[bernadetteAnne]

Hi there i hope you can help me, i am currently working in a primary school as a special needs assistant i have been working as this for the past five years and love it. I have completed childcare,special needs and community care over the past couple of years. last year i have become very interested in doing teaching prefable special needs as that is what i enjoy mostly. one of the teachers i work with suggested i should do a montessori course so i looked into it last year and last september I started a montessori diploma with portobello insitute at night which i enjoyed very much and where i just graduated with a distinction which i am delighted with my result, but during the course i discovered that i could not teach with this diploma in a special needs school as it is not regonised by department of ed. I have discovered that montessoriami in dublin provide these recognised courses i am extremly interested in comencing in this course but could you tell me if this is a private college like portobello as i dont know if i can afford to pay full time over three years if i am not working. . also could you pleae tell me if you can if i apply for this course and get excepted would i need to complete year one again as i have completed teaching 3-6 years or could Igo straight into second year? ALSO this is a totally diferent question can you become a registered montessori teacher here in ireland? thanks bernadette

[Minitonka]

The only two Montessori Education courses that are recognised by the Department of Education and Science are the AMI Montessori course and the BA in St.Nicholas Montessori College in Dun Laoghaire. The AMI Montessori Diploma is three years full-time and is eligible for the Higher Education Grant Scheme through your Local Authority. You would have to eligible for this yourself, of course. See www.montessoriami.ie/index.htm for details and closing dates for application. The Ordinary BA degree (Level 7) in St.Nicholas Montessori College is also a three year full-time course but it is a fee paying college. It can also be done on a part-time basis with them but would take about five years to complete. See www.snmci.ie/programmes/degree.htm. I am afraid that I cannot answer your question about whether you could get exemptions from your first year of either course, but it would be worth asking them to see what they would say. Be sure to have details of what you have covered on the course with you. Well done on getting the good results in your first year exam in Portobello Institute. It will certainly stand to you should you decide to go on to do one of the other courses. I am not aware of one having to be registered as a Montessori Teacher here in Ireland. I know that St.Nicholas have their own list of registered teachers who have graduated from there but I don't think that there is a general register for Montessori Teachers as such. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe somebody out there could let us know? Hope that helps.

[bernadetteAnne]

Hi there thank you very much for your quick reply. . I have emailed montessoriami in regards to excemptions to first year. thank you very much fo all the information. im an not sure myself if you can become a registered montessori teacher its just i remember my montessori tutor had mentioned that she was a registered montessori teacher. . I can look into applying for a grant i am sure i would be entitled to it as i live at home with my parents and my dad would not be on a high income due to cuts. Do you know if there are expensive fees involved in this course through motessoriami? thanks a million

[Minitonka]

Have a good read of www.studentfinance.ie which explains how the grants etc work. You would have to ask the AMI Montessori College themselves about what would be covered by the grant (or not as the case may be). You make applications to both the colleges I mentioned directly, not through the CAO. You would need to contact them immediately for an application form.

[bernadetteAnne]

Hi mintonka,
thank you very much for all you advice. . I have recived athe information booklet fro montessori ami and unfortuntaly i do not think I could afford the fees over the next three years. I have had a rethink about things as I am now considering doing the Early childhood studies through the CAO. . I was wondering if I could get an excempting from the first year as i already have completed childcare, community care and special needs. . if Ican get an excempting how do I go about this? When i have completed the early childhood studies i was considering doing the post grad for teaching. .i dont have the honours irish so i was considering doing the post grad in england or whales then comming back and going the irish here which i would have five years to complete.. Do you think this is do-able? or are their any easier ways around the system? also can you tell me if there is any teahing courses in Northern Ireand? thanks a mill I hope im not confusing you. .

