Private Montessori

What Private Montessori does

Private Montessori, legally Montessori-Pädagogik Förderkreis Ulm/Neu-Ulm e.V., is a German non-profit registered association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 1993/94 that operates three educational facilities in the Ulm/Neu-Ulm region of Bavaria: the Private Montessori-Volksschule Neu-Ulm (a fully developed, state-approved private school serving grades 1-10 with mixed-age classes), the Montessori-Kinderhaus am Eselsberg (Germany's first passive-house kindergarten, 86 places for children ages 1 to school entry), and the Montessori-Kinderhaus im Dichterviertel (65 places, relocated to Kleiststr. 4 in October 2024). The organization implements authentic Montessori pedagogy — including Freiarbeit (daily two-hour self-directed work period), Jahrgangsmischung (mixed-age groups), specialized Montessori materials across five areas (Daily Living, Sensory, Language, Mathematics, Cosmic), and the Große Montessori-Arbeit 8th-grade capstone — and is state-approved to award all German national school-leaving qualifications including Hauptschulabschluss, Qualifizierender Mittelschulabschluss, and Mittlerer Schulabschluss. Enrollment totals approximately 145 students in the school and 151 kindergarten places, served by roughly 30 employees.

The business model combines parent-paid tuition, membership fees, kindergarten fees, and mandatory parent labor contributions against a backdrop of substantial Bavarian state and municipal subsidies that cover approximately 70-80% of school operating costs. Primary tuition is €241.50/month and secondary tuition is €336.50/month (effective August 2025); association membership fees range from €40 to €160 annually. Parents are required to contribute 25 hours per school year of working-group or service activity, reducing the need for additional fee increases. Distribution is entirely direct: enrollment is event-driven (info evenings, Tag der offenen Schule, Schnupperunterricht trial lessons, and application), with one kindergarten intake centralized through the city of Ulm's Little Bird portal. The technology stack is intentionally minimal — a WordPress website (montessori-ulm.de) with Elementor, WPForms, Complianz consent management, the IServ school communication platform, and Nextcloud-based file sharing — reflecting a pedagogy-led rather than technology-led operating model.

Governance is exercised through a three-person executive board (Gabriele Parg for Finance/Organization, Nicola Köstner as School Principal/Board Member, Anja Dalberg for the Children's Houses) and a supervisory board chaired by Marie à Porta, with parents' council and working-group representation. The institution has operated for over 30 years, celebrated its anniversary in 2024, and shows no signs of aggressive expansion, fundraising, or external investment — consistent with a stable, mission-driven e.V. focused on preserving authentic Montessori practice within a single German regional market.

Name

Private Montessori

Legal name

Montessori-Pädagogik Förderkreis Ulm/Neu-Ulm e.V.

Website

https://montessori-ulm.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Private Montessori (Montessori-Pädagogik Förderkreis Ulm/Neu-Ulm e.V.) is a non-profit association operating a state-approved K-10 Montessori school and two children's houses in the Ulm/Neu-Ulm region of Bavaria, serving approximately 300 children and families through authentic Montessori pedagogy funded by tuition, state subsidies, and mandatory parent contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Education and Early Childhood Care

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Montessori K–12 Schools (EDAJABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Montessori Early Learning Academies (EDACADAA), Montessori Preschools (EDACABAC), Full-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAD)

Keywords

• Montessori education
• Private primary school
• Early childhood education
• Daycare nursery services
• Alternative K-12 education

Headquarters

HQ city

Neu-Ulm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees (Schulgeld): Monthly tuition fees charged to families for school attendance. Primary school (Primarstufe): €241.50/month; Secondary school (Sekundarstufe): €336.50/month (effective 01.08.2025). State subsidy covers approximately 70-80% of costs; tuition covers remaining 20-30%.
2. Childcare Fees (Kinderhaus Gebühren): Fees for kindergarten and nursery care at children's houses, combining municipal base fees and a Montessori support contribution. Lunch catering charged separately.
3. Membership Fees: Association membership fees: Full members €80/year, reduced rate €40/year, supporting members minimum €160/year.
4. Parent Work Contribution: Parents are required to contribute 25 hours per school year of working group/service, reducing the need for additional fee increases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Private Montessori operates a state-approved private Montessori school for grades 1–10 and two Montessori children's houses (Kinderhäuser) for children aged 1 to school entry, all located in the Ulm/Neu-Ulm region of Bavaria, Germany. Instruction is delivered through authentic Montessori pedagogy featuring mixed-age classes, daily self-directed Freiarbeit, specialized self-correcting learning materials, and no traditional grades. The school is licensed to award all German national school-leaving qualifications, while the children's houses provide all-day Montessori-based early childhood care, including Germany's first passive-house kindergarten.

