GTA Montessori Schools Guide (2026)

Built for families weighing Montessori school options against where to live. Find the right school, then find the right street.

Talk to the Portnoi Team
How to Use This Guide

Understanding This Montessori Guide

This guide is built for families who want authentic Montessori education and are also thinking carefully about where to plant roots in the GTA. Every school listed here is an established Montessori program, not a school that merely borrows the name. Where accreditation data is available (AMI, CCMA, CIS), it's noted, because accreditation is the clearest signal of program integrity.

Tuition figures come from published school and directory sources and shift year to year. Confirm current numbers directly with each school before quoting them to a client. Use this guide as a starting point for conversations about neighbourhoods, not as a final source on fees or availability.

Key Terms

  • AMI — Association Montessori Internationale accreditation
  • CCMA — Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators
  • CIS — Conference of Independent Schools (Ontario)
  • Casa — Core Montessori preschool program, ages 2.5–6
Midtown / North Toronto

Midtown & North Toronto — Montessori Schools

Midtown holds three of Toronto's most established Montessori institutions, including one of the oldest AMI-accredited schools in the country. This cluster near Eglinton, Leaside, and Bayview is a natural fit for families who want authentic Montessori within the city core.

Manor Montessori School

Est. 1994 · AMI Accredited

  • Two campuses near Eglinton & Mt Pleasant
  • French starts at age 3 in Casa; daily instruction by elementary
  • Elementary ratio held at 1:10
  • Ages: 18 months to Grade 4
  • Tuition: ~$17,100–$20,300/year full time, by level

Maria Montessori School

Est. 1975 · AMI Accredited · Leaside

  • Same location for 50 years, one of the oldest AMI-accredited schools in Toronto
  • Deliberately small: ~130 students across the whole school
  • Ages: 16 months to 12 years

Bannockburn Independent School

Est. 1993 · 3080 Bayview Ave, North York

  • The only school on this list accredited by both CIS and CCMA
  • Combines independent-school rigour with authentic Montessori delivery
  • Ages: 18 months to Grade 6
  • Tuition: ~$12,850–$23,900/year
North York

North York — Montessori Schools

North York offers a strong spread of Montessori options, from large multi-campus networks to a culturally integrated Jewish day school. Families relocating to the Sheppard, Willowdale, or York Mills corridors have several well-established programs within easy reach.

Central Montessori Schools

Est. 1995 · Five Campuses

  • Campuses: York Mills, Thornhill, Willowdale, Sheppard, Maplehurst
  • Mixed-grade classrooms: Grades 1–3 taught together
  • French immersion at Maplehurst campus
  • Ages: 18 months to 12 years

Pine Lake Montessori School

255 Sheppard Ave W

  • Ministry of Education licensed
  • Ages: 18 months to 9 years
  • Tuition: ~$1,350–$1,550/month

Montessori Jewish Day School

55 Yeomans Rd

  • Montessori curriculum integrated with Jewish education
  • Hebrew instruction built into the program
  • Worth flagging separately — fit depends on whether a family wants that layer
West End / High Park

West End & High Park — Montessori Schools

The High Park and West End corridor has the deepest concentration of Montessori options anywhere in Toronto proper. Four distinct schools within a short radius, including one of the only programs in the GTA that runs through an Adolescent Program to age 14.

Humberside Montessori School

Est. 1987 · AMI · 121 Kennedy Ave

  • Runs the longest of any school on this list: 2-year Adolescent Program to age 14
  • ~300 students
  • Ages: 2.5 to 14 years

Mildenhall Montessori

Three Linked Campuses · Main: Ourland Ave, Etobicoke

  • French, music, art, and physical activity in the core program
  • Goes through Middle School at the main campus
  • Ages: toddler to Grade 8 (varies by campus)

Alive Montessori & Casa Vera

Near High Park / 2000 Keele St

  • Alive Montessori (Est. 2001) — 2 Wembley Rd; no religious affiliation; preschool through elementary
  • Casa Vera (Est. 2005) — Small by design: one toddler, one Casa classroom; ages 16 months to 6 years
Downtown

Downtown Toronto — Montessori Schools

Downtown's two Montessori options sit in two of Toronto's most character-rich neighbourhoods: Kensington Market and the Annex. Both are ideal for families who want city living without sacrificing authentic Montessori education.

