Northside Montessori School vs Sydney Montessori School

	N Northside Montessori School Sydney, Australia	S Sydney Montessori School Sydney, Australia
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year A$15,986 - 24,950	Fees / year A$540 - 27,248
Age range	Age range 1 - 18 years	Age range 0 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum Australian Curriculum, IB (DP)	Curriculum Montessori Curriculum, Australian Curriculum, IB (DP), IBCP (International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme)
Pupils	Pupils 144	Pupils —
Typical class size	Typical class size —	Typical class size —
Instruction language	Instruction language English	Instruction language English
Opened	Opened 1978	Opened —
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service No
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location 42 Bobbin Head Road, Pymble, NSW 2073, Australia. The school is in Pymble, a suburb on Sydney's Upper North Shore.	Location 99-107 Manchester Road, Gymea NSW 2227, Australia
Stages	Stages Toddler to Year 12 (Early Learning to Secondary).	Stages K-12 with Pre-School, Long Day Care and Play Group
School type	School type Co-educational; IB World School offering the Diploma Programme (DP) and is a Diploma Programme Candidate School.	School type Co-educational, non-denominational day school
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support —	Additional learning support Inclusive Education Policy is in place to support students with learning needs
Country affiliation	Country affiliation Australia	Country affiliation Australia
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —	Religious affiliation Non-denominational
School day structure	School day structure —	School day structure Preschool day runs 8:45 am to 3:00 pm
Bus service details	Bus service details —	Bus service details —
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application & Placement Fees - Application Fee: AUD 165 (non-refundable). - Placement Fee: AUD 1,600, payable on acceptance of an offer of placement (non-refundable and non-transferrable). Tuition fees by year group (annual and per-term amounts) - Preschool (3–4 year olds, Monday–Friday 8:30am–11:45am): Annual tuition AUD 15,986; per term (annual ÷ 4) AUD 3,996.50. Annual levy AUD 1,458; per term AUD 364.50. Montessori Home Environment (11:45am–2:45pm) is charged at AUD 28 per day (charged separately). - Kindergarten: Annual tuition AUD 15,986; per term AUD 3,996.50. Annual levy AUD 1,831; per term AUD 457.75. - Years 1–6 (Primary): Annual tuition AUD 15,986; per term AUD 3,996.50. Annual levy AUD 2,035; per term AUD 508.75. - Years 7–10 (High School): Annual tuition AUD 18,427; per term AUD 4,606.75. Annual levy AUD 3,165; per term AUD 791.25. - Year 11 (International Baccalaureate): Annual tuition AUD 24,950; per term AUD 6,237.50. (No separate annual levy amount is listed for Year 11 in the published fee schedule.) - Year 12: No specific annual tuition or levy is listed for Year 12 in the 2026 fee schedule. Notes on what school fees and levies cover: School fees and levies include text resources, sporting activities (including swimming lessons), excursions and incursions, camps and overseas trips, a school-provided laptop and classroom desktops, student insurance and general classroom resources and equipment. Billing schedule and payment terms - Fees are billed in November for the following calendar/school year (billed annually). Payment is by ten (10) monthly direct debit instalments (February to November), processed from a nominated bank account on the 5th of each month. Fees unpaid by the due date attract an administration charge of AUD 25 per week overdue. Fees and levies are payable for the whole year of enrolment; no deduction is made for non-attendance. Credits for completed School Support Hours are recognised at the end of each term and applied to the next monthly direct debit instalment. OOSH and Montessori Home Environment (MHE) are billed at the end of each term and added to the next monthly instalment; Vacation Care fees are payable when the booking is made. Boarding fees - Boarding is not listed as a provision; no boarding fees are published in the school's fee schedule. The school operates day programs and offers Out of School Hours Care (OOSH), Vacation Care and Montessori Home Environment. Other costs and recurring charges - Northside Montessori Society Membership Fee: AUD 65 per family. - Fundraising raffle: AUD 300 (recoverable if raffle tickets are on-sold). - School Support Hours Program: AUD 800 (recoverable on completing the program; credits applied as described above). - Building Fund donations (voluntary, tax-deductible in Australia for donations of AUD 2 or more): suggested amount of AUD 100 per monthly instalment. Annual receipts issued in July. - Out of School Hours and related daily/session charges (additional to tuition): - Before School Care (BSC): AUD 12 per day. - After School Care (ASC): AUD 32 per day. Late pick-up fee: AUD 10 per each 5 minutes or part thereof after 6:00pm. - Vacation Care: AUD 75 per day; Vacation Care with incursion AUD 95 per day. - Montessori Home Environment (MHE) for 3–4 year olds: AUD 28 per day (11:45am–2:45pm). - Toddler Program (walking to 36 months) and Toddler & Transition Program fees (term-based) are published for infant programs (examples from the infant program listing: AUD 360 per 10-week term; AUD 380 per 10-week term for certain sessions). These additional program charges are billed separately as described above. - Co-curricular activities (music, sport, languages, robotics, etc.) are charged in addition and are paid directly to the activity provider. Sibling discounts - Sibling discounts apply to school tuition fees only and are allocated to the oldest child in the family (not available for siblings enrolled in the Infant Community Program). The published discounts are: 2nd child 25% of school fees; 3rd child 50% of school fees; 4th child 75% of school fees; 5th and subsequent child 100% of school fees. Refunds, cancellation and withdrawal terms - Application Fee: non-refundable. Placement Fee: non-refundable and non-transferrable. - Withdrawal notice: