North Shore School Guide: Montessori, Democratic & Steiner Schools

If you’re looking for alternative learning environments beyond the mainstream school system, Sydney has a range of independent primary and secondary Alternative Schools. Look at the excellent schools on the North Shore that use Montessori, Democratic, and Steiner teaching methods.

This School Guide showcases alternative schools on Sydney’s North Shore, including Montessori, Steiner, and Democratic models. Whether you’re seeking a child-centred, creativity-driven, or self-directed learning approach, this resource provides insights into local options, philosophies, and unique benefits to help you find the best fit for your child’s education.

North Shore Alternative Schools: Montessori, Democratic & Steiner

Cameragal Montessori School, North Sydney
Currambena Primary School and Preschool, Lane Cove
Forestville Montessori School, Forestville
Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School, Middle Cove
Kamaroi Rudolf Steiner School, Belrose
Kinma Preschool and Primary, Terrey Hills
Northside Montessori School, Pymble

What is a Montessori School?

A Montessori school is a child-centred educational environment that fosters independence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning.

Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophy emphasizes hands-on, self-directed activities within a structured yet flexible framework. Multi-age classrooms encourage collaboration, while specially designed materials help students grasp abstract concepts through concrete experiences. Teachers, known as guides, observe and support rather than directly instruct, allowing children to progress at their own pace. The curriculum integrates practical life skills, sensory exploration, and academic subjects, nurturing intellectual, social, and emotional growth. This holistic approach cultivates confident, self-motivated learners prepared for real-world challenges.

What is a Steiner School?

A Steiner school, based on Rudolf Steiner’s educational philosophy, nurtures the whole child—intellectually, creatively, and emotionally—through a balanced, arts-rich curriculum.

Emphasizing imagination and experiential learning, it integrates academics with music, movement, storytelling, and practical skills. Lessons are structured to align with natural developmental stages, fostering curiosity and a deep connection to learning. Standardized testing is minimized, and teachers often stay with the same class for multiple years, building strong relationships. Nature, rhythm, and creativity are central to encouraging independent thinking and social responsibility. This holistic approach cultivates well-rounded individuals with a lifelong love of learning.

What is a Democratic School?

A democratic school is a learner-driven environment where students have a voice in their education and the community’s governance.

Rooted in self-directed learning, it allows children to explore their interests at their own pace, free from rigid curricula and standardized testing. Decision-making is shared among students and staff, often through school meetings where rules and policies are collectively determined. This model fosters personal responsibility, critical thinking, and respect for others. By emphasizing freedom, trust, and real-world problem-solving, democratic schools cultivate self-motivated, independent learners prepared to navigate life with confidence, creativity, and a strong sense of agency.

North Shore Montessori Schools

Cameragal Montessori School, North Sydney

About Cameragal Montessori School

Cameragal Montessori School

Cameragal Montessori School is the only NESA-registered Montessori school on the lower north shore offering education for children from 0-12 years. We have been established for over 40 years and are proud to provide an authentic Montessori program delivered by exceptional Montessori-trained staff. Cameragal is committed to fostering children’s independence and lifelong love of learning.

Each stage of development is catered to in its unique learning environment to develop academic, social, and emotional skills. As a Montessori school, we optimise development by tailoring guidance to each child based on their individual needs, rather than age. Then, as each child masters activities and skills, we encourage them to teach others, further developing and expanding their skills in patience, empathy, and leadership.

Set your child up for a lifetime of joyful learning, success, and happiness at Cameragal Montessori School!

Ages: Kindergarten – Year 6
Gender: Co-ed
Education Style: Montessori
Boarding: No
Transport Options: 10-minute walk to Victoria Cross Metro | 10-minute walk to North Sydney Rail Station | One-minute walk to Miller Street with buses to City, QVB and Wynyard.

Cameragal Montessori School Open Days & Tours

Open Day: 22 February 2025

Contact Cameragal Montessori

Address: 47 Ridge St, North Sydney
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (02) 9954 0344
Website: cameragal.nsw.edu.au

: Cameragal Montessori School

: Cameragal Montessori School

: Cameragal Montessori School

Northside Montessori School, Pymble

About Northside Montessori School

Northside Montessori School is a vibrant community on the North Shore where children are nurtured and love learning. While many schools motivate children to learn through promises of various rewards, Montessori’s philosophy is based on the belief that if you develop an interest and take responsibility for your own learning, you know better and more thoroughly. It is deeply tied to the natural developmental path of the child.

