On Tuesday evening, Denice was joined by the FMS Chair, Geoff Fouracre, to present the Strategic Directions 2025-2030 for Forestville Montessori School.
At Forestville Montessori School, education is about nurturing capable, compassionate and curious young people who are ready to engage meaningfully with the world. That is why the launch of this five-year Strategic Directions is so significant for our community.
More than a formal document, it is a shared expression of who we are, what we value, and how we hope to grow together in service of children and families. Grounded in Montessori philosophy and shaped by the voices of staff, families, students and board members, the plan offers a thoughtful and hopeful path forward.
The planning process reflected the collaborative spirit at the heart of Forestville Montessori. Over the past 18 months, the school engaged in research and consultation, drawing on educational trends, community surveys and strategic conversations across leadership and governance. Students were also part of the conversation, offering insight into the environments and experiences that matter most to them. This breadth of input helped ensure the final plan is both aspirational and deeply connected to the lived experience of our community.
At the centre of the Strategic Directions is a renewed vision:
“Nurturing capable and creative individuals who will enrich our future.”
This is supported by a mission focused on intentionally prepared environments that embody Montessori principles and foster independence, curiosity and social responsibility. Four core values sit at the heart of this work:
- Community
- Relationships
- Purposeful work
- Peace
These values are not abstract ideas. They are lived each day in the way children learn, the way adults guide, and the way families partner with the school.
The plan is organised around five strategic priorities, each one designed to strengthen Forestville Montessori School’s ability to offer an authentic and future-focused Montessori education. These priorities are not separate strands, but connected expressions of the school’s long-term vision:
- Students: Delivering a world-renowned Montessori education
- Staff: Strengthening vibrancy, growth and wellbeing
- Community and connection: Living the legacy of an education for peace
- Place & Space: Appreciating the beauty of our natural environment
- Business & Governance: Positioning the school for ongoing financial sustainability
Our first priority is and will always be, our students.
Our goal to deliver a world-renowned Montessori education has not changed, yet the world in which we deliver it has. One of the most powerful aspects of our Strategic Directions is a clear articulation of why Montessori education matters in today’s world. At Forestville Montessori, the focus is not only on academic outcomes, but on the development of the whole child. Through carefully prepared environments, uninterrupted work cycles, meaningful choice and purposeful activity, children build essential capacities for life, including:
- working memory and concentration
- self-initiation and independence
- planning, organisation and follow-through
- resilience, problem-solving and adaptability
- cultural and linguistic fluency
- social and emotional flexibility
These capabilities support lifelong learning and meaningful participation in the world beyond school. As AI transforms our world and workplaces, these uniquely human skills will remain in high demand.
This vision aligns closely with broader global conversations about the future of education. Research from the OECD has identified 6 key Features of future education as:
- Shared decision-making & responsibilities
- Students as participants in their own learning
- The process of learning and student wellbeing are valued as well as academics
- Recognising that students learn in different ways
- Different styles of assessment are used for different purposes
- Frequent feedback informs continual improvement
As the presentation highlighted, these are not future aspirations at Forestville Montessori—they are already embedded in Montessori practice.
In this way, our strategic direction does not ask FMS to become something new, but rather to deepen and strengthen what it already does so well.
A second key priority is staff development and wellbeing.
Montessori education depends on knowledgeable, observant and responsive adults, and the Strategic Directions recognises the importance of investing in those who work alongside children each day. This includes supporting staff in their Montessori practice, deepening professional learning, and fostering leadership across the school. New tools such as the developmental environmental rating scale DERS will also support reflective practice and help ensure our environments continue to meet children’s developmental needs with clarity and intention.
Community and connection form a particularly meaningful part of the plan.
In Montessori education, learning is never isolated from relationships or belonging. Our commitment to community and connection reflects this beautifully. Work is already underway across key areas of this goal, including a completed reconciliation action plan (RAP), stronger relationships with childcare professionals, growing alumni connections, and reimagined “going out” experiences that take learning beyond the classroom in rich and purposeful ways.
These goals speak to a school community that values connection not as an extra, but as an essential part of education.
The physical environment is another important focus at FMS.
Beautiful, purposeful spaces are a defining feature of Montessori education, and the plan reflects a deep commitment to ensuring Forestville Montessori School’s campus continues to support children’s learning and wellbeing.
In our bold vision for the FMS environment, planning has begun for a new primary playground, alongside continued maintenance to protect the beauty of our campus and physical assets. With changes to local building regulations, we invite our community to dream big about how the future FMS site can best serve children.
Sound Business and Governance remain key
We continue to pay careful attention to enrolment growth, student retention and marketing, while exploring philanthropic ventures and partnerships that can strengthen the school.
These efforts help ensure the school can remain both vibrant and sustainable for years to come.
The community discussion that followed reinforced how distinctive Forestville Montessori School is.
Families reflected on the school’s natural environment, the strength and longevity of its staff, the consistency of AMI training, and the confidence children carry with them as they move on to later schooling.
As the school shares the Strategic Directions, one message remains clear: this is a living document, shaped by community and carried forward together. It offers a hopeful vision for the future—one that honours the child, strengthens the community, and keeps Forestville Montessori deeply grounded in its purpose.
