Casa Maria Montessori

If you are looking for a nurturing, thoughtful start to your child’s educational journey, Casa Maria Montessori may be the perfect place.

Our next parent tour will take place on 11th July. To learn more about what makes our nursery so special, email [email protected] to request a copy of our policies.

At Casa Maria Montessori, we believe the early years should feel calm, connected, and full of discovery. Our nursery offers a carefully prepared Montessori environment where children are supported to grow in independence, confidence, and curiosity.

Through consistent, gentle routines, children feel secure and understood, giving them the foundation they need to explore the world around them. We place strong value on relationships between children, educators, and families, creating a true sense of community where every child is seen and respected as an individual.

Our days are child-focused and enriched with meaningful outdoor experiences, allowing children to learn through movement, nature, and hands-on exploration.

Watching schools celebrate brief moments of “freedom” from exam stress raises an important question: why are children as young as eight carrying such a heavy burden in the first place?

Exams are often presented as a measure of knowledge, yet they rarely reflect true understanding. They reward memorisation over thinking, compliance over curiosity, and performance over growth. In doing so, they place young children under levels of pressure that many adults would find overwhelming.

This approach is often justified as preparation for future exams like MATSEC, which they will undertake at 15/16 years! But what are we really preparing children for? A system that normalises stress and burnout? One that encourages them to follow instructions without question, rather than think critically and independently? One that gradually disconnects them from their natural curiosity and interests as they grow?

Before we say, “this is how it has always been” or “I went through it and I am fine,” it is worth pausing to look around. We are living in a time where both children and adults are experiencing unprecedented levels of stress, anxiety, and mental health challenges. Perhaps “fine” is not the standard we should be aiming for.

This is the traditional model of education. And it is worth challenging.

At Casa Maria Montessori, we take a different path.

Children begin to experience tests and exams from Year 5, but these are not endpoints. Each one is reviewed together with the child, turning assessment into a moment of reflection and growth rather than judgment.

In Year 6, continuous assessment replaces the cycle of repeated testing. These are not “mini exams,” but meaningful evaluations, carried out throughout the school year, that form 30% of the final mark.

Because we understand something essential: a child’s knowledge, understanding, and worth cannot be reduced to a number or a letter.

Education should not prepare children to endure pressure. It should prepare them to understand themselves, to think deeply, and to engage meaningfully with the world around them.

At Casa Maria Montessori, we believe early childhood is not a performance.

It is not about perfectly curated tuff trays, constant adult-led activities, or daily crafts that require every child’s participation. While these may look appealing, they do not always serve the true developmental needs of the young child.

A meaningful nursery experience is rooted in calm, consistent routines, where children feel secure and understood. It is built on child-led exploration, where curiosity guides learning. It allows time for repetition, deep concentration, and the freedom to make choices.

Young children do not thrive in constant change or adult-driven busyness. They thrive in environments that respect their pace, honour their independence, and support their natural development.
We must be mindful not to let the demands and pace of adult life shape childhood into something rushed or performative.

At Casa Maria Montessori, children come first—always.

There is a reason we will never be a big school.

We believe that childhood should be lived within a community where every child is truly known. Not just by their teacher, but by every educator, every member of leadership, every adult who shares their space. A place where their name, their personality, their interests, and their voice matter.
Children deserve to feel seen, heard, and valued for who they are. They should feel safe to express themselves, confident that someone is listening.

Their learning is not a yearly checklist to complete, but a meaningful journey that unfolds over time, at their own pace.

The reality is that in many large schools, children can become just a number. Unless they stand out or struggle, they often remain unseen. That is not something we are willing to accept.

We choose to remain a close-knit community because wellbeing comes first. Always. It guides every decision we make and shapes every experience we offer.

And that is something we will not compromise on.

In our Montessori classrooms, we believe that even the smallest moments are opportunities for independence and care.

You might notice a simple little space in our kindergarten room: a box of tissues, a small bin, and a mirror placed at just the right height. It may seem like a small detail, but for a child, it is something meaningful. It gives them the chance to notice their own needs, take action, and care for themselves with confidence.
Whether it is wiping their nose or checking their face, these everyday routines become moments of growth, dignity, and self-awareness.

When we thoughtfully prepare the environment, we are quietly telling the child: “You can do this. I trust you.”

Our last Forest School session of the scholastic year was a wonderful way to close a truly memorable journey for our students from Kinder 1 to Year 6.

In a natural environment free from worksheets and adult-led agendas, children were given the space to explore, take risks, build confidence, and learn through experience. Along the way, they climbed, balanced, wove, wrapped, dug, mixed, played, laughed, splashed, and so much more.

These are the kinds of experiences that stay with children. True learning happens when they are active, curious, and connected to the world around them. Forest School is not just for the early years — every child deserves regular time in nature, and we believe bringing it back for all children under 16 would only strengthen both wellbeing and academic learning.

We cannot wait to extend this programme next scholastic year as we move to Mtarfa, with sessions continuing to led by a fully qualified Forest School teacher.

Montessori, parents as partners.

Yesterday’s final Stay and Play of the scholastic year was a beautiful reminder of the value of partnership between home and school. Kinder and Primary 1 parents joined their children in class for a morning of discovery, gaining a closer glimpse into the learning experiences their children enjoy each day. Our Primary II children also proudly presented their artwork in a wonderful art show, before parents and children came together to create art side by side.

At Casa Maria Montessori, we believe that when parents are actively involved in their child’s journey, learning becomes even more meaningful. Together, we build a supportive community where children can grow with confidence, creativity, and joy.

🥕 🥔 Celebrating Local Produce🫛 🫜

This Saturday our entire community was invited to join us at the Farmer's Market in Ta Qali, to hunt for local produce and hopefully buy some!

As a school, we value holistic education, including agriculture as a central part of our learning environment. All of our children, nursery up to Year 6, regularly take part in growing, harvesting and cooking, in school during core curriculum hours, not only as part of a club.

It was wonderful seeing so many families and experiencing many fresh vegetables, snacking on peas and chickpeas being the highlight! Many families were not aware that the market runs every weekend and the level of quality available. We hope this will encourage more visits!

At Casa Maria Montessori, learning flows across age groups, nurturing both independence and community. This week, our Year 4–6 children stepped into leadership roles as they joined our Kinder classrooms to guide the younger children through the process of baking bread.

With patience, care, and quiet confidence, the older students supported their younger peers—measuring, mixing, kneading, and waiting together. These moments reflect the true spirit of Montessori: children learning from one another, building empathy, and developing a strong sense of responsibility within their community.

Through simple, meaningful activities like bread making, virtues such as kindness, leadership, cooperation, and service come to life in a natural and lasting way.

We’re growing our team at Casa Maria Montessori 🌿

We are currently looking for:
A Music Teacher for our Kinder and Primary school in Mtarfa (2.5 contact hours per week, afternoons)
Nursery Educators (full-time positions) in Tarxien and Naxxar
If you are passionate about working with children and inspired by a child-centred approach to learning, we would love to hear from you.

📩 Send your CV to [email protected]
🗓 Applications close on 15th June 2026
Join a team that values respect, independence, and a love for learning.