International Montessori Schools - Paoli

This school is not a real Montessori. It is run like a business like a preschool with mostly international teachers who are not trained to be teachers or native speakers. My child was there for 2 years and unfortunately looking back we wasted our time there. There was some good staff that left early on and rest of the time it was a bandage staff. They were short staffed with some non motivated staff and that impacted the focus of classroom. Class availability of projects or materials changes frequently in Montessori that i have seen now but here that was not the case Christmas ornaments on a tree lasted till summer. You will only hear or see during the school visits the famous 2-3 Montessori learning materials with maths again just for talking not really using. They don’t have enough parking and drop off took longer as teachers were not there to receive kids( back door bell didn’t work most of the time or lead can’t hear and supporting staff arrived running 10 minutes after 9 AM). Now at the new place in just few weeks I can tell we made the right decision to move. You can tell from google reviews why for a school that old you only have less than 10 Google reviews.

We've entrusted IMS Paoli with our son since he was only 17 months old. As a team, they've done more than foster his growth; they've coached me and my husband as first-time parents through every single regression and pivotal growth phase. The teachers taught us how to nurture his inquisitive mind and properly support his needs. We couldn't have potty-trained him without their guidance. My son is now 4 and has flourished into such an independent, social, and happy little boy. He comes home, hangs up his own clothes, puts away his shoes, sets the table, and helps with laundry and dishes. They taught us how to most effectively deal with the very few times he had tantrums at home. He wakes up in the morning, picks out his own outfit for the day, brushes his own teeth, prepares his own breakfast (banana or pre-cut fruit from the fridge), asks questions about why the world works, can sit and play independently for hours, and will come to me and tell me, "Mommy, I need a hug." "I need some attention." "I need your help in ____, ___, ___" whenever his needs aren't met. Mixed-age classrooms were also incredibly helpful at this developmental age. The older kids teach the younger ones how to become more independent, and now that my son is one of the older children; he has been so patient with the younger kids and babies, teaching them what he was taught. If I could give this school 10 stars, I would!

My son was at IMS Paoli for 2 years and loved every minute. The teachers were so warm and caring. It felt like we were leaving him to spend the day with family. They helped him with potty training which was awesome. He learned about all different cultures and languages. The Montessori style was perfect for his age allowing him to practice life skills and do everything independently. When he started at this school, he was shy and withdrawn and after 2 years, he is outgoing and acts like a leader in the classroom, now proudly teaching the younger students how to work with different materials and then clean up before starting a new activity. The school has a chicken coup which is really fun for the kids to observe and feed the chickens. This year they also had baby chicks at the school which my son just loved. The school has also been really flexible with my schedule. I highly recommend this school for so many reasons, but mainly because the people who work there truly care about the wellbeing of the children!

My son spent time in IMS Paoli for two years. He always wanted to go to the school even on weekends because there were nice teachers and lovely friends. I love to see kids playing in the playground and taking care of chickens. I’ll never forget this amazing experience.

IMS Paoli is a joy of a school. My daughter who was nervous to attend absolutely loves the school. They are so kind and in tune with the children. They have a large outdoor component with chickens and gardens. The inside is lovely and warm.

As a teacher, I was very concerned about finding the right childcare for my son. We toured IMS Paoli and immediately fell in love with the director and beautiful school. Our son loved the independence that a Montessori program provided and really thrived in the pre primary classroom. He had attended a traditional daycare previously and frequently cried throughout the day and was very unhappy when he had to go to school. He is now in the primary classroom and it is really amazing how independent, mature, and self motivated he has become. Our babysitter commented on his personality saying that he is more mature than a seven year old she babysits and I know it's due to the Montessori environment. Our 10 month old daughter goes to IMS Great Valley and Silvia is a baby whisperer. Our daughter did not leave my side for the first five months of her life but really bonded with Silvia. She is truly a gem. While I miss my children during the day, I have absolutely zero worries about them and know that they are happy and well cared for.