[Minitonka]

Did you check to see if you are entitled to a HEA grant? The AMI course is eligible for the HEA Education Grant Scheme. See www.montessoriami.ie/entry_req.htm. It would depend on your own circumstances, of course. You would have to check with whatever college you intend applying to in the CAO, to see if they would give you exemptions in your first year. Be sure to have all the information about what you covered in detail for them to examine as they may not be familiar with what was done on your course. You must apply through the CAO by 1st February 2010 but you have until 1st July 2010 to change your mind about your order of preference. What you are considering is possible but why not consider going straight to college in the UK and do the BEd in Primary Education? You would apply as a mature student and your work experience would be very relevant. If you go to www.ucas.com, you can do a course search. Have a good look at the Scottish colleges as EU students do not have to pay tuition fees. Go to www.student-support-saas.gov.uk/ for information on how to apply for those. Contact them directly if you do not understand the information provided. They may not take late applications from mature students but check it out anyway if interested. 22nd January (extended from 15th because of the bad weather) just gone was the closing date for applications to UCAS. However, most colleges will consider applications up to 30th June. See www.ucas.com/students/applying/whentoapply. Fees in England and Wales would be at least £3000 (pounds not euros!). St.Mary's University College in Belfast offers the BEd but applications must be made directly to the college. See www.stmarys-belfast.ac.uk/admissions/application/bed.asp. It is a college of Queen's. The University of Ulster has the postgraduate certificate in Primary Education. See http://socsci.ulster.ac.uk/education/primary.html.

[bernadetteAnne]

thanks very much for your quick reply. . if i was entitled to a grant to go to montessoriami would i still have to pay their 5000 fees per year? also in regard to appying to go to england as a mature student, i did LCA for my leaving CERT so i dont have the honour subjects, i dont know if the requirements are the same as here. . could you tell me if i could apply just on the ground of mature student or would i need to have the same as here? I will def look into the information that you have provided. . thanks

[bernadetteAnne]

PRIMARY TEACHING SCOTLAND

PLEASE NOTE IT DOES NOT GIVE YOU MATURE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

THIS IS THE REQUIREMENTS:

Higher:
BBBB including English, plus Mathematics @ S Grade (Credit) or equivalent.

A-Level:
CCD or DDDD, plus four GCSEs including Mathematics @ A or B and English Language and English Literature.


INFORMATION ABOUT THE DEGREE:

The programme covers core professional elements in primary education which include School and Professional Studies and Curricular Studies. Curricular Studies comprises aesthetics, humanities and mathematical and scientific studies, all of which link to the primary school curriculum.

Course Contents
Year 1
Year 1 will focus on the theme of ‘Students as Learners’ and will cover topics such as foundation skills, how we learn, humanities, mathematical and scientific studies; aesthetics and school and professional studies (which includes primary education, child development, and child psychology).

Year 2
Year 2 will focus on the theme ‘Students as Teachers – Pupils as Learners’ and will cover further study in topics such as mathematical and scientific studies, humanities, aesthetics, school and professional studies and school experience (this involves a 7-week placement in schools).

Year 3
Year 3 will focus on the theme of ‘Students as Developing Professionals’ and will cover topics such as additional curricular studies, humanities, school and professional studies, and school experience (this involves an 8-week placement in schools). A specialist academic option will also be offered.

Year 4
Year 4 focuses on ‘Students as Research Informed Professionals’ with topics covering educational theory, educational policy and practice, and school experience (this involves a 9-week placement in schools). Students will also complete a research dissertation.

Career Prospects
Employment opportunities for primary teaching graduates are good, with new graduates entering a guaranteed one-year induction post. This enables graduates to complete their one-year probation and achieve the standard required for Full Registration with the General Teaching Council for . Recent graduates have found posts throughout Scotland and in England, Northern Ireland, Canada, New Zealand and other Commonwealth and EU countries. The versatility of the BEd degree is also highly-regarded in fields other than education by employers who value the strong personal transferable skills that graduates have developed.
CAMPUS
Ayr
UCAS CODE
Primary Education
Ayr Campus - X120 A BEd/Pr
QUALIFICATION & DURATION
BEd Hons - 4 Years
LINKS
Education
School Website

Pre-School Final Report
Click here for Report Template

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Higher
BBBB including English, plus Mathematics @ S Grade (Credit) or equivalent.
A-Level

CCD or DDDD, plus four GCSEs including Mathematics @ A or B and English Language and English Literature.




Comments

All applicants will be required to make successful application to Disclosure Scotland.


Contact School of Education Admissions to discuss other qualifications for entry.

