Shining a light on Montessori education in underserved areas

During 2023 Dr Nathan Archer and Jeremy Clarke from the International Montessori Institute in the Carnegie School of Education explored the work of Montessori leaders working in low-income areas of England. Supported by Montessori Global Education, this is the first research to focus on these early childhood settings, their leaders and their work. 

Montessori education is often found in more affluent areas of the UK, but not always. A number of early childhood education centres, which adopt a Montessori approach to early learning, are located in more socio-economically disadvantaged areas. This research sought to better understand the work of leaders in these areas - their motivations, challenges and successes. 

Following in-depth interviews with nine leaders, the following themes were discerned: 

Values-led leadership – inspired by Dr Maria Montessori

• Leaders interviewed drew on Montessori’s work in a disadvantaged area of Rome as motivation for their own work. They spoke of going ‘back to Montessori’s roots’ to shape their work in underserved areas. 
• The leaders interviewed acknowledged the importance of their advocacy work but also spoke of ‘leadership isolation’ in their work. 

Driven by a commitment to equity and social justice

• A deep commitment to inclusive pedagogy and equity of access for all children to Montessori education were key drivers for leaders.
• Leaders went to extraordinary lengths, in the face of systemic challenges, to provide for children with SEND including those with complex medical conditions. 

Connectedness: supporting the child, family and community

• Much family support - from hosting a food bank to (trained) counselling - was offered by these early childhood settings. This unfunded, unrecognised, practical, and emotional labour was a significant additional workload above the core early education offer. 

Reimagining school readiness as learning for life

• Leaders spoke of Montessori education as ‘an aid to life’ and the importance of a holistic education for children for the ‘now’ and the future. Children’s current lived experiences were as important as the notion of readiness for the next stage of life. 

• Data revealed a reimagining of school readiness with a focus on children’s independence, agency and learning to live in community. 

This research shines a spotlight on the work of a small group of Montessori leaders working in underserved areas of England. This project also reflects ongoing work to enable all children to have equitable access to a Montessori inspired education. 

The full report can be found here and a summary here

For further information contact Dr Nathan Archer E: N.J.Archer@leedsbeckett.ac.uk