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Brighton Montessori School
This page is meant to act as a warning to all parents considering putting their children into the Brighton Montessori School, 67 Stanford Avenue, Brighton, BN1 6FB, also known as the Brighton & Hove Montessori School.
We put our two children (4 & 8) into this Montessori school on the basis of them meeting our two criteria, that they could go through school together for the next few years and that our 8 year old (with Aspergers) needs would be met. The two boys being in the same school was something we felt very strongly about as they could then grow as siblings in the same schooling environment. We made this very clear that these were the most important aspects of our choice of school.
At no time were we told that they couldn't stay in the same school for more than a year as they are not registered for children over the age of 9. This meant that within a year we would have to move either both or the elder child to another school, something we had put particular emphasis on not wanting to do.
Misrepresentation 1
At no time were we informed that the Brighton Montessori was not registered above the age of 9, in fact their website states quite clearly that they cover up to 11 - this is a blatant lie.
When this misrepresentation was brought to the attention of Daisy Cockburn, the headmistress, she replied in an email that:
"DfES registration for the school taking children up to the age of 11 is in process."
So until the registration is actually approved they may not take pupils past the age of 9 - you may feel that if it is 'in process' it is a mute point, except the 'process' has so far taken over 4 years.
Despite not ever being registered for up to 11 the Brighton & Hove Montessori has advertised via their web site that it takes children up to 11/12 for many years.
This is an image of their website from April 2004*:
*Taken from the web archive waybackmachine
And this is their current (Feb 08) home page:
We have contacted the DCSF (Department for Children Schools and Families) and they have confirmed that schools are not allowed to advertise an age group they are not registered for and they also pointed out that the Brighton & Hove Montessori is not registered as a school catering for children with special needs.
Misrepresentation 2
We feel it is important to warn all parents that the school, despite very blatently
This is the letter we have sent out to complain about the treatment we have had from the Brighton and Hove Montessori which we strongly feel have misrepresented themselves to us.
We have had some interesting and very supportive responses from everyone we wrote to. The Chairwoman of the Montessori society in the South East was incredibly sympathetic and also informed us that the school is not even Montessori accredited - something which we had no idea about! She doesn't have a particularly good relationship with the head teacher in question and has always found her to be "rude and a law unto herself". She has passed our letter onto the head of Montessori and continues to support us.
We also had an interesting conversation with a local councillor who told us that they had not had a great experience with the school either and that the school had asked way back to come under council supervision but the council declined in the end as Daisy Cockburn so difficult to deal with. From what I gather no one in authority has much good to say about them! A shame we didn't know about this before but you live and learn.`
I have also contacted the Trading Standards office and Ofsted as the school is only registered up to age 9 but the website and prospectus clearly say age 11. They are both now investigating the school now and I look forward to hearing from them. This is complete misrepresentation and we would never have placed our son there only to find out he would need to leave in a year. Especially as he has a form of Autism.
We were told that it would be the perfect setting for Cameron who has Aspergers but within a few weeks of attending it was apparent that this was not the case.
We have now got court summons from them to pay and we will fight as we don't feel the school deserves a single penny let alone the half term PLUS deposit which we paid for the time attended. Of course in normal circumstances the deposit is always returnable but I don't expect to see that £200 again and shan't hold my breath.
The contract we signed was on the basis that the information we were told about their school was correct. This is not the case and we do not feel it fair that we should have to cough up thousands for their pleasure.
Dear sirs
I am having a problem with the Brighton and Hove Montessori school where I placed my sons Cameron (8) and Lucas (4) in Sept 2007. Cameron has aspergers and within a few weeks of attending the Montessori school started becoming very aggressive towards his siblings (we have a toddler girl of 17 months as well) and also started swearing at home, something he had never done before. Lucas's behaviour also went downhill but not as worryingly as Cameron's.
I wrote to Daisy Cockburn the headteacher letting her know that I would be removing them from the school and why - they had gone for half a term but she is now threatening to sue us for this full terms fees on top.
Daisy was aware that Cameron had aspergers and had correspondence with his last school (Deepdene in Hove) to explain their experiences of him as well as us talking to her at the outset. Daisy then told me in a conversation that she didn't feel Cameron had Aspergers and that she disagreed with the report from Deepdene school where he had attended for 4 happy years with no history of aggression at all. Daisy also said he was a shining example to the other children which worried me greatly as I do not feel swearing and being aggressive is acceptable at all.
After removing him from school I then tried to get Cameron into another school (Windlesham in Brighton) who refused to take him on the grounds that he was aggressive and rude - I was upset by this but not surprised as his behaviour had changed so drastically in the few weeks since Sept. I have since settled him into The Fold School in Hove where he is reverting back to his calm and non aggressive behaviour which just proves to me that I made the right decision to move him. In a meeting with the headteacher last week at The Fold, Carolyn Drake, said that Cameron came to her a very unhappy child but that he has settled in very well and has calmed down beautifully.
I feel it is incredibly unfair of Daisy to pursue the fees when we removed Cameron because of his aspergers and deteriorating behaviour and feel the school was misrepresented to us at the beginning as she assured us that it would be perfect for Cameron given his autism - their ofsted report from Oct 2007 also says the school is only registered up to age 9 but in the prospectus and their website it says 11. Is this allowed?
I certainly would not have placed him in a school knowing that he could only stay a year especially with his aspergers.
The ofsted report is here:
The montessori website is here:
http://www.brighton-montessori.org.uk/Brighton/6to11.htm
I also did not know that the school was not an accredited Montessori school which, again, on their website and prospectus leads you to believe they are.
I would also like to query their fees as I have spoken to several parents who all confirm fees seem to be regularly overcharged - I have had 4 different amounts given to me for 1 term alone and had to ask several times for the correct amount so we could try to settle the bill with them.
I do not want to drag this through the courts and give the Montessori any bad press, I know it is a wonderful institution and have had 2 older children (now 19 and 18) go through Montessori when we lived abroad in Hong Kong but strongly feel that Daisy is being particularly unfair given Cameron's aspergers. I feel the school let us down and misrepresented itself with Cameron and are now bullying us to pay for what I do not feel they deserve. I have to pay fees for the other school he is now attending and cannot afford to pay both lots of fees. I do not think it is fair to remove him and put him in state school (where he will not do so well with his aspergers) just so I can pay the Montessori fees and feel this is grossly unfair on Cameron.
My solicitor has made me aware of the office of fair trading website which has this information:
http://www.oft.gov.uk/advice_and_resources/resource_base/consumer-regulations/traders/2567/1/
In the specific reservations sections under term 47 it clearly states:
Term 47 provides that a parent will not be charged fees in lieu of notice if they have to withdraw a pupil with a special educational need for which the school cannot provide adequately. Although the term does not state that parents will receive their deposit back, Veale Wasbrough has assured OFT that it is normal custom and practice to return the deposit in such a circumstance. OFT therefore expects that schools will follow this practice.
Is there anything that can be done to help our situation as I feel the school has grossly misrepresented themselves to us and we are now having to pay thousands for that.