Northside Montessori School is a co-educational, non-denominational school for children aged 18 months to 16 years. It has multiple programs to cater to different age groups. Montessori education produces happy, social, disciplined, independent young people with a true love of learning.

Ages: Pre-school – Year 10
Gender: Co-ed
Education Style: Montessori
Boarding: No
Extracurricular activities offered: Choir, Concert Band, Orchestra, Gymnastics, Montessori Football, Art, Tae Kwon Do, Origami, Lego Robotics, Chess, Mandarin, French, Japanese, Yoga, Spanish, Tutoring in Piano, Brass, Guitar, Woodwind
Transport Options: School bus from Pennant Hills train station via Fox Valley Road, Kissing Point Road and Turramurra train station.
Fees: Preschool fees begin at $15,596 (CCS is available), primary fees at $15,596, and High School fees at $17,978.

Northside Montessori School Open Days & Tours

Open Day: 28 May 2025
School Tours: Private tours can be booked using the booking portal on their website.

Contact Northside Montessori School

- Address: 42-46 Bobbin Head Road, Pymble NSW 2073
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (02) 9144 2835
- Northside Montessori website

: Northside Montessori School

: Northside Montessori School

: Northside Montessori School

Forestville Montessori School, Forestville

About Forestville Montessori

“Education of even a very small child…does not aim at preparing them for school, but for life.” Dr Maria Montessori

Forestville Montessori School provides your child with academics and so much more! They encourage learning through exploration. They offer materials and activities that invite children to think deeper, independently and creatively, to solve problems and develop ideas.

Each stage at Forestville Montessori School prepares your child for the next. What your child learns today, they build on and master tomorrow. When ready, new tasks and challenges are offered. Your child will grasp concepts and acquire skills they can apply to future learning and life: critical and analytical thinking, creativity, motivation and a joy for learning.

Their teaching staff are degree-qualified and Association Montessori Internationale trained. Each class has a lead teacher and teaching assistant, so all students receive personalised learning and care daily.

Visit Forestville Montessori School to learn more!

Ages: Preschool – Year 6
Gender: Co-ed
Education Style: Montessori
Boarding: No
Extracurricular activities offered: swimming, surfing, gymnastics, sport, music, Japanese, horticulture/gardening, and Grow Your Mind (well-being). Before—and after-school options include Chess Club, Lego and robotics, Soccer, Piano, Violin, and Mandarin.
Transport Options:
- They are conveniently located in Forestville, with dedicated 15-minute parking opposite the school and ample road parking elsewhere. Public transport is close-by with Warringah Road, Forestville bus stops moments from their door.
Fees:
- Toddler program starting at $19,110 (Eligible families receive childcare subsidies)
- Pre-school program starting at $18,330 (Eligible families receive childcare subsidies (CCS) and Start Strong funding (SS)
- Primary School Program $19,400 (Eligible families receive Primary School Subsidy)

Forestville Montessori Open Days & Tours

School Tours: Private tours available: Tues-Thurs at 9:30am, 10am, 10:30am
Open Day: 9 August 2025

Contact Forestville Montessori

Address: 1 Angel Place, Forestville NSW 2087
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (02) 9452 2044
Forestville Montessori website

: Forestville Montessori School

: Forestville Montessori School

: Forestville Montessori School

North Shore Democratic & Progressive Schools

Currambena Primary School and Preschool, Lane Cove

About Currambena Primary School and Preschool

Currambena is a democratic school on Cammeraygal land on the North Shore of Sydney that offers genuinely child-centred education for both pre-and primary school children. Established 55 years ago and based on strong research foundations, it has long been recognised as a leader in innovative educational thinking. At Currambena, they deliver a holistic approach to learning with the help of a flexible curriculum that focuses on developing a child’s life skills as well as academic results.

