Centre of Excellence Services

At Children's House Montessori we believe in the holistic development of each child. Although the Montessori approach provides the best educational start for children beginning their learning journey there will be occasions when they need additional specialist help. When this happens accessing expert help can be time consuming and confusing, especially if you unfamiliar with the issues and are encountering this world for the first time.

When that is the case the Centre of Excellence is there to give you easy access to additional expert advice from a range of professionals in an environment that is familiar to you and your child. As a part of our team the Centre's experts also support our teachers, ensuring that their recommendations are implemented in an effective manner that is seamlessly integrated into the nursery's development plan for your child.

These services can be commissioned on a one-off basis or as a series of sessions: the choice is yours. Assessments are conducted once per term. The specialist currently includes Paediatrician, Speech and Language, Play therapist, Occupational therapist.

We also offer a range of courses including Play Therapy, Lego Therapy and Empowered Parenting.

Play Therapy

You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. Plato

Play Therapy is the time spent by therapists with children. 'Special Time' is a Non Judgmental, Non Directive, Non Interpretative approach where the child leads. The purpose of play therapy in schools is to help children benefit from teaching by alleviating their emotional, behaviour, mental health challenges.

When children have their basic needs met, they are in a much better place to access learning. Play Therapy gives them an opportunity to do this and is part of the holistic approach we take with all the children in our care.

How does play therapy help?

Children confronting problems and negative emotions with a trained emotionally avaible therapist in a clinical setting allows them to change the way they think and feel, which leads to discovering solutions. Play therapists are uniquely trained to assess and understand the contents of children's play. Play therapists use their understanding of the play to increase children's coping skills. In the playroom, under the guidance of a trained play therapist, children can safely discuss their problems in a protected play environment. Children learn to confine, define, and master their problems.

• Take responsibility for their behavior
• Come to understand the impact (cause & effect) of their behaviors
• Replace inappropriate behaviors with more effective & successful behaviors
• Develop creative & lasting solutions to problems
• Gain greater acceptance of self & others
• Strengthen family relationships
• Work through hurt and trauma
• Improve social skills

How do you know your child would benefit from seeing a therapist?

• Is my child's behavior significantly impairing a critical area of functioning?
• Am I, as a parent, overwhelmed with managing my child's demands?
• Is my son or daughter altering the family environment in an unhealthy way?
• Does my child seem in a chronic state of distress?
• Do I feel disconnected from my child and worry about the path he or she is heading for?

In the meantime, if you are a parent discerning this question, it should be reassuring to know that sometimes, just the act of seeking out help results in improvement even before any interventions occur. Taking the first step to reaching out might be the hardest, yet most critical step.

What is in the play room?

The playroom contains a variety of materials from sand to clay and music. All the toolkit/resources are there for the client to choose from and some of these resources are there to support particular areas including:

• Creative Visualisation - Understanding and thinking
• Storytelling - Moral and spiritual development
• Drama - Social relationships
• Puppets and masks - Caring for self
• Art - Creativity and aesthetic experiences
• Music - Communication
• Dance and movement - Physical
• Sandplay and sandworlds - Emotional

Ethan's parents say Since starting play therapy the changes in Ethan have been a joy to observe and I have been blow away by the changes in him.
I have seen a massive improvement in making his voice heard to express his needs and feelings. Before play therapy he would get very upset and find it very hard to express how he was feeling and often couldn't find the words to use, not only he is able to express himself more but he has learnt to do this through other creative ways like drawings and feeling stones. Ethan is more confident in who he is, has grown in self esteem and I can really see him developing more into his own personality.
Thanks to his time with Randa and play therapy he is more confident in expressing who he is through the choices he makes and things he does and has also developed in his skills to confront others and to manage conflict.
Randa has been instrumental in my child's well being and bringing the best out of him and enabling him to believe in himself, helping believe he is important and his thoughts and opinions matter.
I hope to be able to continue with her on this journey to help my son overcome his difficulties and become the best he can be.

Max's parents say Hi Randa,I can't remember whether I said it enough times yesterday, but wanted to say a massive thank you for your time and energy supporting Max through the therapy sessions. It seems to have made a significant difference and I am very grateful. How lucky we are to have you and all of your staff, both on a day to day basis and especially for getting the benefit of your experience in ways such as this.

Lego Therapy

Lego Therapy is great for all children and a fantastic family tool. it is a Lego-based therapy (LeGoff et al 2014), is an evidence based approach that aims to develop social communication skills in autistic children, such as sharing, turn-taking, following rules, using names and problem-solving.

Empowered Parenting

Most people want to do their best for their children - and who wouldn't? Yet there are so many pressures in our busy world and that doing the right things can get a bit bewildering. Parenting is one of the hardest jobs in the world yet one you are expected to do without any training.

So we are pleased to be able to offer you Empowered Parenting, a five module course that offers clear insights into the real nature of your child and what you do to provide a unique foundation to support their incredible journey through childhood.

Designed and delivered based on the methods of Maria Montessori that is a practical modern programme for today's parents.

What Parents Say

Randa brought her trademark compassion, insight and many year's experience to our session, not to mention her carefully considered session plan. I felt both eager and somewhat nervous about going deeper - what would we discover? Randa created a safe-enough space for us to step back from the daily busyness; to reflect on what we say and do (or not) as parents and why. Randa balanced useful child development concepts that acted as a gateway for better understanding our daughter with real life scenarios and experiences. Her style is very conversational, respectful and down to earth. I trust in Randa and couldn't recommend her approach and the parenting sessions that she offers more highly.

If I can try out my ideas, experience what's around me, share what I find;
If I have plenty of time for my special pace, a nourishing space, things to transform;
If you'll be my patient friend, My trusted investigator, Partner in learning;
Then I will explore the world, discover my voice and tell you what I know in a hundred languages Pamela Houk