Melbourne Montessori School (Caulfied/Brighton)

[LimeSlice]

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone has had any experiences with Melbourne Montessori School?

Charlotte will be starting Cycle One next year, and the prices are significantly higher than the other school I had in mind for her, but it seems to be a more structured school, and offers more of the private school type discipline and structure that I am after for her.

It is a huge amount of money ($10k a year) and I would rather get some opinions now before I submit an enrollment, as it will also affect where we choose to move to when we move back to Melbourne.

TIA

[bubbaloo]

Hi LimeSlice,

Unfortunately, I don't have any answers for you... but I did just pop in to this section to ask about this exact school, so was surprised to see your thread here! Hopefully someone will be able to give some feedback.

In the meantime, can I ask you a question? We've only just moved to Melbourne and haven't got an application in yet. Can I ask how early you had to apply to get in and whether you know if there are any long waiting lists I need to worry about? We would be looking at Cycle 1 for next year (ideally) or possibly 2012.

Thanks and sorry for derailing your thread slightly.

Hopefully someone will give some feedback on this school soon!

[Lulu]

Can you even get her in?

ETA - if you are moving to Melbourne check out The Village School. About $5k and I liked it way better than montessori (but that's just me )

[LimeSlice]

Can't get her in for next year, but can most certainly get her in for 2nd year of Cycle 1 in 2012.
So yes, if you apply now you will definitely get a place for 2012.

However, we have since decided on Candlebark out near Romsey - same $9600 per year, but it included EVERYTHING, like lunch and snacks, bus to and from school, activities, camps, stationery, everything. And honestly is the closest thing to my ideal school I have ever found - I wonder if they will be convinced I am 10 if I pretend really hard? I wanna go myself! lol
Now their waiting list and I crossing my fingers very very tight, they begin at 5, so a few more years yet, and hoping I am getting in early enough lol

[Lulu]

gotta love all inclusive! Lime, you will be just as much a part of the school as Charlotte, it sounds terrific.

[LimeSlice]

I think the thing that convinced me was this line in their "Are we the right school for you?":

"We comfort students who are upset, we hug, we’re tactile. We may play rambunctious roughhousing games like British Bulldog, Animal Ball or spotlight.

Oh and this one:

"According to our assessment of students’ maturity and abilities, we may teach them to use axes, log splitters and chainsaws."

DH was impressed with that.