Since 1969, Currambena has led the way in progressive education, nurturing young minds to become confident, creative thinkers. Learning is a boundless adventure where children are encouraged to explore, question, and discover at their own pace. With their small class sizes and personalised approach, Currambena cultivates a nurturing environment where each child’s unique talents and interests are celebrated, fostering a lifelong love for exploration and discovery. Every child receives the attention they need to flourish academically and emotionally. Research shows that this environment stimulates a long-term love of learning and a holistically developed and resilient child. Through our dynamic blend of stage-based learning and democratic principles, students emerge as empowered, self-assured individuals ready to embrace the challenges of tomorrow. Join our warm, inclusive community and embark on lifelong learning and growth.

Currambena Primary School is registered by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), and it adheres to the NESA curricula.

Currambena Preschool is rated as Exceeding the National Quality Standards on Educational Program and Practice, Relationships with Children, Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities, and Governance and Leadership and Meeting all other National Quality Standards.

Ages: Pre-school – Year 6
Gender: Co-ed
Education Style: Secular
Boarding: No
Extracurricular activities offered: Both preschool and primary school students have regular sessions with a specialty art teacher and Spanish language teacher. All primary students participate in swimming for two terms a year and are offered different sport options for the other two terms. The whole school participates in excursions, such as to the local library, park and bushwalking tracks, amongst other more specific locations decided between the teachers and their class – for example, to museums and galleries. Onsite extracurricular activities include graphic novel art, hip hop dance, drama, piano and guitar lessons.
Transport Options: The school is accessible by bus and is within walking distance from the main Lane Cove bus terminals. St. Leonards and Artarmon Station are close by.
Fees: $2285 per term. More.

Currambena Primary School and Preschool School Open Days & Tours

To book your place at one of their information morning sessions, please send them an email [email protected] or call them on 02 9427 0644.

Contact Currambena Primary School and Preschool

Address: 205 Longueville Road, Lane Cove
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (02) 9427 0644
Currambena School website

: Currambena Primary and Preschool

: Currambena Primary and Preschool

: Currambena Primary and Preschool

Kinma Preschool and Primary, Terrey Hills

About Kinma Preschool and Primary

Kinma is a dynamic, independent, progressive school in Terrey Hills set on 5 acres of beautiful bushland. It offers a unique child-centred education. Established in 1972, Kinma has been leading the way in innovative teaching for over 50 years. Kinma’s education program is based on an understanding of child development and caters equally to all aspects of development—academic, social, and emotional.

They aim to foster the development of children into independent, self-motivated learners and socially responsible community members. Their balanced curriculum supports the development of creative and critical abilities in a cooperative, non-competitive environment, incorporating outdoor learning as part of their program.

Kinma consistently receives engaging and highly positive feedback from NESA inspectors (NSW Education Standards Authority).

Kinma Preschool offers a play-based, child-centred curriculum in a fun, exciting, and nurturing learning environment. Play and imagination are integral to their education approach. Children use a wide range of cognitive and life skills as they play, developing self-motivation and the ability to choose from various activities available during the preschool day.

Kinma Primary: They believe that children learn best in an environment where play and discovery are central. They offer an education where each child is celebrated, and learning is meaningful and holistic. Classes are multi-aged and non-competitive, with a high teacher-student ratio. They teach with a thematic approach whereby many areas of the curriculum are connected and integrated within a theme based on the ideas and interests of the children. It is a place where children genuinely love to learn and where they acquire values and skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

Ages: Play Group (0-5yo), Preschool (3-6yo), Primary Year K to Year 6
Gender: Co-ed
Education Style: Progressive with Democratic principles
Boarding: No
Extracurricular activities offered: Kinma has a large variety of activities both on and off the beautiful bushland campus, including regular bushwalking in our surroundings, basketball lessons, Spanish lessons, swimming lessons (for Primary), surf safety lessons (for eldest groups), music with Music Play Habitat, parks and shop visits where the children love to catch the bus and walk when possible. Some incursions include connections with a long-term friend and land local Aboriginal, Dennis Foley, giving talks and demonstrations about the environment and traditional ways of life. Other incursions include Musica A Viva, plays based on wellbeing, local expert talks about space and NASA, personal development sessions and robotics incursions. They also have Tinkering Days, where the children and parents arrange activities for the whole school, such as cooking, pulling apart old engines, leather crafts, sewing and knitting. They also offer after-school care with Green Umbrella on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays and some vacation care days. On Fridays, there is Taekwondo after school with Dragon Taekwondo.
Transport Options: CDC Buses manages a bus service shared by several schools in Terrey Hills. Check their website for more information.
Fees: $2730 per term.

