Trial 2 weeks for $100 per child
Online and Hybrid Montessori Primary School : Enrolments Open for 2026 years 1-8
At Porirua Montessori Online, tamariki learn at their own pace in a calm, supportive environment.
We combine strong academics with independence, creativity, and care — so every child is known, valued, and supported to thrive.
Enrolment is open to tamariki anywhere in Aotearoa/ New Zealand.
Children enrol with us full time instead of enrolling at a local primary school or homeschooling*.
Are you interested in an alternative way of schooling?
Want to give your child something personalised at home but don’t want to homeschool?
Are you able to supervise your child at home while the curriculum is organised and planned by a teacher?
This is for you!
Porirua Montessori is offering an online schooling option, enrol full time online or if you are in the wider Wellington area attend 2 days in person and do 3 of your days at home.
This is a low screen option based on the internationally recognised Montessori curriculum overseen by a trained NZ and Montessori trained teacher!
Your child will be enrolled with us full time instead of their local primary or intermediate school.*
If your child is currently homeschooling they can do a 10 week trial with us and not lose their homeschool exemption!
*We can help you with afterschool or homeschool options too. Just leave a message below
Find Out More
Families come to us when traditional schooling doesn’t quite fit — or when they want something more personal, calm, and meaningful for their child.
At Porirua Montessori, your child will:
Learn at a pace that suits them — without being rushed or held back
Build strong foundations in reading, writing, and maths through hands-on, meaningful learning
Develop focus, independence, and confidence, not reliance on constant instruction
Learn as an individual at their own speed, where they are truly known and supported
Be part of a caring community where kindness, empathy, and respect are explicitly taught
This approach is backed by international research showing Montessori students often achieve strong academic outcomes alongside greater self-regulation, motivation, and wellbeing.
What is Montessori?
Montessori education is a child-centred approach where tamariki learn at their own pace, guided by curiosity and hands-on exploration rather than a one-size-fits-all timetable. We delve deeply into topics and allow the child to show us what they are passionate about while ensuring they still get a comprehensive education.
In our classrooms, children choose from specially designed materials that make abstract ideas concrete—like using beads to understand maths or storytelling to explore history.
Commitment and When can I enrol?
Students can enrol at any time during the school year, even in the middle of a school term.
This is a full time option. Think Te Kura or Correspondence School but for Montessori - online, we become your school.
If you want support with homeschooling or afterschool Montessori leave a message below and we will get back to you.
Once a student has commenced classes, any withdrawal will incur a charge equivalent to one full term’s fees, in accordance with the School Fee requirements and withdrawal process.
Cost
Trial 2 weeks for $100 - just fill in the ‘get in touch’ section below.
$300 Application
Fees as shown, will be charged four times per year and will be due and payable at the end of the first week of every term or at the time of enrolment if a child is starting in the middle of a term:
Parent Led Online: $800 per child per term (you will be enrolled at Porirua Montessori)- fully online/home based
Hybrid: $1200 per child per term (you will be enrolled at Porirua Montessori) - home based / student attends up to 2 days face to face at Porirua Montessori. Hybrid is especially valuable for younger students.
One or two subjects (only for homeschoolers/after school ) - please contact us
Once a student has commenced classes, any withdrawal will incur a charge equivalent to one full term’s fees, in accordance with the School requirements and withdrawal process.
Your child will also need:
- A shelf or similar to store materials on and small containers or baskets to store materials in. We will help you prepare your shelf or shelves.
-Stationary
-Access to a computer (not chrome book) with reliable video and audio access.
What we offer and How it Works:
We provide the planning and learning materials and help you set up your learning space
Your child is enrolled at Porirua Montessori Primary School - there is no need for a homeschool exemption.
We work out your child’s academic level and needs socially, emotionally, and physically.
We provide you with
-Help in setting up a ‘Montessori’ environment with shelves and learning materials
-Videos to watch on demand that cover key concepts,
- Montessori hands on tools
- PDF or digital files you can print at home
-Planning.