withdrawal of a student requires at least one (1) full term's written notice to the Principal to expire at the end of a term. If the required notice is not given, one (1) school full term's fee is payable in lieu of the required notice. For a student leaving at the end of Year 6, an extended notice period of at least three (3) full terms' notice is required (to be given by the end of Term 1); failure to provide the required notice will similarly attract one term's fee in lieu. Credits for completed School Support Hours are applied to the next instalment as described above. Fee payment methods and processing - Regular tuition and levies are collected by ten (10) monthly direct debit instalments from a nominated bank account (processed on the 5th of each month, February–November). OOSH and MHE are billed at the end of each term and added to the next monthly direct debit instalment; Vacation Care fees are payable at the time of booking. No other specific payment methods (credit card, BPAY, bank transfer) are listed in the published fee schedule.	Fee details Application & Enrolment Fees - Application Fee: USD 350 per child, non-refundable. - Enrolment Fee (payable on acceptance): USD 1,550 for the first child. Sibling enrolment fee reductions apply: second child USD 1,000; third child USD 750; fourth and subsequent children USD 500. There is no enrolment fee for Long Day Care (only the application fee and per-day Long Day Care fees apply). Tuition fees (per term and annual equivalents where applicable) - Preschool & Primary (Stages 1–3): Tuition USD 3,696 per term. Annual equivalent (4 terms): USD 14,784. Sibling tuition reductions per term: second child minus USD 420; third child minus USD 850; fourth and subsequent children minus USD 1,270 (annual equivalents: minus USD 1,680; USD 3,400; USD 5,080 respectively). Tuition is due by the first day of each term. - High School (Stages 4 & 5): Tuition USD 4,692 per term. Annual equivalent (4 terms): USD 18,768. A temporary concession for incomplete building works is reflected as a discount of USD 1,000 per annum (equivalent to USD 250 per term) where applicable. Overseas students are billed according to stage plus an additional fee of USD 8,480 (subject to visa class). - First Steps Montessori (0–3 years) per term: first child USD 255; second child USD 200; Parent & Baby (under 6 months) USD 135. No enrolment or application fee applies to First Steps Montessori. - Long Day Montessori Education (per day): Tara Room (15 months–3 years) USD 150 per day; Akasha Room (3–6 years) USD 140 per day. Long Day Care fees are billed fortnightly; short-term leave must be paid in full. Early-bird discounts do not apply to Long Day Care. Billing schedule & payment terms - Tuition fees are due by the beginning of each term (payable by the first day of term). An early-bird discount (USD 120) is available where term fees are paid four weeks prior to the fee due date. Long Day Care is billed fortnightly. Mid-term commencements are pro‑rated for tuition; students starting mid-week in Long Day Care are invoiced for the entire week. Other charges and routine additional costs - Camps: additional charge (amount to be advised). - Building Fund Donation: voluntary, tax-deductible USD 150. - Card transaction surcharge: 1% applies to all MasterCard, Visa and EPOS payments. - Long Day Care late‑pick‑up fees: USD 18.00 for the first 10 minutes (or part thereof) and USD 1.50 per minute after 6:10 pm. - Additional incidental charges (for example specific excursions, subject fees or materials) may be billed separately (camp charges are an example). Refunds, cancellations and notice periods - Application Fee: non-refundable. Enrolment Fee: non-refundable. - Withdrawal notice: For Primary and High School, one full term's written notice to the Principal and Enrolments is required; in lieu of notice one full term's tuition fees will be charged. For Long Day Care, four weeks' notice is required. Mid-term commencements are pro‑rated; however short‑term absence/leave from Long Day Care must be paid. An enrolment will end for Child Care Subsidy purposes if a child does not attend a session of care for 14 continuous weeks. Boarding - Boarding is not offered; the school operates day and Long Day Care programs only. Fee payment options - Bank transfer (bank details provided for electronic transfer): BSB and account number are supplied for use with family name as description. Card payments (MasterCard and Visa) are accepted with a 1% card transaction surcharge. Fees may also be invoiced and scheduled per the billing statements issued (Long Day Care billed fortnightly; school tuition billed per term).
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details Authentic Montessori education across Early Learning, Primary and Secondary. The High School commenced in 2022 with Year 7 and will continue to add years up to Year 12 by 2027. Years 7–10 work toward the NSW RoSA, with all coursework meeting NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) requirements. For Years 11–12, the school is NESA registered and offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Our teachers are accredited with NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) and have Montessori qualifications, and our senior high school teachers are IB trained.	Curriculum details Preschool (Stage 1, ages 3–6) follows a Montessori program in a prepared environment. It provides a rigorous, academic curriculum across English, Mathematics, Practical Life, Science, Gardening, Art, Physical Education, Geography, Culture and Music, with Stage 1 access to a full Kindergarten program meeting the outcomes of the NSW syllabus (NESA). Children attend a regular school day from 8:45 am to 3:00 pm. Primary (ages 6–12) uses Montessori methods with concrete materials initially, moving toward abstraction, and the learning aligns with NSW Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES) syllabuses and the NSW NESA syllabuses. High School (Years 7–12) offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) and is a fully authorised IB DP school; the school is pursuing authorisation for the Career-related Programme (CP).
