A MICRO school is welcoming more students and an additional two teachers.
Hove Micro School was created last year by Rachael Ammari in an attempt to educate up to six primary aged children within a schooling bubble.
Following a successful first year, the school has welcomed the addition of younger pupils and two new teachers to its teaching pod in Boundary Road in Hove.
The school, the first of its kind in Brighton and Hove, is based within Ms Ammari’s own home.
The 29-year-old said the concept aims to provide a learning environment which blends professional and family style education.
Ms Ammari said the children benefit from “expert individual teacher tuition, important parental input and vital peer interaction”.
“Last year was a real test to see if my vision would work as I wanted to provide the perfect bridge between home-schooling and mainstream education,” she said.
“It was a resounding success and I schooled and continue to care for over 20 children aged between 8 and 13 years.”
Following a recent Ofsted inspection and demand from parents, Ms Ammari has expanded the school with an early years’ classroom, which will cater for children aged between five and seven years old.
“I also welcomed two new teachers - Emma Corbin-Mckenzie and Jessica Cubitt. Both are early years’ specialists with a wide range of experience,” she added.
“We currently have a waiting list for the older years intake and have a few places available for the younger years.”
Ms Ammari said morning clubs with activities including sewing, yoga, kung fu, martial arts and music tuition have also been introduced to the micro-school.
Ms Ammari has a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) in primary education and a master’s in education - both from the University of Sussex.
She has previously taught at Hove Junior School in Portland Road and Benfield Primary School in Portslade, and recently spent two years teaching in Miami, where the concept of micro-schooling is well known.
She previously said she decided to launch the micro-school after speaking with parents in the area.
The schools mission statement says their key ethos centres around fitting the school around the child instead of making the child fit into the school.
“We believe that education should not be a one size fits all concept. Mainstream school may not be the best fit for all children and we want to provide an alternative option for parents and children in our community.
“The beauty of a micro-school is the care and attention provided is much greater and curriculum adaptations can be made to fit the needs and interests of your child. At Hove Micro-School, your child's interests and passions have a direct impact on the curriculum: it is truly a child-centred approach to learning.”
The base rate for a child to attend the school one day per week is £80 per day. Sibling discounts are also available.
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