The History of Our School
The School was established in January 1995 in Central, Port Elizabeth by Samantha Streak. Opening with Sam and a general assistant working with only 9 children, we started with a 3-6 year old group.
The School grew remarkably over the following two years and relocated to bigger premises in Walmer in January 1997. At this time, Rita van Heerden and the Sunridge Montessori School joined forces with us and we began our new journey in Fordyce Road with over 40 children, 2 directresses, 2 assistant directresses and a general assistant.
This change inspired everyone at the school and by popular demand, we took the next bold step: in January 1998 we opened the first Montessori Primary class in the Eastern Cape, continuing our Montessori Approach to Education with learners from six to nine years old. We began this group with a core of sixteen children, all of who had been through our pre school programme. We became the first Montessori School to register as an Independent School with the Eastern Cape Education Department. Our school has gone from strength to strength and now has two fully established 3-6 classes, one 6-9 class and one 9-12 class (altogether accommodating children from three to thirteen years old). Our first graduates, who started with us in 1995, started university in 2010!
2001 heralded the biggest challenge, change and commitment yet in our School. We purchased our own premises in 7th Avenue Walmer which is used exclusively for the school and which has allowed the following developments to take place:
- The expansion of the primary section to accommodate learners up to and including grade 7 (6-12 years old).
- At the beginning of 2007 we completed construction of a multi-purpose sports surface, with the fundraising efforts of parents. This enables us to offer a wider variety of sports and extra-mural activities such as Playball.
- The establishment of the first Montessori Resource Centre for students, parents and other interested parties in the Eastern Cape.
- The creation of of a Teacher Training Centre.
- The School has served as the regional office for the Southern African Montessori Association.
Since 2008, on completion of our outdoor classroom, each group within the school (i.e. each of the pre-school groups, the lower primary and upper primary groups) has access at least one day a week to the outdoor classroom. They extend all of their learning – from language, maths, cultural and geometry to sensorial, practical life and science – into the outdoor environment regularly.
Pippa Smith and Margo de Kooker were instrumental in helping translate all the ideas into something practical and beautiful.