Westside Montessori School

95 Bellevue Ave, Kensington Market

  • Housed in a historic mansion on a tree-lined residential street
  • Ages: 18 months to Grade 6
  • One of the most distinctive settings of any school on this list

Taddle Creek Montessori School

39 Spadina Rd, the Annex

  • Part of the Mildenhall family of campuses
  • Walking distance to the ROM, AGO, and U of T
  • Strong option for families in the Annex and Harbord Village
East End / Beaches

East End & The Beaches — Montessori Schools

The east end offers the widest range of Montessori options by age span and setting, from a school that goes all the way through Grade 8 to a genuinely one-of-a-kind program on the Toronto Islands. Families drawn to the Beaches, Leslieville, and the waterfront will find strong choices here.

Avalon Children's Montessori

Two Campuses: Queen St E & Wood Glen Rd

  • Goes further than any other east-end school: through Grade 8
  • Tuition: ~$6,395–$20,150/year depending on program

Beaches Montessori School

950 Kingston Rd

  • Toddler and Casa only (18 months to 6 years)
  • French built into the core program
  • Backyard outdoor space

Waverly Road Montessori

129 Waverley Rd

  • Toddler and Casa only
  • Small, neighbourhood-based program

Waterfront Montessori

Algonquin Island, Toronto Islands

  • Genuinely one-of-a-kind: car-free neighbourhood
  • Kids walk to school through a residential island community
  • Unlike anything else in the GTA
Scarborough

Scarborough — Montessori Schools

Scarborough's Montessori story is one of longevity and independent ownership. The oldest school here has been running for over 50 years. The newest is still founder-operated. All three are worth knowing for families moving into the east end of the city.

Ellesmere Montessori School

Est. 1973 — Over 50 Years Running

  • One of the oldest Montessori schools in Toronto
  • Ages: 18 months to 12 years
  • Tuition: ~$9,100–$15,700/year depending on program

Bond Academy

1500 Birchmount Rd

  • Montessori Casa program within a broader private school
  • Tuition: $13,000/year full time · $7,000/year half day
  • Good option for families who want private-school infrastructure alongside Montessori Casa

Ellington Montessori School

Est. 2012 · Founder-Operated

  • Independently owned — not a franchise
  • Still run by founder Theresa Nobilski
  • Ages: 1 to 6 years
905 / York Region & Peel

York Region & Peel — Montessori Schools

For families looking beyond Toronto proper, two standout options anchor the 905 corridor. One is the oldest and most established Montessori school in Canada, and the only one in this entire guide that carries through to an IB Diploma in Grade 12. This list leans Toronto proper, where the concentration of established Montessori schools is highest. A deeper 905 section covering Vaughan, Markham, and additional Richmond Hill options is available on request.

Lauremont School

(Formerly Toronto Montessori Schools) · Est. 1961 · Richmond Hill

  • The oldest and most established Montessori school in Canada
  • The only school on this list that carries through to an IB Diploma in Grade 12
  • Ages: 18 months to Grade 12
  • The anchor school for families buying in Richmond Hill with a long educational runway in mind

Bright Scholars Academy

Four Campuses: Mississauga & Oakville

  • Campuses: Cooksville, Meadowvale, Streetsville (Mississauga) and Heritage Montessori (Oakville)
  • Ages: 18 months to 5.5 years
  • Strong early-years option for families in the Peel/Halton corridor
Your Next Step

Your Next Move Should Be Your Best One

You worked too hard to get here to leave this decision to chance, let's make sure your next move is the right one.

You've already done the hard part, you're here, you're earning, and you're thinking ahead. Now it's about making sure the neighbourhood you choose actually delivers on what matters most: great schools, safe streets, and a home that grows in value as your family does. The Portnoi Team works almost exclusively with professionals like you: analytical, intentional, and unwilling to leave something this important to chance.

Deep Local Knowledge

We know which streets fall inside which school catchments — and what that means for your investment and your family's future.

Client-First Approach

Honest advice, no pressure. We're here to make sure every decision you make is informed, strategic, and aligned with your goals.

Buy, Sell, or Invest

Whether you're upsizing for your growing family or making a smart investment in a high-rated school zone, we guide you every step of the way.