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio —
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression —	Higher education progression The Diploma Programme is internationally recognised for its academic rigour and its focus on critical thinking, global awareness and intellectual curiosity, preparing SMS students for higher education.
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented —
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning —
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview —
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities —
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities —
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History —
Community	Community —	Community —
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual —
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative —
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing —
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision —
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions 1. Enquire: Prospective families use the enquiry form to request further information about enrolling with Northside Montessori School and to speak with the Enrolments Registrar (EI). This step initiates the enrolment process and helps families understand how their child can flourish within the Montessori program. The Registrar provides information to guide the next steps. The enquiry does not commit the family to enrolment. 2. Book a Tour: Northside Montessori School invites families to visit so they can see the campus in action and learn about the Montessori approach. It is an opportunity to explore the school, meet students and staff, and ask questions about how the program supports a love of learning. The visit helps families decide if the school is the right fit. 3. Apply: Applications for entry are made online and are a pre-requisite for enrolment but do not guarantee a place. A non-refundable Application Fee per child is payable at the time of application, and payments are made via the secure system. The school gives preference to siblings of current students, children transferring from other Montessori schools, and to children currently enrolled in the Montessori Toddler program; application date and balance of ages and genders in multi-age classes are considered. 4. Interview with the Principal: If suitable, the school contacts families to arrange an interview with the Principal. The interview provides an opportunity to discuss expected Montessori outcomes and the family's understanding of the Montessori approach. All enrolments are subject to the outcome of the enrolment interview. 5. Acceptance and Attend Orientation Day: Following a successful interview, an enrolment offer is made and a non-refundable Placement Fee is payable upon acceptance. Before starting, families receive an invitation to attend an orientation in the classroom and meet the teacher. Parents must keep their address and contact details current; if the school cannot contact them and there is no response, the enrolment may be cancelled.	Admissions 1. Entry points for education. SMS has multiple entry points for families to begin their children's education: Montessori First Steps Playgroup (0-3 years), Long Day Montessori (15 months–3 years, 3-6 years), or Stage 1 (3–4 years Preschool and 5 years Kindergarten), Stage 2 and Stage 3 (Primary Years 1–6). The school is a co-educational, non-denominational K-12 school, with a Pre-School, Long Day Care and Play Group, and students may transition to the International Baccalaureate Diploma in High School. 2. Enrolment application and processing. All applications are processed in order of receipt of Enrolment Application form and payment of the Application Fee. Priority is given to families who already have siblings enrolled and do not have outstanding fees; priority is also given to families committed to a Montessori education and to those who have engaged with Playgroup or Long Day Care. 3. Documentation for additional needs. For children with Additional Needs requiring support, SMS gathers information about a student's disability and need for adjustments before an enrolment is confirmed, to enable appropriate planning. Helpful documents may include current school reports, psychologist reports, speech-pathology reports, occupational therapy reports, medical specialist reports, and vision/hearing reports. 4. Outcome and waitlist. If an enrolment is not accepted, SMS does not discuss the reasons. A formal offer of placement is made and should be accepted in writing within two weeks; if the offer is not accepted, the child's name may be returned to the Waitlist. 5. Acceptance conditions and orientation. On acceptance, parents agree to abide by the School's policies and ethos, and the Enrolment Fee for Stage 1–3 must be paid at the time of Acceptance. Where possible, an Orientation Visit for Stage 1 is arranged with the class teacher to familiarise the family with the classroom environment and discuss the child's health and background. 6. Enrollment administration and non-discrimination. The School maintains a School Register and does not discriminate in enrolment policies or procedures on the basis of gender, race, religion or disability.
Scholarships	Scholarships Bursaries and financial support: Northside Montessori School provides bursaries to families in necessitous circumstances. This assistance applies to tuition fees only; levies and other charges must be paid in full. Bursary decisions are made by the Bursary Committee, and the Principal may grant a fee discount or waiver up to half a year's full tuition for one student; greater relief requires Board approval. All bursary applications are confidential and awarded based on means testing and commitment to Montessori education, with annual review. Further details can be found in the Bursary Policy.	Scholarships —
Waitlist	Waitlist Waitlist: If you wish to defer the entry date to a date later than the initial accepted date, the School will advise whether it is able to agree to this. If the School is unable to agree, the student's date of application will be amended to the date the deferment was requested. The student will then be placed on a waiting list for the new requested date; however, enrolment cannot be guaranteed.	Waitlist Waitlist: An enrolment Waitlist is used; if an offer of placement is not accepted, the child's name may be returned to the Waitlist.
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