Greater London Enterprise Awards 2020

47 | Greater London Awards 2020 Oct20206 Best Independent Pre, Primary & Secondary School 2020 River House Montessori School opened its doors back in September 1994 with just two full-time employees and five pupils. 26 years on and the school now has 100 members of staff and around 260 pupils enrolled, providing a safe and friendly environment for both term time education and childcare during the school holidays. What makes this school special is its fundamental principle that each child is an individual. Every child is able to learn in a manner that suits them, and age appropriate independence in learning and self-care is nurtured for even the youngest child. River House Montessori School is driven by its passion, adaptability and resilience and the overall wellbeing and learning of each child is the driving force behind their success. Staff are equipped not only with the fundamental knowledge and skills in teaching, but also the ability to empathise with pupils, parents and their colleagues. Located near the business district of London in Canary Wharf, the school also boasts an international culture with pupils representing at least 50 different nationalities. The school is ideally situated to support the educational needs of the children of parents working in the nearby Canary Wharf Financial Centre and other local businesses. Despite the effects of Brexit and some businesses relocating away from London, the school has continued to secure its international presence. Due to the pandemic, River House Montessori School had to close its doors back in March but, despite the disruption, staff members worked tirelessly to ensure their pupils’ education could continue from home. Within four weeks the school designed and implemented an online learning platform for pupils and devised timetables to mirror those of lessons in school, within the constraint of limiting excessive screen time. Teachers responded superbly to the challenges they faced, developing digital teaching resources, teaching themselves the use of the new online platform, creating video presentations, and all classes opened the first virtual meetings with their pupils at the start of the summer term. Over the years, River House Montessori School has struggled to establish a permanent location, but the school is excited to have finally secured long term premises which they will be relocating to in the relatively near future. This substantial development will enable the school to expand and provide an exceptional education to approximately 500 pupils, with the introduction of younger children from age six months upwards and increasing the capacity of their secondary education department. Ultimately, the success of River House Montessori School comes from its desire for pupils to grow, reach their goals and succeed in life. Their social and caring approach is what sets this extraordinary school apart, and their ambition will ensure they continue to offer its pupils an exceptional education well into the future. Contact: Janet Pearson Company: River House Montessori School Web Address: www.river-house.co.uk River House Montessori School is an independent day school for pupils aged 3-16 years, providing a unique education based on the individual needs of each of its pupils. Celebrating their success in this year’s Greater London Enterprise Awards, we profile the school to find out more about them. “It is often said that teaching is a vocation and our staff exemplify that”