Kinma Preschool and Primary School Tours

School Tour Dates: 9:30am on 28 March, 13 May, 20 June, 5 August, 12 September, 28 October, 5 December. Please book a tour here.

Contact Kinma Preschool and Primary

Address: 127 Coolowie Road, Terrey Hills
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (02) 9450 0738
Kinma website

: Kinma Preschool and Primary, Terrey Hills

: Kinma Preschool and Primary, Terrey Hills

: Kinma Preschool and Primary, Terrey Hills

North Shore Steiner Schools

Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School, Middle Cove

Year 11 Lake Argyle Expedition with Glenaeon

Glenaeon’s award-winning outdoor education program takes Year 11 to Lake Argyle

About Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School

Glenaeon is an independent Steiner school offering a holistic curriculum from Preschool to Year 12 that meets and enriches the NSW syllabus requirements.

Their educational philosophy and practice were developed by and evolved out of the work of Rudolf Steiner. Their approach to learning encourages expansive thinking, the development of the living spirit and a profound connection to the wisdom of the past, realities of the present and possibilities for the future. Learning at Glenaeon takes place in a truly unique setting, blending natural and built environments within a deeply connected community – people, place, and purpose.

Ages: Preschool – Year 12
Gender: Co-ed
Education Style: Steiner Education
Boarding: No
Extracurricular activities offered: Drama Club, Sinfonia, Concert Band, Big Band, Jazz Combo, Chamber Choir, Art Space, Debating & Public Speaking, SPORT: Parkour, Basketball, Soccer, Fencing, Archery & Duke of Edinburgh
Notable Alumni: Bliss N Eso Jonathan “Bliss” Notely and Max “Eso” MacKinnon (Australian Hip Hop band); Brenna Hobson (Director of Programming, Sydney Opera House); Caitlin Fitzsimmons (Senior Writer, The Sydney Morning Herald); Cody Sheehan (Cystic Fibrosis Advocate & youngest ever Board Director for CF Together); David Heimann (Company Director Orson & Blake); Dr Andrew Keyworth (GP); John Polson (Australian Actor, Director and Founder of Tropfest); Luke Fischer (Poet); Manon Gunderson-Briggs (Actor); Phoenix Keating (Fashion Designer); Richard Claremont (Australian Painter); Scott Needham (Photographer); Stephen Ormandy (Artist & Co-Founder Dinosaur Designs); Taelor-Jane (Musician); Toby Thatcher (Australian/British Conductor); Vanilla Tupu (Filmmaker/Producer)
Transport Options:
- Private Bus: Glenaeon Charter Buses run from Sydney’s Eastern suburbs, Northern Beaches, Inner West and through Balmain/Lane Cove area to two of their three campuses in Castlecrag (K-Class 2) and Middle Cove (Class 3-Year 12).
- Public Bus: Services originate in Manly, Northbridge, Castlecrag, Chatswood, and Wynyard, as well as Belrose, Castle Cove, Davidson, Killarney Heights, and Warringah Mall.
Scholarships: Glenaeon offers various scholarships for new and existing High School students, including a general scholarship (Year 7 entry), a music scholarship (Years 7 to 10 entry) and an academic merit scholarship (Year 11 entry). The closing date for Glenaeon Year 7, 2026 scholarship is 28 February 2025.
Fees: $20,460 (Kindergarten) – $34,860 (Year 12). View fee schedule.

Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School Open Days & Tours

Open Day: Friday 14 March 2025, 9am-11am. Click here to register to attend.
School Tours: Run across their Willoughby, Middle Cove and Castlecrag campuses throughout the year. Event details.

Contact Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School

Address: 5a Glenroy Avenue, Middle Cove NSW 2068
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (02) 9417 3193
Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School website

: Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School

: Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School

: Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School

Kamaroi Rudolf Steiner School, Belrose

About Kamaroi Rudolf Steiner School

Alongside a very high standard of academic education, Kamaroi Rudolf Steiner School’s curriculum places great importance on imagination and creativity and fully engages the child. It is designed to instill self-confidence and provide a sense of social and environmental responsibility.

Based on Steiner principles, Kamaroi Rudolf Steiner School offers a nurturing environment that addresses children’s changing needs and capabilities at each stage of their development. Their curriculum and teaching method enhance deep and rounded learning.