Our History
DURING ITS 50-YEAR HISTORY, MELBOURNE MONTESSORI COLLEGE (MMC) HAS SEEN SIGNIFICANT CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION. FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS, IT HAS EVOLVED TO BECOME A WELL-RESPECTED, INDEPENDENT SCHOOL AND A GREAT PLACE FOR CHILDREN TO LEARN AND GROW.
Victoria’s first ever Montessori Cycle 1 classroom opened its doors at our Brighton campus in 1974. The success of this program for three and four-year-olds brought demand from families for a Montessori primary class and this was created in 1976.
By 1979, our school had two primary classes and purchased the current Caulfield campus site to accommodate our future growth.
Caulfield Montessori College and Brighton Montessori College were separate entities until 2005, when they merged to become Melbourne Montessori College.
With 250+ students across both campuses, MMC became an independent pre-school and primary school for 3 to 12-year-olds. A Montessori early childhood program, as well as Parent and Toddler and Early Learners programs, were also introduced in 2007.
In late 2013, The Uniting Church offered MMC the opportunity to buy the Brighton campus and the adjoining church building and grounds. This allowed our school to expand and welcome more than 400 pre-school and primary school students.
MMC families were keen for the school to develop a Montessori pathway to secondary school. So in 2015, MMC created the first independent, dedicated Montessori Senior School in Victoria with 16 founding students.
Since 2020, all six Senior year levels have been part of MMC.
In 2019, our school took another significant step forward when it became an International Baccalaureate World School and began offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. IB World Schools and Montessori schools are closely aligned, sharing a commitment to high-quality, challenging international education.
In 2023, MMC launched its first strategic plan, Towards 500 — a blueprint to steer MMC towards reaching a student population of 500. Towards 500 details nine strategic arenas and action points that will support our school’s future growth.
Another achievement during 2023 was Daniel Thomas becoming a finalist in the prestigious Australian Education Awards. Daniel’s nomination as Primary School Principal of the Year – non government was a fitting acknowledgement of the powerful contribution he has made to MMC in a short period of time.
The achievements and celebrations continue in 2024 as we rebrand from Melbourne Montessori College to Melbourne Montessori College (MMC). This year is also a major milestone for the school as we celebrate our 50th anniversary, honouring the school’s past, enjoying the present, and all look forward to a bright and positive future.
