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About Us
Olivia Carry and Susan Baugh
In the early days of Covid, the entire Headfort School was liquidated. However, due to our deep love for Headfort and our shared passion for Montessori education, Olivia and Susan quickly came together to devise a business plan to reopen the Montessori under our own names.
Olivia brings a wealth of experience and knowledge, having worked as a Montessori teacher in Headfort for over 24 years. Susan brings a strong understanding of, and passion for, Early Years education and the vital role it plays in shaping children for their entire lives.
In September 2020, we proudly opened the doors of Headfort Montessori to a small class of 15 children. Since then, we have created a unique, nurturing learning environment for children and continue to grow in numbers and strength each year.
We have been extremely fortunate to build a fantastic team of educators who embody every quality you could wish for in Early Years staff: patience, kindness, resilience, compassion, fun, understanding, empathy, and integrity. These qualities are gold — and very important. You cannot teach what you do not truly understand. We take great pride in knowing every child as an individual.
We are always learning and growing, with an abundance of plans for the future as we continue to develop and improve.
If you have any questions or queries, please contact us at Headfortmontessori2020@gmail.com.
We would be delighted to hear from you.
Our future is incredibly exciting.
Olivia and Susan
Your Child Is in Great Hands
Philosophy
Dr. Montessori believed that the outdoor environment is a natural extension of the classroom. In our outdoor environments, children are able to build on their classroom knowledge through the sensorial experiences of nature and through constant contact with the seasons and the natural world. It is through these interactions with the outdoor environment that we are able to support the whole child.
As children become more aware of nature, they are better able to understand the needs of the world around them and how they can make a difference.
We are passionate about bringing the children on walks around the grounds, observing nature, finding frogs, plant life, ladybirds and many other exciting things.
The Children enjoy outdoor learning environments created to inspire imagination and the excitement found in nature. Each Spring/Summer we plant a garden with the children. On nice days, we bring the children out to enjoy working outside on picnic tables and take in fresh air on nature walks. The children absolutely love having snack outdoors its the best part of the day. Enjoying food outdoors with your friends with good conversation poems and songs, what else is life about.
Risky Play
Emotional Regulation
Children who take safe risks learn that they can manage their fear, overcome it, and come out the other side.
Emotional Regulation an important skill that can help children to think before they act on a feeling. Some ways you may see this is when your child calms themselves down, cheers themselves up when something doesn’t go their way, or stops a meltdown before it begins.
Risky play provides the foundation needed to regulate emotional responses like fear, nervousness, or anger in adulthood.
Adaptability
There are times in life when we all need to move out of our comfort zone and try something new. Children who engage in risky play develop skills to handle the feelings of nervousness and fear that can come with trying new things.
This knowledge gives them the skills they need to adapt to new situations and explore new environments—skills that become even more important when they go to school.
Self-Confidence
When a child tries something risky, they gain the confidence to say “I can do this!” and try more things on their own. Children who engage in risky play are more likely to take chances where there is a chance of failure. Even if they fall, they know they can get back up and try again.
Physical Literacy
Physical literacy means having the skills, confidence, and love of movement needed to be active and healthy for their whole lives.
Risky play activities that are part of a child’s active play—running, climbing, or balancing—help to make them more physically literate. Children who engage in active risky play develop their large muscle skills, begin to understand how their bodies move, and learn how fun active play can be!
