Bishop Hamilton Montessori School

We have two children who are currently attending BHMS and are in our fourth year with the school. We are very happy with the education we are getting here, this was especially true during very difficult COVID years where I always knew my children were safe and getting a reliable, high quality education.

My children each have very different strengths and ways of learning, their teachers cater lessons to them in a way that best facilitates their individual learning styles. My daughter, now in elementary level, has many field trip opportunities at local libraries, museums etc, all included in the program. I love the focus on real life learning and applying skills that provides the children with pride and confidence in them selves.

All teachers and school staff know my children so well, regardless if they have had them in class in the past or not. It is a tight community environment. Strongly recommend to others.

I want to start by saying my children never went to the school but I met them in an event for private schools and I can tell you this from the two reps that I met at that event. Very unwelcoming, unprofessional, unprepared to answer any questions about their school. If I can not trust them from a meet I would never trust them with my kids.

I heard bad experiences to that school and put a one-star review for that matter.

In response to the school’s reply, this is an absolute “genuine” review.

We have had an exceptional and absolutely wonderful experience at Bishop Hamilton Montessori School. Our older daughter is a past student and our younger daughter is currently in the junior elementary program having completed the toddler and kindergartens programs. We find the teachers to be passionate about their work and by extension well equipped to serve the needs of the diverse student population. They skillfully combine an engaging learning environment with a safe space and fun space. In this regard, my girls have always been eager to attend school at Bishop Hamilton.

The curriculum is of a very high standard and in addition to specilaized academic focus, pay particular attention to character development. The learning space is interactive, well balanced and engaging, developing values of respect, and accountability. Communication with academic and administrative staff is very facilitory with the school director's open door policy. Unlike some institutions, the school director goes above and beyond ordinary measures to address any parental issues of concern promptly with fairness, and transparency. If there is an incident at school, which is extremely rare, we are contacted immediately, provided with an update while being assured that our child is safe.

Parent/teacher conferences are frequent and insightful into my girls' progress at school in every facet of their school encounter at Bishop Hamilton. Other calendar events such as curriculun nights and parent speaker series creates a sense of inviolvement in our children's education. To this end, we have absolutely no regrets in making Bishop Hamilton our educational institution of choice for our girls formative and elementary years and do not hesitate in recommendaing the school to any parent searching for a school for their child.

We are so grateful our friend told us about this school. We transferred from a daycare in May 2022 at the time our children were 14 month old and 2 years old. So they started in the infant room and toddler room respectively. The standard of care and education provided here was immediately noticeable and our children responded extremely well to their structure and teaching style.

The classroom directors and their assistants were amazing with our family, kept us updated on our children’s progress, were available for any questions or concerns we had regarding our children’s development and best of all, our children were happy to go to school every day.

Fast forward to a little over a year later, our eldest has just started 2nd year Casa and at 3, almost 4 she’s reading and doing simple addition, she’s sooo in love with her teachers and they show genuine care and affection for her too. Our middle child is doing his second year in the toddler room and at orientation his classroom director made the time to talk with me about their plans to use this year to thoroughly prepare him for Casa by exposing him to more of those materials, sequences and scheduling. Our youngest is in the infant room and yesterday he was jumping out of my arms to his classroom director.

Throughout our time at BHMS we’ve been able to talk openly about our concerns at “coffee with the school director” and have seen growth and changes and consistency in the school that have impacted our children and our whole family in such positive ways.

One of my favourite things is being greeted daily at drop of with pleasant smiles and kind words from the admin team as the usher the children into the school and off to their various classrooms.

My husband and I moved to Ottawa to be able to give our children an exceptional learning experience and we feel that BHMS has facilitated that in so many ways. We plan to keep our children here as long as we possibly can!

Thank you BHMS team!

My daughter has been flourishing here since she started in the infant room. Now she is in casa level and we decided to keep her in until the end of this three year cycle (and we may go longer!) as we see all the benefit it offers. The school offers such a wonderful community, caring staff and intentional curriculum.

I had always held the school in high regard, singing its praises, and even considering a 5-star review. However, the last year my child attended was a complete turnaround. Numerous concerns arose, from forgotten glasses to my child being left without mittens in winter, and worst of all, a head injury that took nearly 24 hours for anyone at that school to explain in detail and no one saw what had happened. The people that were supposedly watching my child when she had her contussion left my 3 year old standing outside crying without mittens holding an icepack to her forehead, while the teacher was on the opposite end of the yard. Let me repeat, my 3 year old was tending to a contussion by herself while a staff was not in armsreachs. Winter and no mittens. Leading up to that point, there was a new concern for what felt like every week, and my child's enthusiasm for attending BHMS dwindled emensly. I pulled my child out shortly after that horrendous incident. There was an extreme lack of accountability, sympathy, and dismissiveness from the staff about that incident. It was fake and disgusting.

The day I pulled my child out of that zoo and her gear was returned to me, my childs indoor shoes were returned with completely broken straps and tears, a glaring issue that went unmentioned. It was evident that my child had been walking strangely due to this. These recent experiences have greatly tarnished my view of the Montessori approach, particularly this school.

My family and I no longer believed that my child was in the best hands at BHM at all. Upon removing my child from the school, her happiness and growth have been remarkable. It's been nearly 5 months since she left, and we haven't looked back.

I did not think that I would be posting such a review for a school, but here we are.

For an establishment that endeavors trust from parents to care for their children, this particular location misses all the marks. They know how to sweet talk and paint a pretty picture to actually convince you to enroll, and once you've done so you've essentially sentenced your child/children to an experience that they should not be subjected to.

Mean, uncaring staff that do not watch the children as they are supposed to. It is one of the most basic yet most important duty to attend to, and somehow they fall short. I don't discredit the natural difficulty in being responsible for multiple children at a time and all that can come with the task, but if I was to cite every incident that I am aware of.one would wonder how the establishment remains in operation.

Low graduation count as the children aren't properly prepared for high school. Teachers have pulled their children from this school in favor of public school, which is telling enough; but multiple parents in my circle as well. All have reported that the decision has been of great benefit.

Something to note are the previous reviews, and how there are only replies to the positive reviews which seem like the kinds you'd see paid to make. The names are strange (diamond stores?) and as this is a school, one would think it imperative to address the negative comments that are present to quash the worries of anyone looking online who might be considering enrollment. Yet, the majority of them aren't addressed and the odd positive reviews have responses.

I highly recommend AVOIDING this place. Do your research. Don't fall for the facade that is the interview process.

Some of the staff are mentally unhinged and miserable it seems, with inadequate Montessori philosophy, most of their expereince and teaching methods are outdated and poorly practiced by the staff. They have insufficient teacher student ratio and often dismiss parents concerns, overall a very unpleasant environment for kids to learn and develop real world skills and independance. For these reasons, we were forced to pull our child out of their school.

Great experience over many years with the staff, caring teachers and wonderful morals and values.

Amazing school kind, helpful and supportive staff. All round great School!
Highly recommend this school.