0800 027 1000 (44 141 848 7044 outwith UK) uni-direct@uws.ac.uk

CONTACT
University Direct
uni-direct@uws.ac.uk
0800 027 1000


THANKS

[Minitonka]

I am not an expert on the grants/fees situation so you had better check with your local authority (Co.Council or VEC) to see what would be covered. Also go to the Course Fees section of www.studentfinance.ie. Scroll down to List 2 and you will see the AMI Montessori and St.Nicholas Colleges both listed there. Click the link under that small list of colleges for "Further Information on Tuition Fees". A lot could depend on your own financial situation. About applying to the UK, you would apply as a mature student (over 21 for there) and you would be assessed on your merits and any relevant courses you may have done as well as any relevant experience. They usually like to see a well motivated and interested applicant, with a good personality. Garda clearance may also be required. They may have made conditional offers on all their places in the various colleges by now but you can still apply and you would go into the "Clearing scheme" which comes into operation in the autumn when the exam results are out and vacancies come up as people may fail their school leaving exams, change their minds, get jobs, take a year out etc and then the vacancies pop up. You can apply for a place then also when the vacancies are published. They are usually published in one of the British papers. I think it is the Independent (not the Irish one!). The colleges will tell you how to go about it. It is a different system to our CAO. There are several colleges offering Primary Education in Scotland so check them all out. There is Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Strathclyde and the University of the West of Scotland. Contact the colleges directly if you cannot see anything about mature student applications on their websites. Don't forget the cost of going to the UK would have to include travel, accommodation, food, books etc.

[bernadetteAnne]

OK thanks I will check with my vec about grants AND also i have searched student finance nd discovered that if you are entitled to the grant the grants will cover half of your fees, so the fees will work out around 1500 per year. I dont know if i could afford to go to england or scotland this year as I dont think i can afford it AT THE PRESENT MOMENT, i think i will focus on the montessoriami and contact my local vec and try and find out if i would be covered by the grant. . .thanks for all your help bernadette

[niamhooo]

Please Read

I have noted a lot of conversation about Montessori courses, I am currently in my final year of the 4 year B.A(Level in Montessori Education in St.Nicholas Montessori College, I also previously attended AMI Montessori and I am currently doing my thesis on Montessori Employment prospects so I know what I am talking about.

When going into Montessori in Ireland you need to know what you want to get out of it. There are certain problems attached to every course out there so it depends on what you are planning on doing.

If you want to work in Special Education - GO TO ST.NICHOLAS!!! simple as that you can do the course part time or full time so if you currently working as an SNA or something it will not interfere. Check out the website www.snmci.ie as access(part-time) course is being altered. It is available around Ireland so if you are not from Dublin like most of Ireland you can travel to one of their satalite centres. Under the new Teaching Council Regualtion teachers 2009 regulation 3 studying in AMI will no longer allow for taking up a position as a Teacher in a Special Educational setting as it will not permit registration with them. St. Nicholas is the only programme that meets their requirements. It is also good if you are opening up a Montessori school as the head person under the ECCE requires a Level 7/8 if you want to earn the higher rate grant. It is not great for traveling with as although highest quality in Ireland it is not affiliated to any of the international organisations Also possible to do postgraduate studies with this in higher diploma/masters etc.

If you want a very strong qualification in Montessori that will let you travel go with AMI, it is recognised worldwide without problem, although some countries require undergraduate studies also. Major problem with AMI is that it is not on the national framework, this could prove difficult if there are stronger regulations put on Early childhood education.

Liberties has what is called MACTE accreditation which is also an international recognised qualification. Although it is a Level 6. So good for travelling and within Ireland.

Other courses at Level 6 standard will get you working in a Montessori school or as an SNA no problem. Level 5 as with anything else would not be seen as well in terms of education level.

Information on Grants...I know AMI and St.Nicholas allow for college grants that can cover the entire fees and then you regular grant allowance depending on your situation. I know because I am one of the unfortunates that paid my fees every year.

So that is it hope that is helpful, also trust me this is accurate and up to date, even more so than the college websites. It is really important to realise the Montessori is not just childcare, it is a complete education system that is just outside the mainstream.