Our School

Let your child reach their true potential at our authentic Montessori school for 2½-16 year-olds.

Established in 1965, the Maria Montessori School is located on five sites across north and west London. We offer Children’s Houses (nursery/preschool/pre-prep age 2½ – 6 years), Elementary classes (primary/prep school age 6 – 12 years) and a Montessori Adolescent Programme (Secondary/High School age 12-16 years).

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Children’s House (nursery/preschool/kindergarten age 2½ – 6 years):

Children work individually or in groups, with hands-on activities designed to help them develop physically, socially and intellectually. Each activity is complete in itself; and also prepares for later activities so that the children move from one activity to the next, mastering each new challenge with ease.

Children explore and find things out for themselves. They become confident in their own abilities because the environment naturally encourages them to persevere and correct their own mistakes.

Children develop the ability to concentrate on tasks and see them through in a logical way. They learn to read and write with ease and develop an understanding of mathematics in a concrete way.

There is ample opportunity for exploration of the world, the animals, people and plants in it and children express themselves through music, drama and art.

Our Children’s Houses are at:

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Elementary (primary/prep school age 6 – 12 years):

At this stage, children are ready for more complex work as they move towards abstract ways of thinking.

They begin to be more curious and question why things work the way they do. Many new materials are introduced as they develop their imagination to embrace concepts beyond their immediate environment and gain real-life knowledge from external sources.

At this stage children are more interested in working in groups, collaborating and learning from each other. The teacher’s role is to guide them in their research as they learn to make full use of a library, books and the internet.

The curriculum is interdisciplinary and academically challenging. It covers the full range of subjects required by the National Curriculum while maintaining essential Montessori principles and much emphasis is placed on the interconnection between different areas of study.

Our Elementary schools are at:

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Montessori Adolescent (secondary/high school age 12-16 years):

The Adolescent Programme is a “Place of Study and Work” that fosters the developing sense of self in students 12 to 16 years through real and meaningful work. The coursework is designed to give students a sense of purpose and belonging as they explore the philosophical questions Who am I in relation to society? What is my role? What will be my future?

Students in the Adolescent Programme are presented with the opportunity to consolidate, broaden and deepen their knowledge through real world application of subject content across different disciplines, including Mathematics, Language and Literature, Spanish, Visual and Performance Arts, Humanities and Science Occupations, Physical Expression, Production and Exchange, and Community Work. The Adolescent environment is about working together to serve the socio-economic needs of their community and the work is approached in an intra-disciplinary manner, providing both academic rigor and practical experience. The goal is for young adults to experience a life that is lived rather than taught, to foster a sense of stewardship of their environment, ownership of their learning, and eventually, economic independence as they prepare for adult life. We balance study and work aiming for optimal development of young adults.

Our Adolescent Programme is at:

Hampstead (NW3 5NW)

Languages and PE

Our Notting Hill Children’s House is English Mandarin Montessori Bilingual. Our AMI trained Montessori Mandarin Teacher works in partnership with our Lead Teacher to implement a model Montessori Bilingual Programme and introduce the Montessori materials and presentations in Mandarin.

Spanish is offered across all our sites and ages groups (Children’s House, Elementary and Adolescent) once a week with the aim of providing exposure, exploration, and sensitization at a key stage in language development, gradually building confidence and an appreciation for learning additional languages.

Our languages are implemented by our AMI trained teachers with a Montessori approach; offering the children the chance to engage with the language through movement, games, music, drama, and practical life activities, such as cooking and outings; as well as numeracy, writing, and grammar. The language lessons and activities are presented during the school day and in a way that naturally flows within the daily work cycle.

Physical Education (PE) is an integrated part of the Elementary and Adolescent programme, taking place every Friday afternoon. The children join a team of coaches at the park or in the Sports Hall (depending on the time of year) and participate in various games and skill building activities. The physical education includes activities such as football, floor hockey, basketball, athletics, and swimming.


What makes our Montessori school different?

  • Personalised, joyful and hands-on education – our children love learning!
  • We nurture confidence, creativity and emotional development
  • Our authentic Montessori approach develops strong academic skills
  • We offer the highest quality Montessori education – all our teachers hold the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) Diploma

If you would like to find out more about Montessori, why not join one of our

Free Montessori Parent Talks

“The school has inspired my daughter’s creativity and built her confidence. We couldn’t have asked for a better start to her education.”
Read what parents say about us

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Video

“This education fosters a lifelong love of learning.”

“My son hugely looks forward to school every day – he is extremely happy there.”

Watch this video for parent testimonials and a more in-depth view of the authentic Montessori method which we offer at our school.

Gallery

Our School

See what it’s like to be a child at a Maria Montessori School.