Our school placement was called Elementare Montessori del Milano located on Via Lorenzo Bartolini (road name). It carries out only the Montessori approach and caters for children 3-11 years old. It has a pre school downstairs which is aged 3-5 and a half and then the school is upstairs aged 5 and a half to 11. The headteacher of the school, Rosa Dipierro, doesn't talk english however her daughter who works in the office talks very good english and acted as a translator between us and Rosa. There were some teachers who spoke good english and others who didn't however the children so have english lessons everyday and the older children can talk basic english aswell. This placement is a great choice as it gives you a very good insight into the Montessori method and the way these children learn. It is very different to an English school but the methods are interesting and good to experience.
The school was in a residential area where there was lots of high rise flats around. We stayed at Ostello AIG Pierro Rotta located on Viale Angelo Salmoiraghi, the buggest hostel in Milan which was about a 20 minute walk from the school. The walk very simple mainly down one straight highway road. I didn't see any other hostels or hotels in the area however there are some in Lotto which is the next district down from where we stayed but would be about half an hour walk. There was many hotels and hostels in Milan city centre which were expensive and would take about a 15 minute metro journey then a 20 minute walk after that. We stayed in a twin room with a private bathroom at the hostel which was basic but nice. It was about £23 a night which included bed and breakfast. I would recommend this hostel as it was quiet, cheap and everything you would need.
There is a number of ways to get to the placement. We walked as it wasn't very far but there was tram and bus stops outside the school which came from all directions including from the city. The easiest way to get around Milan is the metro which is 1.70 euros for a single ticket or you can buy a week ticket for 8.40 euros which you can use twice a day for 6 days. The nearest tram stop to the school was the QT8 stop on the red number 1 metro line which was right by our hostel. There are two airports around milan one being Linate and the other Milan Malpensa which is the one we flew from. Both have coaches and trains going directly to Milan city centre.
There are many restaurants and bars in the centre of Milan which are upmarket and often quite expensive. There are some nightclubs in the centre of Milan but none around our hostel. There are a lot of museums and art galleries in Milan most of which are free. There is the national history museum which is 3 euros for entry is worth the price as it takes a few hours to get all the way around.
Things to do, things not to do
Whilst we were there we did the big red city sightseeing bus tour which I would advise as it shows you all around the city with different stops around the city where you can get off and have a look round. We had a day trip to Verona where you can get the train from Cardona fm station or Milan central station. The train journey takes an hour and a half - two hours depending which train you get. We chose to get the two hour train as it was cheaper only costing 21 euros. I would also recommend going to the San Siro football stadium for either a stadium tour or an actual football match. We chose to do both which was very interesting and exciting. The area the hostel was in was safe as well as the surrounding areas.
Before you go on your placement, get in contact with the placement to agree on how many days and hours they require you each week. I advise you to plan in advance how you are going to get to your accommodation and placement before you get there. Ask the placement if they have a dress code and where to report to on arrival. Make sure you have sorted out insurance and have both enough money when there and any back up money which you are able to access in case of needing more money for any reason.
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