Montessori Unit
Montessori at Ahuroa School
A Unique Learning opportunity for Years 1 - 8
Ahuroa School offers a Montessori option for families seeking a child-centred, hands-on approach to learning. Our Montessori classroom is a vibrant space where children are encouraged to explore, question, and learn at their own pace, guided by experienced Montessori teachers.
What is Montessori?
A learning approach that honours curiosity, independence, and individuality.
Montessori education is a child-centred approach that recognises each child as a unique individual, capable of directing their own learning when given the right tools, time, and environment.
Rather than being driven by a single timetable or one-size-fits-all curriculum, the Montessori method follows each child’s natural curiosity and developmental needs.
In a Montessori classroom, children are active participants in their learning — exploring hands-on materials, asking questions, and discovering answers through real experiences.
Teachers act as guides, carefully observing and introducing lessons that meet each learner at their own stage of understanding.
The goal is not only academic success but the growth of independence, confidence, empathy, and a lifelong love of learning.
A day in a Montessori Classroom
Calm, purposeful and designed for deep focus.
Each morning begins with a sense of calm and connection. Children arrive and move into a three-hour uninterrupted work cycle — the cornerstone of Montessori education.
During this time, students choose meaningful work that matches their interests and readiness. You might see a nine-year-old building large-scale division problems with bead frames while another researches native birds, and a group of six-year-olds constructing a model of the solar system.
The classroom hums with quiet focus — a balance of independence, collaboration, and respect.
Teachers circulate quietly, giving individual and small-group lessons, supporting children to progress at their own pace.
After the morning cycle, the day flows naturally into outdoor play, art, cultural studies, and “going-out” experiences — small excursions that connect classroom learning to the wider world.
Each day ends with reflection, tidy-up, and care of the environment, nurturing responsibility and pride.
Why Montessori Benefits Children
An education that adapts to every learner - not the other way around.
Montessori education meets children where they are. In multi-age classrooms (6–9 and 9–12 years), learners work together across ages and abilities, building confidence and empathy. Older children reinforce their understanding by helping younger ones, while younger students are inspired by their peers’ advanced work.
Because progress is individual, there’s no competition or ranking — each child moves at their own pace, guided by interest and readiness.
Montessori materials transform abstract ideas into concrete experiences, allowing children to truly understand rather than simply memorise.
This deep, connected learning builds lasting comprehension and self-motivation — qualities that serve them for life.
Montessori and Neurodiversity
An inclusive approach that value’s every child way of learning.
The Montessori method naturally supports children with diverse learning needs — including ADHD, dyslexia, ASD, and anxiety — because it’s built around flexibility, observation, and respect.
Key features that make it supportive include:
Freedom within structure — children have choice over work and pace within clear boundaries.
Multi-sensory, hands-on materials that engage different learning styles.
Predictable routines and calm spaces that reduce anxiety and sensory overload.
Mixed-age environments that promote empathy, cooperation, and self-confidence.
Individualised teaching — guides work one-on-one, adjusting lessons for readiness and focus.
At the heart of Montessori is the belief that every child has the right to feel safe, capable, and seen.
Differences aren’t deficits — they are the foundation of a rich, inclusive community where every learner can thrive.
Interested?
Families who are interested in the Montessori option are warmly invited to:
Click on the link to fill in an expression of interest form
Visit the Montessori classroom for tour
Book an observation of the environment in action