Meet Our Team

All our staff are highly experienced, well-travelled, degree-educated professionals with a passion for Montessori education, a love of children and a wealth of life experiences to share with them. They are Montessori trained and continue to develop their early years and primary education expertise through regular CPD training opportunities.

Patricia Thornton
Owner / Principal

Trish has worked in The Montessori Nursery School since 2012 when she undertook the teaching practice element of the diploma in Montessori Early Years Teaching before becoming manager in 2015. She is a passionate advocate of the Montessori approach in supporting young children at this crucial stage of their development having seen the multiple benefits of this approach with her own child. Trish holds a degree in Land Economics and professional qualifications in commercial property investment having worked for 9 years as a chartered surveyor for a UK pension fund following graduation. Before becoming a Montessori teacher, Trish lived and worked in SE Asia for 10 years where she jointly owned and ran a small tourism business. She returned to her city of birth in 2010 and after managing the Nursery for 2.5 years, took over as owner of the Nursery from Judy Park in December 2017.

Gerard Shields
Montessori Elementary Teacher (6-12)
& Deputy Manager

Gerard is a qualified Montessori Elementary teacher, Lower (6-9) and Upper (9-12), with a wealth of experience in Montessori education and life. He became a Montessori teacher having spent 20 years in the corporate world, saying that becoming a teacher was the best decision he ever made and the past 13 years have been the most rewarding of his life.
Gerard is Scottish and has lived in Africa most of his life. He joined his previous Montessori school in eSwatini in its infancy in 2011 and was part of their start up and journey that has seen the school grow from 30 students to 230. Gerard is a committed and passionate Montessori teacher and has been lead teacher in both Lower and Upper Elementary classes as well as Head of Sport.
On the sporting side Gerard was a professional football player and is a licensed FIFA Football Coach, Coach Educator, Grassroots Coach Instructor, as well as an ICC Level 1 Cricket Coach.
Gerard is very excited to make a positive contribution to our new School as we grow and flourish.

Rosie Crawford
Montessori Teaching Assistant –
Elementary (6-12)

Rosie Crawford studied primary education at the University of Aberdeen and had always wanted to be a teacher growing up. She loved the idea of helping children achieve their best and the opportunity to set them up for life. In her final years of teaching in traditional settings, Rosie felt that her experience in teaching wasn’t the same as she had hoped. However, she still remained eager to work with children. Rosie has graduated with MA in Educational Studies and decided to look for an alternative career path. Throughout her degree she had learned about the Montessori approach and exploring this with us has renewed her passion for teaching. Rosie was very eager to join us and be part of the Montessori education system and has completed the AMI Montessori Assistants Certificate course.

Anna Assimaki
Montessori Lead Teacher / Manager
Nursery

Anna is our lead Montessori teacher each morning in the nursery classroom and is also the manager in the nursery. She holds a Montessori Diploma (0 – 6 years) and has 14 years’ experience working in Montessori settings both in the South of England and in Scotland. Anna has a BA in Childhood Practice and a Postgrad in Early Years Pedagogue. Originally Greek, Anna lived in Germany for 18 years before moving to the UK in 2011 and is fluent in Greek, English and German. Anna joined us in Jan 2022 . Anna believes that Montessori Education is the most child-led and effective program, designed to develop self-esteem, independence, and confidence, and wishes she had that in her younger years. In her spare time Anna loves painting and brings her appreciation of art into the classroom.

Alicia Saavedra Cebreiro
Montessori Teacher
Nursery

Alicia is a Montessori teacher, originally from Galicia, Spain who holds a BA in Early Childhood Education and a Masters in Montessori Methodology. She moved from Spain 12 years ago and gained experience working first with children and adults with learning difficulties and afterwards as a teacher in different settings. She lived and worked in Scotland for 6 years before moving to Brussels and then Vienna, where she worked in a Montessori International Kindergarten as a Teacher and has never looked back. Alicia has returned to Scotland and has settled with her husband and dog, with whom she loves to spend time going for hikes and bike rides in nature. Alicia´s mother tongues are Spanish and Galician, and she is fluent in English and Spanish Sign Language. Alicia runs our Nature Club and shares her Spanish language with the children in the classroom every day.

Christina Clayton
Montessori Teacher

Christina is a qualified AMI Montessori Teacher who has recently moved to Edinburgh after having spent almost 30 years working in early years establishments both in the UK and the USA. The majority of that time being spent in Montessori settings. Christina joins us in the classroom on Monday and Tuesday mornings.

Ben Dixon
Montessori Classroom Assistant

Ben joined us as a skateboard instructor in our primary school in August 2024. Having developed an interest in Montessori pedagogy, Ben completed Montessori AMI assistant training and has stayed on as a classroom assistant in the nursery. After graduating with a BA (Hons) in Social Sciences from the University of Manchester, Ben spent some time travelling and eventually settled in Denmark where he lived for three years and completed a MSc in Social Anthropology. Ben returned to the UK in 2021 to start a PhD in Art Practice and Learning at Goldsmiths. Whilst in London, Ben worked as a classroom assistant and also trained as a skateboard instructor for children aged 5-18. He worked with a number of social skateboarding organisations, where he developed a passion for active, practical, and inclusive education. Ben moved to Edinburgh with his partner in 2023 where he is finishing up his PhD, tutoring at the University of Edinburgh, and bringing his passion for learning to the Montessori classroom.

Freya O'Horo
Montessori Classroom Assistant

Freya is a passionate and dedicated Social Care Worker with 5+ years’ experience and a proven track record of providing exceptional support and care to individuals in need. She holds a first class honours degree in Social Care Practice following 4 year’s study in Ireland, during which time she specialised in Psychology, Drama and Child Development as well as receiving a diploma with distinction in Autism Studies. Freya is highly skilled in understanding and supporting the unique challenges faced by vulnerable populations, including individuals with disabilities, and those experiencing mental health issues. She is committed to enhancing the lives of others while offering a deep sense of empathy. Freya is delighted to be part of our team as one of our Montessori classroom assistants and completing her Montessori training .

Students

The school occasionally accommodates students undertaking the teaching practice element of their Montessori training. Prior to teaching practice, students have usually completed a year’s course in the Montessori method of education. Students are well supervised and undergo the usual disclosure checks applicable to all staff.

Join our team

We welcome interest from Montessori trained teachers at all age levels. If you would like to be part of our respected and happy team, please send in your CV and a covering letter to [email protected]

13a Murrayfield Avenue EH12 6AU & 2b Ormidale Terrace EH12 6EQ Open term-time, 8.15 - 15.15 0131 346 8921