Children’s House

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.

Cristina joined the Bayswater Children's House in September 2022 upon completing her AMI 3 to 6 Diploma at the Maria Montessori Institute in June that year. Cristina was born and raised in Rome, Italy, where she took the 0 to 3 Montessori Diploma Course at the Opera Nazionale Montessori. With nearly ten years’ experience in education, Cristina has worked with children from infancy to six years old in a variety of capacities across the globe, including Italy, Buenos Aires, The United States, and more recently in London.

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, completed her AMI 3 to 6 Diploma at the Maria Montessori Institute in 2022 and joined the Maria Montessori School in September that year.

Rhianna joined the Maria Montessori School in September 2023, following her completion of the AMI 3-6 Diploma in London. She is now Lead Teacher of the Hampstead Children’s House Garden Class and is furthering her knowledge through a specialised course in Montessori and Learning Differences. This ongoing study aims to deepen her understanding of how Montessori materials can be made accessible and inclusive for all learners.

Before embarking on her journey in Montessori education, Rhianna obtained a Master’s degree in Modern Languages from the University of Edinburgh. She then relocated to Paris, where she worked as a freelance translator and embraced a dual role as a bookseller. This position afforded her the opportunity to satisfy her passion for literature while actively participating in book launches and author events.

Rhianna is deeply committed to Montessori’s child-centred philosophy and advocates for an educational approach that fosters holistic and intuitive child development. In her teaching role, she takes great pleasure in sharing her personal interests—gardening, sewing, cooking, and reading—with the children, enriching their classroom experience in meaningful and creative ways.

Kalamun was born and raised in London. After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree with honours in Product Design, Kalamun designed for companies both in the UK and abroad in Hong Kong. She was involved in several child-led community projects and was an accomplished visual artist prior to finding her passion and purpose in Montessori education. Kalamun completed her AMI 3-6 Diploma course at the Maria Montessori Institute in London in June 2022 and joined the Maria Montessori School in September that year. Kalamun has also previously worked in a supportive role for various Children’s Houses in the area. She loves creating materials to aid and ease the children’s understanding of new concepts, and her fun and friendly disposition allows her to engage and build connections with young children easily. Kalamun is inspired by nature, people, and learning itself. She loves travelling, exploring different cultures, languages, and cuisines, and bringing a little of that experience back to the children.

Dhira was born and raised in Calcutta, India. After graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Animation and Filmmaking, she spent over eight years working in the Indian film and TV industry (Bollywood) as an assistant director. Working with children on film sets became one of her favourite parts of the job—she loved their energy and authentic expression. Her lifelong love for painting led her to new avenues, and in 2020, she decided to pursue a Master's in Fine Arts and Humanities at the University of Dundee. A chance invitation to the AMI AGM in Delft led Dhira to the beautiful world of Montessori. After completing her AMI 3 to 6 Diploma Course at the Maria Montessori Institute, London in 2025, she's thrilled to begin this journey of discovery alongside the children at the Maria Montessori School. With her diverse heritage and multilingual background, she's excited to share the stories, poems, and songs that have shaped her life.

Rebecca Livsey joined the Maria Montessori School Hampstead Garden Class in 2021 and is now Lead Teacher of the Hampstead Children's House Coach House. She was born in Bath into a large family, and, due to becoming an auntie at a young age, has always been surrounded by children. Rebecca is a skilled childcare professional with over ten years’ experience supporting, nurturing, and educating children. From nannying in Australia to teaching English in Thailand, Rebecca has worked in a variety of settings and loves the challenges and joy that comes with working with children every day. Rebecca's interest and commitment to supporting young children’s development led her to complete her AMI 3 to 6 Diploma Course at the Maria Montessori Institute and her study in Montessori pedagogy at the University of London. She loves the time she spends with the children and is also a trained singer who enjoys singing and sharing songs with the children.

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.

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.

Yafeng Tang was born and raised in China, before relocating to London with her family. She has a Masters Degree in International Education and a Post-graduate Diploma in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. Yafeng completed the AMI 3 to 6 Diploma Course and AMI 0 to 3 Diploma Course at the Maria Montessori Institute in London. Following her training, Yafeng led an Infant Community at a local Montessori School for two years. Yafeng has worked with children in a variety of capacities in China and England as a tutor or a Teaching Assistant. Yafeng is currently also working on her AMI 6 to 12 Diploma. She loves to cook and learn about different languages. She is enthusiastic about arts and crafts, music, and drama, and she is eager to share cross culture knowledge with the children.