Notting Hill

Born in California and raised in New England, Michel migrated towards the middle of America, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She holds the 0 to 3 AMI Diploma from the Montessori Institute in Denver, Colorado, the 3 to 6 AMI Diploma from the Montessori Training Centre of Minnesota, the 6 to 12 AMI Diploma from Centro Internationale Studi Montessori in Bergamo, Italy, and she completed the AMI 12 to 18 workshop at the Maria Montessori Institute in London. With over 25 years’ experience in Montessori education, Michel has had the pleasure of teaching at the Toddler, Children’s House, and Elementary levels, as well as leading Montessori Parent Infant Classes. She is also currently in the process of completing the AMI Training of Trainers Programme to become a trainer for the Elementary level. Michel has worked in School Leadership for over 20 years, supporting and guiding teachers and working in partnership with the children and families. She is in her tenth year serving in the role of Head of School. In addition to deepening her passion and understanding of Montessori pedagogy and child development, Michel enjoys reading, yoga, live music, learning about food and nutrition, and spending time with her two children.

Karen was born in Northumberland, UK but spent a big chunk of her upbringing in Canada. She holds a BA in English Literature, the AMI 3-6 Diploma from the Maria Montessori Institute and a Bachelors of Education Degree BEd (Hons) in Primary Education. She has over 20 years’ of experience of working in a Montessori 3-6 class.

Karen has completed all required and voluntary courses on Safeguarding and has specialised in this area of education for the past 8 years.

Shallal Qureshi is trained as an AMI 3-6 Montessori guide. She also holds a BA from Kings College London and a PGCE in Primary Education. After working in the classroom for several years, she is now enjoying her role as the Children's House Coordinator & Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCO) across all the Maria Montessori Institute’s Children’s Houses. Shallal spends her days supporting children, teachers, parents and families, with a philosophy of inclusion at the centre of her work. She serves as a board member of the Montessori Society AMI UK and enjoys writing on a range of education topics, with a particular interest in the development of self-discipline at a young age.

Emma assists prospective and new parents through the admissions process and is on hand to answer any questions that prospective parents might have about our school.

Andrea has been leading the Notting Hill team for the past 3 years. She obtained a degree in Pre-School Teaching in 2017 and prior to completing the AMI 3 to 6 Diploma Course at the Maria Montessori Institute, Andrea gained experience working as a teacher in a nursery school and as a teacher in a school for children with special needs. On the weekends, Andrea leads a class for bilingual and multilingual children where they discover the beauty of the language and the culture of the Czech Republic.

Coco joined the Notting Hill Children's House in September 2023. She was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she originally trained in the performing arts. Coco has always been passionate about working with children, and whilst living in Buenos Aires, she founded a drama programme for children. Through this programme and the inspiration of her mother (who was a teacher), Coco developed a keen interest in working in education and began learning and reading about different educational approaches. Upon discovering Montessori education, Coco moved to London in 2016. She worked as a nanny for several families until she was able to commit to a full-time Montessori programme, and she obtained her AMI 3 to 6 Diploma from the Maria Montessori Institute in London in June 2023. It has been Coco’s lifelong dream to become a teacher and she loves her time with the children at Notting Hill.

En Ci has been a Mandarin teacher for young children since relocating to London in 2017, and she obtained an AMI 3 to 6 diploma through the two-year evening course at the Maria Montessori Institute in 2022. Passionate about Montessori education and teaching Mandarin, En Ci is excited to share her experience with the children, offering both the language and cultural knowledge in the Notting Hill Children’s House. En Ci holds a BA Degree in Fine Arts, with a major in Animation of Communication Design. She worked as an independent art educator, leading various creative events and workshops in Taiwan.

Estefania graduated as an Early Year Teacher in 2010 and holds a Masters diploma in Social Education. Originally from Spain, Estefania moved to London in 2016, and since her arrival, Estefania has gained experience working with children in a variety of different capacities, including as a classroom assistant and a classroom teacher. Assisting and supporting children in their development has always been a passion for Estefania. Through her work in a Montessori school in Windsor several years ago, Estefania discovered the Montessori approach to education and completed her AMI 3 to 6 Diploma at the Maria Montessori School in 2022. She joined the Maria Montessori School in September that year, first as maternity cover at Crouch End and later as Children's House Spanish Teacher across all our sites.

Paula Pérez-Martín was born and raised in Galicia, Northern Spain. As a young adult, Paula volunteered in her mother’s school, an experience which inspired her to complete her Bachelor's Degree in Early Years Education and later complete her Master’s Degree in Education. Paula has extensive experience in mainstream and international schools in Spain, Belgium, and the UK, where she worked in Oxford as well as London for the past eight years. Her Montessori journey began in Brussels, where she had the opportunity to assist in a French-Dutch Montessori school. Inspired to learn more about the method, Paula completed the 3 to 6 AMI Diploma Course at the Maria Montessori Institute. Paula’s experience has shaped her strong belief in the important role teachers play in helping to build the child's character, as well as develop independence, self-esteem, a passion for learning, and a love for others and the world. Paula fluently speaks Galician, Spanish, English, and French.