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Our Vision

Our vision is to bring excellence in Montessori education to the broader education landscape so that all young people are placed at the heart of their own educational experience and empowered to be independent, confident and creative lifelong learners.

Our Mission

We strive to achieve our vision through our Centre of Excellence in Montessori Education in which:

We strive to achieve our vision through our Centre of Excellence in Montessori Education in which:
We provide outstanding learning experiences, guided by the philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori, which meet the developmental needs of every individual.
We prepare and develop Montessori educators who are able to leverage the full value of the Montessori method to support and nurture all learners to grow and develop as contributing members to our society.
We are advocates for the Montessori method by supporting Montessori professionals to continually enhance and reflect upon their practice, and by seeking to further the integration of the Montessori method into national education systems.

History of St. Nicholas Montessori Society of Ireland

St Nicholas Montessori College Ireland traces its origins to the late 1940’s when Dr Maria Montessori gave permission to two English women, Margaret Homfray and Phoebe Child, to set up a training centre to teach the Montessori Method in London. This was the first St Nicholas College, and many Irish educators completed their studies there.

In 1970 the St Nicholas Montessori Society of Ireland was founded by Sighle Fitzgerald and a group of like-minded educators. The Irish society ran workshops and evening courses in association with the London training centre for many years in locations throughout Ireland ensuring the further spread of the Montessori Method.

In 1980 the School’s present home, St Nicholas House in Dun Laoghaire was bought, and St Nicholas Montessori College opened its doors. Peggy McClatchie was the first teacher, and Sighle Fitzgerald was Principal and Director of the College. In 1984 the College began delivery of its first course, a two year diploma course awarded by the London centre.

In 1994, the College was granted designated status by Ireland’s National Council for Educational Awards (NCEA), the state approved body for higher education. This enabled the College to design and develop its own higher education diploma and degree programmes in Montessori education corresponding to in line with national and international standards, providing comprehensive training and career opportunities for its learners.

Throughout the 1990s, the College sought and secured state approval for a three year national diploma, a one year follow-on degree programme, and a higher diploma programme for those already holding an undergraduate degree. The one year follow-on degree programme, Level 8 BA Hons in Montessori Education enabled graduates to register under Route 4 with the Teaching Council of Ireland and as a result there are many hundreds of St. Nicholas graduates working throughout the National school system in Ireland in special education settings.

St Nicholas Montessori College graduates are employed not only in Ireland, but across the world. These programmes have continued to evolve to reflect developments and best practice in educational methodologies, while at all times complying with changes in national and international educational frameworks.

 

As St Nicholas Montessori Society continues to develop, and there are other exciting plans in the pipeline for St Nicholas Montessori Schools, the College and Teacher’s Association so that we can continue to Transform Education throughout the world!