-Online video personalised sessions with your child once weekly.
2. You help your child with the material adapting it to their unique needs and personality
Using our written planning and videos and your unique knowledge about your child you work through the learning materials at a pace and times that work for you.
You may need to prepare some resources for the week. We will send you these resources.
You follow your child’s needs and organise the work day around your child.
Every afternoon has 1 hour or free choice where your child chooses from a range of electives to meet their personal goals these include Art, PE, STEM, or small business.
This is a whānau or parent or caregiver led program.
Your child will enrol with us full time. We will be your child’s school instead of a local primary or intermediate school.
The first part of your child’s day has lessons in a range of curriculum set by the teacher such as science or literacy.
Every afternoon there is free choice where your child chooses from a large range of options to help them meet their own goals. These include PE, STEM, and art.
You do not need to be Montessori trained, just open minded and able to provide supervision to your tamariki or child/ren during the school day.
3. We support you - the caregiver
Flexible daily schedules tailored to your family’s needs
Written plans and videos to support your teaching and learning.
Ongoing support for both students and parents from qualified teachers
Opportunities to join parent networking events
Virtual checkpoint meetings to discuss progress and next steps with the teacher three times each term
Full enrolment at Porirua Montessori, so there’s no need to apply for a homeschool exemption
4. As a registered Private School, we take full responsibility for supervising, moderating, and assessing the delivery of the curriculum to ensure we meet Ministry requirements.
Most weeks there are brief video lessons. Take a look at one below
How do I know what to teach?
Is there a weekly schedule?
Have a look over at our portal to see an example. We keep things really easy and allow you to follow your child’s lead while growing their knowledge and problem solving skills.
Porirua Montessori gives you control over your day, we provide an example schedule but we know each child is unique so our schedule is an example only.
You can see a possible schedule of how one family schedules their day over here
Principal and Founder
Lisa Dei Gratia.
Lisa is a qualified Montessori and NZ registered teacher and founder of Porirua Montessori Primary School.
She has had experience tutoring and mentoring trainee Montessori Teachers.
Lisa is known for her innovative teaching practices and passion for making Montessori affordable and accessible to many.
She loves learning, reading, and chocolate!
A different kind of primary school — designed around your child, not a system
FAQs
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No there are not. We will send you materials and give you access to videos that present any new materials.
Students may have an online component to do each day but this will not be for the full day.
The exception may be assessment tasks which are up to twice a term.
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No not at all! Your child may access the computer for
some online support programmes (around 30 minutes a day),
Short 5-10 minute videos that discuss particular concepts
Check ins with the teacher
Your child will access the rest of the curriculum by accessing resources/materials from a prepared space in your home. We will help you organise this space!
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No, there are not set times for everything. We give you flexibility about how you arrange your day. Montessori education believes we should follow the child and allow them to experience deep learning and not be rushed or held back!
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Yes, you may need to prepare materials. The majority of our resources are print, cut, and go and come with instructions. We may also courier you traditional Montessori resources.
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If you want your child to remain at their normal school but want Montessori afterschool please contact us and we will share an alternative option with you.
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Please contact us to talk about what you need. For example you might be interested in the Montessori Cosmic Curriculum or Maths or Literacy
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We use a variety of assessments including traditional assessments used in schools, online programmes and work and conversations from your child.
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Yes there is, Students enrolled in ‘hybrid’ can attend up to two days face to face a week if they are located near enough to our campus in Porirua. Face to Face days are Monday and Tuesday. Note there is an additional cost for hybrid.
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No, not at the stage but this could change in the future, if you are interested in high school level for now or in the future please let us know.
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No, Montessori has been used with people across all religions and cultures. We teach universal values like respect, tolerance for all, justice, kindness and critical thinking.
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No we do not. However please contact us as we can direct you to some alternative options.
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Full time or Hybrid enrolment is open to all NZ citizens or any student on a domestic visa.
We take enrolments for children in years 1-8, ages 5-13
We cannot take students on visitor visas. If unsure please contact us.