As the 2025-2026 school year gets underway, Noozhawk’s Private & Independent School Guide is designed to help parents explore the many educational options available across Santa Barbara County.
This annual guide serves as a go-to resource for families looking for the right academic environment to support their child’s growth and success.
To provide families with meaningful insights, Noozhawk connected with representatives from local private and independent schools to share their perspectives, programs, and the latest updates from their campuses.
In this spotlight, Noozhawk spoke with Brian Cogswell, Head of South Coast Montessori to highlight what makes their school community unique.
South Coast Montessori
Question: What is the educational philosophy of your school?
Answer: At the heart of SCM is our adherence to authentic Montessori methodology as developed by Maria Montessori. We recognize that childhood is the time when children are exploring the world and gathering impressions that will be the foundation of all later learning.
Dr. Montessori observed that young children have very specific needs:
- The need for an ordered, inspiring and loving environment.
- The need to do things for and by themselves.
- The need for respect as capable, independent workers.
- The need for their intelligence to be honored in the materials they use.
- The need for a purposeful conclusion to their work.
- The need for a group of peers with which they can collaborate and an environment to which they can contribute.
Our classrooms are designed to best meet these needs in order to develop the full potential of each and every one of our students.
Q: Can you describe the unique aspects of your curriculum?
A: “The child is free to choose their work, but the child is not free not to work.” This is the guiding principle of the Montessori classroom. Our system of education is based on a strong understanding of the basis that children choose their work. It is the teacher’s responsibility to inspire the student and the student’s responsibility to choose work based on their genuine interest.
The most important work is the work that the child chooses! The child will select challenges that far exceed what the teacher proposes. Epic reports are written and massive square root problems are solved.
These are just a couple of examples that show a child’s love of learning is sparked when freedom and responsibility are activated in the classroom. Additionally, each child is allowed to work at a pace that is right for them.
Q: What is the average class size, and how does it impact the learning experience?
A: The size of each classroom is uniquely equipped to meet the developmental needs of the children at each stage. Our class sizes differ depending on the ages of the children.
Our younger infant community for babies 3 months until walking is typically 6 to 8 babies. Our older infant program for walking infants until approximately 18 months to 2 years is 8 to 10 infants.
Our toddler community for children 18 months to 3 years old has two classrooms of 12 children each. Our primary or pre-school program for children 3 to 6 years old has two classrooms of 24 children in each, and our elementary program for students in 1st through 6th grades can accommodate 45 children.
Q: What are the qualifications and experience levels of your teaching staff?
A: The teachers in each of our primary classrooms and elementary programs are AMI (Association Montessori International) trained teachers. An AMI diploma is equivalent to a Master’s Degree in education.
AMI teachers support the objectives of Maria Montessori’s pedagogical principles. Our infant and toddler teachers have Montessori training as well as all the required Early Childhood Education courses.
Q: What is your admissions process, and what qualities do you look for in prospective students?
A: We believe a Montessori education is accessible for all children. We offer rolling enrollments based on availability. Families that are interested in learning more about our programs are invited to sign up for a tour. This is an excellent way to get an overview of our programs.
After a tour, we encourage families interested in pursuing enrollment to submit an application. When an enrollment spot becomes available, we schedule a teacher/child/parent visit.
After the school visit, faculty and staff evaluate the application to determine the ability of the classroom to meet the child’s needs. Parents are then notified of the admission decision.
Q: Can you explain the tuition and fees structure? Are there any scholarships or financial aid options available?
A: Our tuition ranges depending on the age of the student. All of our rates are viewable on our website, along with information on scholarships for the preschool and elementary programs.
Q: How does your school support students with special learning needs or exceptional talents?
A: Montessori is designed to help all children reach their fullest potential at their own unique pace. A classroom whose children have varying abilities is a community in which everyone learns from one another, and everyone contributes.
Moreover, multi-age grouping allows each child to find his or her own pace without feeling “ahead” or “behind” in relation to peers.
Q: What extracurricular activities, sports, and clubs are available to students?
A: We offer after-school programs for our Primary and Elementary Programs, ages 3-12, until 5:30pm. Activities, including sports, art and music, are curated to meet the needs and desires of each age group.
Q: How does your school incorporate technology into the learning environment?
A: The technologies used in a traditional Montessori classroom are not screens and computers, but materials carefully developed by Maria Montessori over 100 years ago to support the development of the children. Children use specially designed, self-correcting, hands-on Montessori materials to learn math, language, geography, music, history and more!
Q: What steps does your school take to foster a sense of community among students and families?
A: We offer families a variety of activities throughout the year to connect with each other. Some examples include our Back to School Waffle Brunch, Halloween Trunk or Treat, Parents Night Out, Winter Performance, Move-a-Thon, and End of School Year Picnic. We understand that young families are busy, so we try to strike a balance between creating opportunities to connect while not over-scheduling with too many responsibilities.
Q: How does your school ensure the safety and well-being of students on campus?
A: The health and safety of our community is central to all activities at SCM. Our entire staff is trained in the Standard Response Protocol (SRP), which is used by all Santa Barbara County emergency responders. Staff are also trained in CPR and first aid.
To learn more about South Coast Montessori click here!