What should I check before buying a Montessori school?

Families choose it for the way the classroom runs, and that way rests on trained guides and carefully prepared materials. A general business checklist will not reach those points. This page covers what is particular to Montessori, and it sits beside the general daycare checklist rather than replacing it.

The guides and their training

Ask which guides hold Montessori training, from which program, and for which age group. Then ask which of them intend to stay under a new owner. If the owner is also the lead guide, find out who would take over that role. Losing a trained guide mid-year is hard to fix, because the training takes time and families notice the change at once.

Materials and classrooms

The shelves are part of what you are buying. Walk each classroom and ask for an inventory of the materials. Look for gaps, worn pieces and anything borrowed or owned by a teacher. Ask what it would take to replace items and how the school has paid for them so far. Make sure the purchase agreement lists the materials that are included.

The name and any affiliation

The word Montessori is used in different ways. Some schools belong to an association or hold a form of accreditation, and others use the name loosely. Ask what the school claims, what documents support it and whether the affiliation continues after a sale. Your lawyer can tell you how the name may be used and whether any agreement needs a new owner’s signature.

Preschool and elementary

Ask whether the school runs only the early years or goes on into elementary. Families who stay through elementary make the enrolment steadier, but they bring more teachers, more space and a different parent group. Child-care licensing, if the school has a licensed program, is a separate question for your lawyer.