Montessori education and the joys of learning

Founded in 2002, the International Montessori School (IMS) offers Montessori curriculum in an immersive dual language setting. It allows for each child to reach their full potential in a nurturing and supportive environment.

With four different campuses across Hong Kong, IMS caters to students aged three to 12 years old. It helps to develop well-rounded individuals at their own pace, within a child-centred curriculum.

The beginning

19 years ago, a small group of parents got together because they wanted something different for their children. They were convinced that learning could, and should, be done joyously.

And thus, IMS was born in a converted office on Queens Road East with 68 children. From those humble beginnings, IMS has now grown to nearly 1,000 children aged three to 12 years old in four different campuses.

Accredited by the International Montessori Council in 2012,  IMS is now one of the largest Montessori programmes in the world. It is a global pioneer of the Montessori dual-language English/Chinese programme.

The dual-language setup

Layered throughout every IMS programme is the dual language culture where both Chinese and English language and cultures are equally important.

The school pioneers the Chinese dual Language environment. Every classroom has two teachers, one who only speaks English and one who only speaks Putonghua.

“If you are running in the hall it depends which teacher sees you first whether the reminder to walk comes out in Mandarin or English. It’s a natural language environment.” 

Mixed-age classrooms

At IMS, every environment has two teachers guiding the 25 children in the class. The classes who are equally split between first, second and third year children.

The older children are encouraged to help the younger ones, which gives them confidence as they become an ‘expert’. However, they will soon realise that to explain something to another person is also a feat in itself.

This reinforcement of knowledge, coupled with motivation results in incredible academic achievement as well as social and character development. “It’s a you push I pull effect,” says Sawyer. 

Cruising through the challenges during pandemic 

When the school started in 2002, they witnessed the outbreak of SARS that very first year. For Sawyer, it was the community of parents and teachers that made the difference then, and yet again during COVID-19.

The school braced up and developed Montessori workshops in English and Chinese. It also planned technology workshops to help parents and domestic helpers with the new platforms in both English and Tagalog. 

Elementary students have also risen to the occasion. Student have written songs, produced their own online Talent Show and planned a farmer’s market. Now that is some ingenuity.

Parents speak

Melissa Brewster has three girls at IMS aged seven, nine and 11. The kids are “not just passengers, but are driving the ship as well,” she says.

Brewster is most impressed how IMS emulates what happens in the classroom and brings it home.

Another parent, Vivian Yuen, whose child attends Casa class says, “ While the school put a lot of effort in preparing videos and designing various work for the kids, I can truly see the beauty of Montessori in it.”