Canberra Montessori School

What Canberra Montessori School does

Canberra Montessori School (CMS) is an independent, not-for-profit Montessori school operating from a purpose-built campus at 35 Mulley Street, Holder, ACT, Australia, founded in 1981 by the Canberra Montessori Society Inc and relocated to its current facility in 2004. The school delivers authentic Montessori education to children aged 18 months through 12 years across six programmes: Parent-Toddler Program (Saturday morning sessions for 18 months-3 years with parents/carers), Long Day Care (full-day care for 18 months-3 years, 7:30am-6:00pm), Cycle 1/Children's House (ages 3-6), Cycle 2 (ages 6-9), Cycle 3 (ages 9-12), plus an Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) programme and Holiday Program. It is the only Montessori school in Canberra to hold full registration with Montessori Australia's national Montessori Quality Assurance Programme (MQAP), and it is accredited by ACECQA and registered with the ACT Education Directorate.

CMS employs approximately 25 staff per firmographics (one source lists 40+ across leadership, teaching, and support roles), led by Principal Halima Khurram and Business Manager Kholoud Hasan, with governance provided by a Board chaired by Katarina March. The school uses mixed-age classrooms, Montessori-prepared environments with purpose-designed learning materials, and specialist instructors for Spanish, Mandarin, gymnastics, and swimming, alongside OSHC enrichment clubs including Chess and Robotics. Its technology stack is administrative rather than instructional: Kidsoft (parent portal for communications and fee management) and Transparent Classroom (classroom management and learning documentation) are integrated into operations; no AI/ML, mobile app, or public API surface is present.

Revenue is generated predominantly through recurring tuition and care fees (Cycle 1-3 school fees, Long Day Care, Parent-Toddler Program, OSHC), with three billing cadences offered (term, monthly direct debit, annual upfront with a 5% discount), tiered sibling discounts of 15% (second child) and 20% (third child), and Child Care Subsidy support of up to 90% for eligible Long Day Care families. A secondary revenue stream comprises tax-deductible Building Fund donations supporting campus improvements. Go-to-market is community-led: prospective families book weekday campus tours, submit applications, and complete a family interview with the Principal, with word-of-mouth referrals, Montessori Markets, Working Bees, and Parent Education Evenings driving top-of-funnel demand. The school is governed as a registered charity with no external investors, parent company, or funding rounds, and serves a single geographic market in Canberra.

Name

Canberra Montessori School

Legal name

Canberra Montessori School

Website

https://cms.act.edu.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Canberra Montessori School is an independent not-for-profit Montessori school in Holder, ACT, Australia, delivering authentic Montessori education to children aged 18 months to 12 years across Long Day Care, three classroom cycles, and OSHC programmes. It is the only MQAP-registered Montessori school in Canberra and operates as a registered charity.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary and Early Childhood Education

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Montessori Preschools (EDACABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Montessori K–12 Schools (EDAJABAD), Montessori Early Learning Academies (EDACADAA)

Keywords

• Montessori education
• Early childhood education
• Primary school programs
• Long day care
• Outside school hours care

Headquarters

HQ city

Holder

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. School Tuition Fees: Term-based tuition payments for Montessori school programs covering Cycle 1, 2, and 3 for children aged 3-12 years. Fee schedules published for 2025 and 2026.
2. Long Day Care Fees: Full-day care fees for children aged 18 months to 3 years with extended hours supporting working families.
3. Parent-Toddler Program Fees: Term-by-term enrollment fees for Saturday morning program for parents/carers and toddlers.
4. OSHC Fees: Before and after school care fees plus vacation care during school holidays.
5. Building Fund Donations: Tax-deductible donations to Building Fund for school improvements and resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Canberra Montessori School is an independent not-for-profit Montessori school operating from a purpose-built campus in Holder, ACT, Australia. It delivers authentic Montessori education to children aged 18 months to 12 years through a Parent-Toddler Program, Long Day Care, three classroom cycles (Cycle 1, 2, and 3), and Outside School Hours Care including holiday programs. The school is the only Montessori school in Canberra with full registration with Montessori Australia's Quality Assurance Programme (MQAP).

Product overview

Canberra Montessori School offers a comprehensive Montessori education ecosystem comprising toddler programs (Parent-Toddler Program and Long Day Care for children 18 months to 3 years), three-cycle school program (Cycle 1 for ages 3-6, Cycle 2 for ages 6-9, Cycle 3 for ages 9-12), and Out of School Hours Care including before/after school care and holiday programs. The programs use authentic Montessori methodology with qualified educators, hands-on materials, and mixed-age classrooms to foster independence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parent-Toddler Program (PTP)

Quantifiable outcome

• Montessori education develops confident, self-motivated learners who think critically and work collaboratively
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KidsoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationParent portal platform used for administrative management and parent communications. Integrated into school operations for fee payments and parent engagement.
• Transparent ClassroomcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital classroom management platform used for parent communication and learning documentation. Provides transparency into classroom activities and child progress.
• Montessori Australia FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Montessori Quality Assurance Programme (MQAP) certification body. CMS is the only Montessori school in Canberra with full MQAP registration, ensuring authentic Montessori education delivery.
• ACECQAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority - meets all National Quality Standards for early childhood education.
• ACT Education DirectoratecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegistered with the ACT Education Directorate and complies with all Australian education regulations and ACT government requirements.
• Association of Independent Schools ACT and NSWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of independent school associations providing support and advocacy for independent schooling.
• Montessori Schools & Centres AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the national Montessori peak body representing Montessori schools and centres across Australia.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Melbourne Montessori School: Independent Montessori school offering toddler through adolescent programs in a major Australian capital. Closely comparable to CMS in pedagogy (authentic Montessori), age range covered, fee-based model, and not-for-profit/independent governance structure.
• Montessori International College: Australian Montessori school delivering toddler through secondary programs on a single campus. Comparable to CMS in full Montessori lifecycle coverage, authentic methodology, and Australian independent school positioning.
• Perth Montessori School: Independent Montessori school in Perth offering early learning and primary programs with prepared environments and Montessori-trained educators. Comparable as a capital-city Australian Montessori operator with similar tuition-funded, not-for-profit structure.
• Brisbane Montessori School: Independent Montessori school in Brisbane offering Children's House and primary programs with authentic Montessori curriculum. Comparable as an Australian capital-city Montessori operator serving a similar 18-month-to-12-year age band with tuition-based recurring revenue.
• Sydney Montessori School: Long-established Montessori school in Sydney serving children from toddler through primary using mixed-age classrooms and Montessori materials. Directly comparable as an Australian capital-city Montessori operator with similar program structure and parent-facing enrollment motion.

Broad incumbents

• Canberra Grammar School: Large established independent K–12 school in Canberra competing for the same family segment with broader academic and co-curricular offerings. Comparable as a Canberra-based independent school serving fee-paying families, but differentiated by traditional rather than Montessori pedagogy and significantly larger scale.
• Radford College: Major Canberra independent school (ELC through Year 12) with a long-standing Early Learning Centre that competes with CMS for pre-primary families. Comparable in serving Canberra fee-paying families across an early-years-to-secondary arc, but broader and more traditional than a Montessori-only operator.

Regional players

• Daramalan College: Catholic secondary school in Canberra with a feeder primary that competes for the same Canberra family demographic as CMS. Comparable as a Canberra independent/faith-based school option, though it does not offer a Montessori curriculum and does not directly serve the toddler Long Day Care segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canberra-montessori-school

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Canberra Montessori School