About Us
We have been providing high quality preschool education in Orpington since 2007. We have two preschools: Orpington Montessori and Rushmore House Montessori. Orpington Montessori Preschool is based at Orpington Methodist Church Hall and opened in 2009, Rushmore House Montessori is based in a converted church in the village of Pratts Bottom and opened in November 2013 after moving from Pratts Bottom Village Hall where the preschool operated since 2007. Between both settings we currently have over 90 children registered and employ 13 teachers. Most of our teachers have NVQ Level 4 and above and all are trained in paediatric first aid, epipen and child safeguarding.
The Group Manager and Director is Ms Cima Shahroudi and she is supported by her husband Michael Stainsbury who is a non-executive director. Both have lived in Orpington for twenty years and their children attend a local secondary school.
The Group Manager and Director is Ms Cima Shahroudi and she is supported by her husband Michael Stainsbury who is a non-executive director. Both have lived in Orpington for twenty years and their children attend a local secondary school.
Cima came to preschool education almost by accident. She took a break from her career as an IT consultant to raise a family and to give her own children the best start in life, improved her knowledge of childcare by reading and attending courses. One course was a childminding course and this motivated her to study the Early Childhood course at the Montessori Centre International which was a changing point in her life and inspired her to start a career in preschool education.
Her first childcare setting, “Montessori at Home”, was in her own house which she ran as a childminder with her own children as well as other parent’s children. However funding restrictions at the time meant that she was unable to offer parents NEF (predecessor to FEE) so the children often left to go to other settings that could offer the funding. This did not deter her and in 2007 she opened Shining Stars Montessori Preschool in Pratts Bottom Village Hall. In 2009 she was invited to open a preschool at the Orpington Methodist Church Hall. The conversion of United Reformed Church into a modern Preschool was managed by Cima in summer 2013 and in November 2013 Shining Stars was relocated to a converted church building still in Pratts Bottom village and renamed Rushmore House Montessori Preschool.
It is our aim to provide a safe, welcoming environment where children can learn and have fun through play.
Ms Cima Shahroudi BSC(HONS) MSc Intl. Mont. Dip. EYPS
Her first childcare setting, “Montessori at Home”, was in her own house which she ran as a childminder with her own children as well as other parent’s children. However funding restrictions at the time meant that she was unable to offer parents NEF (predecessor to FEE) so the children often left to go to other settings that could offer the funding. This did not deter her and in 2007 she opened Shining Stars Montessori Preschool in Pratts Bottom Village Hall. In 2009 she was invited to open a preschool at the Orpington Methodist Church Hall. The conversion of United Reformed Church into a modern Preschool was managed by Cima in summer 2013 and in November 2013 Shining Stars was relocated to a converted church building still in Pratts Bottom village and renamed Rushmore House Montessori Preschool.
It is our aim to provide a safe, welcoming environment where children can learn and have fun through play.
Ms Cima Shahroudi BSC(HONS) MSc Intl. Mont. Dip. EYPS