Product overview

Private Montessori operates three core educational facilities under the Montessori-Pädagogik Förderkreis Ulm/Neu-Ulm e.V.: the Private Montessori-Volksschule Neu-Ulm (grades 1-10), the Montessori-Kinderhaus am Eselsberg (nursery and kindergarten, 86 places), and the Montessori-Kinderhaus im Dichterviertel (nursery and kindergarten, 65 places). The school implements authentic Montessori pedagogy with mixed-age classes, daily free work periods, and individualized learning without grades. Supplementary services include MiMo afternoon care (primary) and OGATA all-day care (secondary), both free of charge. Preschool preparation groups bridge kindergarten and primary school.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Montessori-Volksschule Neu-Ulm State-approved private Montessori school for children in grades 1-10, organized in mixed-age classes using Montessori pedagogy with daily Freiarbeit, no traditional grades, and eligibility for all German national school-leaving qualifications. Serves approximately 70 primary and 75 secondary students.
• Montessori-Kinderhaus am Eselsberg Six-group Montessori children's house for children from age 1 to school entry, located in the Sonnenfeld on upper Ulm Eselsberg. Germany's first passive-house kindergarten, offering 86 places (30 nursery / 56 kindergarten) and operating Mon-Thu 7:00-17:00, Fri 7:30-15:00.
• Montessori-Kinderhaus im Dichterviertel Montessori children's house in the Ulmer Dichterviertel district providing full-day care for 65 children from age 1 to school entry. Registration handled via the city of Ulm Little Bird Kita portal.
• MiMo Mittagsbetreuung (Primary School Afternoon Care) Afternoon care service for primary school students (grades 1-4) operating 11:30-16:00 Monday-Thursday and 11:30-15:00 on Friday, offering supervised study time, creative activities, and snacks.
• OGATA Offene Ganztagesschule (Secondary School All-Day Care) Open all-day school care for secondary students (grades 5-10) from 13:00-16:00 Monday-Thursday, provided free of charge, focusing on academic support and extracurricular courses.
• Montessori-Vorschulgruppe (Preschool) Montessori preschool groups for kindergarten-age children preparing for primary school entry, introducing Montessori materials and Freiarbeit concepts as a bridge to the school.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% pass rate for Mittlerer Schulabschluss (Klasse 10) and all intermediate qualifications
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Kita-Portal Little Bird (Stadt Ulm)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe city of Ulm's official childcare portal 'Little Bird' is used for registration at the Kinderhaus im Dichterviertel. Families use this platform to apply for nursery/kindergarten places.
• Bayerischer Montessori-LandesverbandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school maintains active professional exchange with the Bavarian State Montessori Association and other Montessori schools for pedagogical experience sharing.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Munich International School: MIS is a larger private K-12 school in Bavaria offering IB and alternative education, comparable to the Private Montessori-Volksschule in serving German families seeking non-traditional schooling. Both benefit from state-approved status and compete in the broader Bavarian private school market.
• Fröbel e.V. Fröbel is one of Germany's largest non-profit daycare and kindergarten operators, comparable to the Kinderhäuser am Eselsberg and im Dichterviertel. Both serve children from infancy through preschool with a structured pedagogical approach, though Fröbel operates across many more sites nationally.
• Step Kids Kitas: Step Kids Kitas is a private German daycare chain operating multiple children's houses, comparable to the two Montessori-Kinderhäuser. Both compete for nursery and kindergarten places in Germany's urban childcare market, though Step Kids operates more sites and uses a corporate rather than association model.
• Phorms Education: Phorms operates multiple private bilingual K-12 schools and daycares across Germany with state-approved status, comparable to the Private Montessori-Volksschule in serving families seeking alternative education. Both compete for the same private-school segment in German metropolitan areas, though Phorms focuses on bilingual English-German pedagogy.

Direct peers

• Allgemeine Eva Luise und Friedrich von Metzler Stiftung / Frankfurter Montessori-Schule: The Frankfurt Montessori School operates as a state-approved Montessori K-12 school in Germany under a non-profit association structure, making it a close direct peer. Both schools deliver authentic Montessori pedagogy with mixed-age classes and state-recognized diplomas, and compete within the same national German Montessori ecosystem.
• Freie Waldorfschulen (Waldorf Schools): The German Waldorf/Steiner school network is the most direct alternative-pedagogy peer to the Montessori school, offering state-recognized curricula combined with a distinctive child-centered philosophy (mixed-age groups, holistic development). Both compete for the same alternative-education families in major German cities and operate on similar non-profit association models.
• Montessori-Vereinigung München: The Montessori school network in Munich is a direct peer operating Montessori K-12 education in Bavaria with similar non-profit association governance, state-approved status, and Montessori pedagogy. Both draw from the same Bavarian state-funding framework and serve similar alternative-education families.

Regional players

• Kita-Concept (City of Ulm Daycare): The City of Ulm operates municipal daycare centers through the Little Bird portal, directly competing with the Kinderhaus im Dichterviertel for nursery and kindergarten places in the same city. Both serve the same local 1-6 age demographic with comparable service offerings.
• Internationale Schule Ulm: The Internationale Schule Ulm is a regional private school serving the same Ulm/Neu-Ulm metropolitan market as the Private Montessori-Volksschule. Both compete for families seeking alternatives to state schools in the region, though the Internationale Schule focuses on international/bilingual education.

Emerging players

• HELENA (Montessori-Trägerverbund): HELENA is a smaller German Montessori school network operating early childhood and primary education with state-approved status, similar to the Private Montessori-Volksschule. Both serve the alternative-education segment in Germany with authentic Montessori pedagogy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/private-montessori

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Private Montessori