Preschool with holiday club and forest school
Accredited Montessori Preschool
Based in Pratts Bottom village, Orpington, for 14 years, Rushmore House Montessori Preschool has been helping children to reach their full potential in a safe, caring environment using the Montessori method which includes the EYFS.
Our Ethos
Our ethos and our story are closely bound together. Cima Shahroudi, the preschool founder and manager, started teaching with the Montessori method in her own home in 2005. One of the members of her preschool class was her youngest daughter.
I wanted the best for my daughter and all the children in my class were treated to the same high standards. (Cima Shahroudi)
These principles have guided our teaching for the last 14 years:
Our Montessori Curriculum
Our Montessori curriculum is used by your child, with the guidance of their key worker and other Montessori teachers, to achieve their full potential. Unlike the curriculum for older school children it is not a document on a website or in a teacher’s desk drawer. The Montessori curriculum surrounds your child in the classroom. Each part of the curriculum has its own area in the classroom and each area is equipped with activities your child needs to exercise their abilities in specific areas and fulfil their full potential.
Your child’s key worker and other Montessori teachers help your child to understand how to use the environment. However, it is your child that decides what activities they use and when, by selecting them from low level shelves.
Montessori accreditation
We are one of only two MEAB accredited Montessori preschools in Orpington and we are very proud of this achievement. The accreditation is awarded after a two stage onsite inspection process and of the 700 Montessori preschools in the UK, only 124 are accredited and only 2 are in Orpington.
The setting provides an education in accordance with the principles of the Montessori approach and environment and merits accreditation by the Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation Board.
Messages from our parents

Dear Cima,
It is with much appreciation, that we’d like to thank you for your care and understanding, especially in these past 15 months.
Despite missing a great deal of school due to the pandemic, with the guidance from you and your staff, I have seen … grow these past months, and we are sorry that her time at Rushmore House has come to an end.
Thank you again for providing such a wholesome experience.
Best regards
… & … (…’s parents)
(From parents of a child leaving in July 2021)


To the teachers,
Merry Christmas
Thank you for making … first term at pre-school so enjoyable. We hope you have a lovely Christmas and New Year and a well deserved break.
Love …,
… and …
(From the parents of a child that started in September 2021)


Dear Rushmore House.
Merry Christmas
Thank you for all you do for me – I really love my preschool days.
Love …
(From parents and child attending the preschool in December 2021)

The best start for your child
Download the preschool info sheet for a summary of all the important details about our preschool on one handy page.
Articles
Each of these articles provides more information on a particular feature of the preschool or an answers to common questions.
World book day 2022
World book day is a day of celebration for books and the impact they can have on children, especially young…

Forest walk in Shoreham Wood
This is a route plan for an outdoor activity for children under five years. It is a walk in Shoreham…

Our Montessori Curriculum
At Rushmore House Montessori preschool we use an extended curriculum covering both Montessori and EYFS activities. The curriculum consists of…

Forest walk in Goddington Park
This is a forest walk route plan for an outdoor activity for children under five years. It is a walk…

Forest School
Our Forest School is run by teachers from both Rushmore House Montessori and Orpington Montessori Preschools for our enrolled children….

Forest walk in Birthday Wood
This is a route plan for an outdoor activity for children under five years. It is a walk to and…

Tax free childcare and funding
Tax free childcare and funding Overview You have been thinking about your child’s future since before they were born. The…

Christmas 2021
Christmas is always an exciting time of year for young children. At Rushmore House Christmas is celebrated as one of…

Ofsted Report
In November 2019 were awarded a Good overall grade from Ofsted: Behaviour and attitudes – Outstanding Quality of education –…

The Preschool Daily Routine
At Rushmore House Montessori Preschool the day has a structure designed to keep your child safely settled, engaged and accessing…

Preschool Session Times
Rushmore House Montessori Preschool is open five days a week, term time and our minimum attendance policy is three sessions per…

Holiday Club
We run our own Holiday Club on the premises of Rushmore House for children age from two to six years…

Montessori Examination and Accreditation Board (MEAB)
Our current MEAB inspection report We are one of only two accredited Montessori preschools in Orpington. The Montessori Evaluation and…

Policies
Policies and ProceduresThe preschool’s policies and procedures are below: 1. Child Protection 2. Suitable People 3. Staff qualifications, training, support…

Healthy Snacks
This page has information about the snacks we provide your child during the day. We have a snack table where…

Settling in
Children settle best when they have a key person to relate to, who knows them and their parents well, and…

Activities of Everyday Living
The Activities of Everyday Living learning area, which is also known as Practical Life, provides a link between your child’s…

Sensorial
The Sensorial learning area of the curriculum is focused on educating and refining your child’s senses. Sensorial comes from the…

Literacy
The literacy learning area of the curriculum is where reading and writing are taught. A key feature of child development…

Cultural
The Cultural learning area is also known as Understanding Of The World. The Cultural learning area of the curriculum includes:…

Creativity
In a Montessori preschool Creativity is more than just the visual arts. Creativity is the freedom to choose to be…
Contact us
We welcome your questions, comments and feedback.
Office, Pratts Bottom
Rushmore House Montessori Preschool
Rushmore Hill, Pratts Bottom, Orpington BR6 7NQ
Phone: 01689 856066
email: [email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions
These are some questions we are often asked.