We are proud of the academic excellence of our Courses, which are delivered by highly qualified trainers who have all undertaken the AMI Trainer of Trainers programme after substantial experience working with children.
All other Course lecturers have a minimum of 3 years experience working with children using the Montessori approach.
Louise Livingston, Head of Training and 3-6 (Children’s House) Course Director
Louise is an AMI Trainer with many years of experience working with children in Montessori environments, latterly running the Maria Montessori School in Notting Hill. She holds an AMI Children’s House Diploma and is an AMI examiner and lectures both in the UK and internationally. She also co-ordinates the AMI Faculty training in China. She is on the council of Montessori Education UK, the body responsible for running the UK Montessori schools accreditation scheme and is the managing editor of the AMI parent support initiative Aid to Life. Louise also holds an MSc in Educational Neuroscience, and is on the AMI Global Research Committee.
Cheryl Ferreira, Evening 3-6 (Children’s House) Course Director
Cheryl originally trained in Mumbai, India and completed her AMI trainer of trainers programme in the UK. She is an AMI examiner and lectures both in the UK and internationally. Cheryl also holds AMI Assistants to Infancy and Children’s House Diplomas. She is passionate about helping underprivileged children and has been involved in outreach work with the indigenous people of Australia.
Heidi Philippart, 0-3 (Assistants to Infancy) Course Co-Director
Heidi is the founder of two small Montessori Bilingual Preschools and the 2Voices Montessori Study Room for adult education in Amsterdam. Her specialty is helping parents in the application of Montessori principles and bilingualism in the home environment. Heidi has spoken extensively around the Netherlands and internationally on Montessori-related topics for the birth to three years age group. Heidi holds a Masters Degree in Education and is an AMI Trainer, examiner and consultant at the 0-3 level.
Sara Brady, 0-3 (Assistants to Infancy) Course Co-Director
Sara is qualified as an AMI Assistants to Infancy trainer and is also an AMI examiner at this level. She conducts teacher training internationally and is currently the Director of Training in Dallas, Tokyo, Sydney and China. Sara holds AMI diplomas at both Assistants to Infancy and Children’s House levels. She has a Masters in Education from Loyola College in Maryland and is an AMI/USA consultant. Sara has worked extensively in a variety of Montessori settings: long-day care, pre-school and Montessori in the home. She has enjoyed working in Nido and Infant Communities as well as parent-infant classes. Sara lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband and three children.
Alison Awes, 6-12 Course Director
Alison Awes has been the Director of 6-12 Training at the Montessori Center of Minnesota since 2010, serves as an adjunct faculty member for Saint Catherine University, St. Paul, and is the Director of 6-12 Training for the Maria Montessori Institute, London. She holds Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) Diplomas for Primary (ages three to six) and Elementary (ages six to twelve) levels, a B.A. in art history from Smith College, an M.A. in Latin-American studies from Tulane University, and an M.Ed. in Montessori education from Loyola University Maryland. She has taught in Montessori classrooms for ages six to nine and ages nine to twelve. Alison is an AMI examiner and consultant, and has served on the boards of private and charter (public) Montessori schools. A former board member of the AMI Elementary Alumni Association, she served as a pedagogical advisor for six years and now works on the AMI Scientific Pedagogy Group.
As an international lecturer and keynote speaker, Alison has given numerous workshops and short courses on a wide variety of topics, including dyslexia, art and the work of the hand, the psychological and physical prepared environment, and moral development in the digital age. She has worked on the faculty at international AMI teacher training centers, including those in Australia, India, South Africa, and Thailand, and has also directed courses in England and Switzerland. She has worked to advance the philosophy, spirit, and practice of Montessori through regularly mentoring teachers in Montessori classrooms worldwide. An advocate for children with reading challenges, she also holds Level I Orton Gillingham training. Alison attended Montessori school until the age of twelve.