The MCSA Primary Specialisation course (6-12 years) is a specialisation course primarily aimed at traditionally qualified primary school teachers already working in a Montessori primary setting or wishing to gain knowledge of the Montessori approach and curriculum relevant to this phase.
It is important to note that this is not an accredited qualification. Primary school teachers in South Africa are required to hold a Bachelor of Education in the Foundation Phase, or equivalent. Our course is therefore a specialisation that adds to a previously achieved mainstream degree qualification.
We are also able to accommodate persons without a degree qualification who are interested in doing this course on the understanding that this course is not a full qualification, and will not allow the holder of the certificate of attendance to teach in a primary school.
The course is structured as a blended online and on-campus learning approach to cover Montessori primary classroom management and all the relevant curriculum areas. The on-campus contact sessions are primarily aimed at being hands-on material experience sessions where students will work with the materials in a guided way to develop understanding of the material demonstration and the scope and sequence of the material within the curriculum area. The content also covers the implications of the NCS and CAPS in a Montessori primary school.
The Primary Specialisation course will only be delivered in Pretoria in 2025.
The on-campus workshops are in the form of lectures, discussion groups and practical hands-on working with the 6-12 Montessori materials. These are supported monthly by online Zoom discussions and interactive forum discussions.
Students enrolled on the Primary Specialisation course have access to a fully functional online learning portal that includes all resources required for the course:
- Detailed course modules
- Narrated PowerPoint presentations
- Material presentation videos
- Reading and viewing resources
- Interactive forum
The Primary Specialisation Forum is monitored daily by a dedicated course tutor to answer any questions that may arise during practice, and this also connects all our primary students together to share ideas and experiences.
Zoom chat sessions are also planned during the year to address classroom management challenges.
2025 Online Zoom Session Dates
Zoom sessions take place from 7-8pm.
- 04 February 2025 – Montessori Philosophy
- 04 March 2025 – Montessori Philosophy
- 08 April 2025 – Montessori Philosophy
- 29 April 2025 – Montessori Philosophy
- 03 June 2025 – Classroom Management
- 08 July 2025 – Classroom Management
- 05 August 2025 – Parent Liaison
- 02 September 2025 – Assessment and Recordkeeping
2025 Pretoria Face-to-Face Dates
Lectures will be delivered at our Pretoria Campus as follows:
- 31 March to 02 April 2025 – 09:00 – 16:00 – Language
- 30 June to 03 July 2025 – 09:00 – 16:00 – Maths and Geometry
- 06 – 08 October 2025 – 09:00 – 16:00 – Knowledge and Understanding of the World
The entrance requirement for the Primary Specialisation course is a recognised Foundation Phase education degree. This could be a Bachelor of Education, or a Post Graduate Certificate in Education.
In South Africa, it is a legal requirement that all persons working in a primary school hold an education degree for the foundation phase.
Our Primary Specialisation course is therefore a Montessori specialisation certification to add to the existing mainstream qualification.
Continued Professional Development points are awarded upon successful completion of this course.
Complete the application for by clicking the link below. Once this has been received, you will be sent an invoice for the payment of the enrolment fee to confirm your place on the course.
Click here to apply.
Please note that the course is limited to 15 participants only. Applications will close once the course is filled.
As this course is not a qualification, we may only issue a certification once the course is finished. Students who are engaged on the interactive forum and who have attended all components of the course (face to face lectures, Zoom chats and assignments), will be awarded a Certificate of Completion. Students who miss components, or who are not active on the forum will receive a Certificate of Attendance for the aspects attended.
