Nursery

We are thrilled to announce that our new Montessori setting in Westcliff-On-Sea is now fully open and welcoming children.

This exciting expansion provides us with ample space to nurture, educate, explore, and create wonderful learning experiences for your little ones. Join us in our vibrant and expanded environment as we continue to foster a love for learning at the heart of our community!

About

Jelly Beans Montessori Open Air Pre School is situated in the grounds of Lift Hockley and is a privately run. There is a close working relationship with the Head of Lift Hockley, Mrs Heatherson, and the Jelly Beans building is set in natural woodland adjacent to the school playing ground.

The Pre School is a wonderfully light, open plan, contemporary space boasting an extensive range of Montessori materials and modern bleached pine equiment, sourced from Italy. Large open windows look out onto the small, secure woodland garden which the children can explore, with trees and squirrels and outdoor play activities. Our focus is on providing the children with free flow access to the outdoors to explore and discover the natural environment developing their confidence and knowledge and understanding of our world.

Jelly Beans already has a day Nursery in Hockley, as well as a second Pre School site at the Plumberow Primary Academy.

Behind our success is the vision of founder Sarah Drummond, a dedicated Montessori practitioner, who remains actively involved in the day-to-day running of Jelly Beans:

My aim is to provide high quality early years education and care, in a safe and warm environment, which follows the philosophy and method of Maria Montessori.

We nurture each child's curiosity, encouraging children to have fun and to flourish, becoming confident and independent learners with a thirst to learn more. Our staff are highly qualified and promote an environment of respect, where manners, good behaviour and sharing and supporting others play an important role.

Ultimately, every child which comes through our Pre school will leave us having discovered the world of learning with enthusiasm through careful guidance, with the principles of self learning safely embedded.

What does my child need to wear?

Children attending our nursery are encouraged to wear a school uniform to help them feel part of the school community. We recommend simple, comfortable clothing and easy-to-manage footwear to support independence. A spare set of clothes should be kept on your child’s peg in case a change is needed. Please visit our uniform page to find out more.

The Montessori way

The Montessori approach is holistic and develops the whole child. Fundamental to the approach is the belief that a child's early years (from birth to six) are the period when they have the greatest capacity to absorb and learn.
In practice we follow the following activities in our school day:
Practical Life: children undertake practical exercises which link home and nursery - polishing, doing up buttons, packing suitcases, sorting and laying tables, providing them with invaluable life skills and the confidence to execute daily tasks with competence
Language: from reading and writing systems to story time and singing, these activities lay a key foundation stone for your child's language capabilities
Sensorial: early sensorial impressions boost a child's powers of observation and discrimination as well as broaden their vocabulary. Children sort, match, compare and grade objects by shape, size, touch, taste and sound
Mathematics: based in counting songs, where your child acquires numerical skills, children undertake structured activities using a range of fascinating Montessori materials.
Outdoor Classroom: we are fortunate to have access to the school grounds which include an adventure playground, dedicated forest school and school playing field in addition to our very own dedicated section of the woodland.
Maria Montessori, one of the 20th century's most important early years educators, took a fresh look at how children learn. She realised that children learnt best by 'doing', that happy, self-motivated learners developed positive images of themselves as confident, successful people. Her specially designed resources nurture this independence and here at Jelly Beans we follow Montessori's ethos and philosophy.

Children will take part in a mix of adult-led activities and independent learning opportunities, designed to help them grow and explore at their own pace.

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Jelly Beans

Our nursery offers flexible sessions to suit your family’s needs:

Morning Session
Afternoon sessions
At 4:45 the children staying later are provided with a healthy high tea until the day finishes at 6:00pm

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