Our Team

At My Montessori School we believe that the world runs on creativity. We are dedicated to providing children with a rich learning environment that integrates the Montessori Educational Method in our quest to cultivate natural curiosity and inquisitiveness.

Early education affects how children learn for the rest of their lives. An optimistic attitude towards knowledge built at a young age is carried into later life and is one of the building blocks of success and self fulfilment.

While many educational establishments chose to adhere to a pre-planned curriculum, the Montessori Method allows young children the freedom to explore the world through their curiosity within their own time and space. It is the teacher’s role to identify and follow the interest of the child, to facilitate his/her own journey of discovery and knowledge acquisition.

It is our mission to help children flourish and fulfil their potential. To achieve that we help them embrace their instincts, explore their senses and recognise their feelings. We help them become independent beings, self-confident and fascinated with life. We recognise their individual needs and help them develop interests in a way that inspires an ever growing desire to learn.

Fear of failure and words like “right” or “wrong”, “good” and “bad” have no place in our approach to knowledge – they limit possibilities rather than expand them.

We create a nurturing environment that supports our children’s development and make them feel safe and loved.

Didi - Founder

Hello, my name is Didi and I am the founder of My Montessori School.

Didi holds a Master Degree in Psychology and is a qualified Level 4 Montessori Teacher. She is also a qualified NLP (neuro-linguistic) practitioner and personal development coach.

Didi is the creator of an on-line educational business for new parents and a baby feeding program. She speaks 5 languages.

Aki - Head of Curriculum

Hello, my name is Aki Tsukimori. I am Japanese and have been living in London most of my adult life working as a Montessori practitioner. I feel a strong attraction to London and I love it here because of the cultural diversity I had not been able to experience in my own country. The magnetism of the cultural diversity of this city led me to study Sociology and Anthropology for my BA degree in London. During my studies, I gained awareness and a realisation that our identity is formed in the early years of our lives. I was very interested in exploring ‘identity’ more and discovered the Montessori Method. I thought that by becoming a Montessori teacher it would allow me to see this in practice. Since qualifying in 2000, my commitment and dedication to supporting children’s development and working closely with families to support them was in fact my calling. I have since had so many rich memories and experiences of working with children, seeing countless different personalities, and I am reminded every day that I am doing what makes me happy. My goal is to give children the best possible start in life and support all areas of their development in a fun, inviting and enabling environment. I am happy to help!

Simone – Montessori Teacher

My name is Simone Pounder. I was born in England, Devon but lived most of my life in the sunny twin Caribbean island Trinidad and Tobago. I started my teaching journey there at a Montessori nursery and was inspired by children’s natural curiosity to learn and explore. I became passionate about Montessori and came to London to study a foundation degree in Montessori. I love creating a nurturing, fun and adventurous environment for children.

I hold an Early Childhood BA and with this experience and learning am inspired to create the best learning experience for young children.

I currently also hold a Montessori Diploma Level 5 and am trained in Paediatric First Aid.

Zara - Head of School

Hello, my name is Zara, and I am the Head of School. I am a Montessori trained directress with over 13 years teaching experience in schooling systems in different countries. I believe in creating a safe, warm and dynamic environment for a child to develop fearlessly and with a positive outlook to their unique knowledge and understanding of the world. I am passionate about the Montessori method of teaching, which allows for a holistic development of the child and bares great importance on the spiritual preparation of the teacher and preparing of the environment.

The team and I at My Montessori School constantly strive to achieve excellence through consistent self-reflection with a growth mindset and professional development through training, reading and workshops. Moreover, we strive to achieve higher levels of conscious awareness to meet the needs of each individual child.

“If help and salvation are to come, they can only come from the children, for the children are the makers of men”. Maria Montessori

Rachel - Montessori Teacher

Hello, my name is Rachel. I am from New York and arrived in London four years ago after studying & working in Italy, France & Scotland. I have a BA in history of art & an MSc in Renaissance and Early Modern studies.

My decision to work with young children grew out of my prior studies in history of art and work experience at the Foundling Museum in London. This work narrowed my focus still further towards wanting to work directly with young children in an educational setting. As a result, I trained at Montessori International Centre & worked as a teacher at a Montessori nursery in London for 2 years. What drew me to Montessori’s teaching was her undeniable & genuine respect for children. “Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilities of their future.” This quote from Montessori resonated with me deeply, & I was immensely excited to have discovered an educator who shared the same beliefs.

During my teaching experience, I have really enjoyed developing and implementing lessons & engaging closely with the children as they explore and discover the world around them. It has been particularly enlightening to understand how children learn through play, and the

importance of nurturing the whole child. I have a strong passion for music and art and love to communicate my love of art to young children.

Megan Morita - Montessori Teacher

My name is Megan Morita. I have lived in London since 2007 when I moved here from New Zealand. Like many young Kiwis, I came to travel the UK and Europe and never left…

Before becoming interested in Montessori, when my twin daughters were toddlers and my son a baby, I worked in Immigration at the New Zealand High Commission. My work took me to many places and helped many migrants to reach New Zealand. However, a childhood ambition to become a teacher had never left me.

Learning about Montessori education resonated with me. As a parent I could see the benefit of applying Montessori principles in my own life and home. My children were flourishing and I found so much joy in understanding and respecting them more. I decided to make a career change and become a Montessori Teacher.

In 2020-21 I trained at the Maria Montessori Institute in London, gaining the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) Diploma 3-6. This training was hugely rewarding and transformative. My preparation as a teacher and parent continues every day; to be present as a respectful, humble and patient adult to guide children’s development positively.