.  We often use a technique developed by Dorothy Heathcote called Mantle of the Expert and we have added some more information on this on our website HERE

Choose our concert We also gave you the option of picking the event you’d most like to see us put on in 2010. A music concert won your support with a resounding 66% of the vote. So this month, we’d love you to tell us what type of music concert you’d prefer to see. Rumour has it might be scenes from West Side Story? You tell us:) 

Working together for the benefit of your children We do really listen to your advice and feedback and we hope that with your guidance we can build upon the past 20 years and make the next 20 even better. To this end, it was very encouraging to see 46% of our advisers are prepared to give up their time to be special parent mentors. We want to make sure we have the best frequency of open and induction days, so once again we would like your help in choosing that. For those of you who have agreed to help as mentors, we are very grateful. We will be in touch to agree exactly how you can help other parents get the best from our schools.

You also gave us a lot of food for thought about a referral scheme and we will come back to you with our ideas soon. It also seems that our special reducing fee structure is not fully understood by everyone. Unlike other schools the fees actually reduce as the children progress through the various stages.  We are now thinking about the best way to make sure all parents understand this and would appreciate any advice you may have.

We can’t just blame it on the weatherman

We wish you a belated but very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Daniel, Judith and the OMS team

......................

Driving in wintry conditions

Written by Alexander Koelbl, who grew up in Vienna, Austria.  Alexander has a child at the Iffley Nursery

Vienna is a city where it snows regularly. Wintry conditions in Vienna are very much like they have been in Oxford this winter - it snows, the snow stays for a bit, gets dirty and slushy, and finally melts away. This cycle can repeat a few times each winter. So unlike ski resorts, where the snow stays all winter long, city people usually have to deal with changing conditions depending where and when they drive. Please find below my thoughts and recommendations on common measures for driving in winter. I hope they help you in some small way.

• Winter tyres -They are made out of a rubber compound which stays soft at low temperatures. Usually people have them on rims and change all four wheels every half year. This way the summer tyres do not wear as fast as when driving them the whole year round. Modern winter tyres are as comfortable to drive as summer tyres and don't have anything to do with the tractor-like tyres you see on some Landrovers. Of all the measures listed here, winter tyres make the biggest difference. Highly recommended for winters in Oxfordshire as they are a cheap measure and very effective. If you want to buy winter tyres, try here: http://mytyres.co.uk/
• 4WD - This is often quoted in the UK as the only method to get through snow. I think this is wrong. Few people I know have a car with 4WD and they still make it comfortably through snowy winters, while driving through hilly areas. It definitely helps, but is not a prerequisite. It is also more expensive to buy and to operate. And don't forget that a 4WD is much more effective with winter tyres. Good when you have it, but not a must-have for winters in Oxfordshire
• Studded tyres (spikes) - Also often quoted when I hear people in the UK talking about driving in snow. They do not give any more grip in snow or slush. It only helps on ice. On the other hand, they extend the stopping distance, are more expensive than normal winter tyres and destroy the roads. Not recommended for winters in Oxfordshire
• Snow chains - They help driving in snow. Modern chains can be put on in minutes, and you should remove them right away when you are back on a clear road. Not recommended for winters in Oxfordshire
• Ice scraper - I recommend only using an ice scraper when removing the ice from the windscreen and windows, no chemicals or hot water. Chemicals are not necessary and hot water might crack your windows. Use an ice scraper which has a strong plastic blade. Metal blades might damage the glass.
• Snow brush - I haven't seen dedicated car snow brushes in any UK shop. Use a small broom to sweep off all snow from the car for the safety of you and people driving behind you
• Salt grit - In Austria only used for motorways as it is said to damage plants and trees
• Stone grit - Used a lot on roads and paths. It helps cars and pedestrians alike on snow, slush and even ice.

Oxford Montessori Schools Special Advisers Newsletter
 (Iffley Village, Wolvercote & Forest Farm, Elsfield)

   

 

 

 

Welcome to our first OMS Adviser Group newsletter. A massive thank you from all of us for your amazing response. Almost half our parents have already signed up as advisers and  provided invaluable feedback. In fact, as a result of recent feedback, and with the help of our wonderful volunteers,  we have already:

We want to build on these enhancements by making the Adviser Group the place where future improvements are fashioned for the benefit of everyone - the children, the staff and you the parents.

Because all our information stems from the website, we asked if you'd rather have one or multiple websites to capture all the relevant information you need. Again, the preferred option, a single website, received a resounding endorsement - with over 80% choosing this option. You also identified what you will value most on the single website. The top five answers were:

We really do value your opinions and will be acting on your advice. To that end, we have the new adviser survey awaiting to be completed. We plan to have only one a month in 2010 but we want to make a start on as many improvements as possible before the end of 2009, so there may be one more survey after this one before the Christmas holidays arrive.

Schools all over the UK are seeing falling numbers in the current economic climate..

To make sure the wonderful work we do is known about by as many people as possible, it would be great if you could help us promote places at Forest Farm, Wolvercote and Iffley by downloading one of our special posters here (please click the image)



Please print out as many as you wish put up in your office or place of work, or pass to a friend or colleague who might be looking for a nursery or school for their children.

Each month we plan to shine the spotlight on one of our schools or services so that you, our Special Advisers, get to know us better.  This month we want to share a little about the great work at Iffley. With Florence our Iffley supervisor, we have developed an informal link with the European School in Culham and Iffley now boasts a special focus on modern languages.  We teach French as a first modern language.  And also offer an introduction to Japanese. 



As you can see from the photo, Iffley provides a special environment for nursery age children. If you know anyone who might like to join the Iffley community then, as a special treat, we will give either 3 free art or dance class or a fantastic Flip video camera, for both the person making the recommendation and the parents of the child who joins Iffley. Just let me know who you have recommended by email and we will do the rest.

Dance at Forest Farm is offered by Oxford's Nickely Burke.  Artistic Director of Biserk Dance Company and choreographer/dancer.   The style is usually contemporary.  You can see her work here (this film was taken at our summer music festival)

Art:  Tamas teaches art at Forest Farm to both primary and senior aged children.  A short film about Tamas's work is here.

If it's the Flip Video you're after there are details here.

In both this and our last survey we have received really lovely feedback about the environment we provide your children. To make sure all our new parents and children can get the most from our schools from the very first day, we want to develop a friendly induction guide. To help us make this the best it can be, we would like you to provide your own piece of advice, hint or tip. It doesn't matter what it covers - we just want something you think a new parent or child would find really helpful.  Just email us with the subject header - induction guide - by clicking on this link info@onva.biz and we'll put the best tips into the guide and credit your contribution.

As a special bonus we will also enter you into a free draw for a fabulous Flip Ultra video camera - the perfect early Christmas present.  (See picture above)

We look forward to seeing all your opinions in the latest adviser survey http://www.onva.biz/surveys/25 and telling you about them in the next newsletter.

Heartfelt thanks from Daniel, Judith and everyone at OMS

Judith, Daniel and the OMS team


Oxford Montessori Schools.  Learning Environments Based on Children's Developmental Needs

01865 358210 / www.oxfordmontessori.co.uk / oms.schools@btconnect.com
Wolvercote, Iffley & Forest Farm School.  Elsfield.  Oxford.  OX3 9UW.