Our Staff
We have a great team here at Casa Montessori who are all very passionate about what they do! Read on to find out more.
Miss Carolina
Principal - Owner
Miss Carolina Pena Gutierrez is the Founder, owner and Principal of Casa Montessori.
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She is native from Colombia and is trilingual (English, Spanish and French).
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Miss Carolina is a Montessori-certified teacher from Montessori Centre International (MCI) and has completed a BA (Hons) in Montessori Early Childhood Practice (level 6) at MCI and London Metropolitan University.
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Miss Carolina also holds a Level 3 accredited Forest School Training.
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Miss Amandine
Manager
Amandine is originally from the French Alps region. She is a native French speaker. She has always been deeply connected to her cultural roots and the beautiful natural surroundings of her home region. However, in 2015, she moved to London with her family to pursue new opportunities and experiences.
Amandine is Casa Montessori's Manager. She is qualified in early childhood education (level 4) from Montessori Centre International and holds a Level 3 qualification in Special Needs and a Level 3 designated Safeguarding Lead certificate.
She is highly enthusiastic about the Montessori pedagogy, which places respect, trust, and understanding of the child at the centre of everything we do in the classroom. Children are supported to reach their full potential and become confident, independent learners.
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Amandine is DBS-checked and a Paediatric first-aider.
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Miss Amandine is the Special Needs Coordinator (Senco) and the Designated Safeguarding Lead. She is working full time.
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Miss Ara
Deputy manager
Miss Ara is originally from Panama. After working in the Tourism Industry for many years both in Panama and London.
She qualified as a Montessori teacher in 2014 at Montessori International Centre (MCI). She has been teaching since then, and she is very happy to have chosen this professional path. Ara truly enjoys working with young children.
She believes that each child is unique and that an appropriate Montessori environment can really enhance their learning experience. In fact, what she enjoys the most about working with young children is seeing them engaging.
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Miss Ara is DBS checked and Paediatric First Aider.
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She is our Babies room leader, and Deputy safeguarding officer (she holds a Level 3 Safeguarding certificate). She is working full time.
Miss Gaia
Miss Gaia is originally from Italy, where she studied Cultural Events and obtained a Diploma in Live Show Planning (you’ll most likely find her sitting in a theatre in her spare time!).
She moved to London in 2017 as an au pair and from there she started her career in childcare, as a live-in nanny from 2020 and now as a Nursery Practitioner. She is proud to play a part in shaping the children's future and helping them to build confidence, resilience and love for learning.
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Gaia completed her Level 4 in Montessori education in 2023.
She is DBS-checked and Paediatric First Aider. She is working full time.
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Miss Salima
Miss Salima Annab was born in the South of France from Algerian parents so both French and Arbaic were spoken at home although she is more fluent in French. She is the mother of two boys and has had a passion working with children since she first babysat aged 11 for her nephew and nieces.
Mis Salima studied at the Lycee Professionel des Arts et Metiers d'Uzes, in the south of France before moving to the United Kingdom in 1999. After several experiences as Au Pair and Nanny, she volunteered in several schools as a support for SEN children. She graduated in Support Teaching and Learning in Schools (STLS level 2).
From 2019, she started to work full time in a French nursery as a teaching assistant while completing her Level 3 Early Years Educator. ​
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Miss Salima is currently studying towards the Level 4 Educator in Montessori Education.
Miss Salima is a part-time Nursery Teacher at Casa Montessori. Miss Salima is DBS-checked and a Paediatric First-aider. She is the Special Needs Coordinator Assistant.
Miss Emmanuelle
Emmanuelle is a part-time Montessori Teacher at Casa Montessori. She is DBS-checked and a Paediatric First-aider. After working for almost 20 years in the hotel industry, principally in the South of France, she married and moved to England.
In 2004, Miss Emmanuelle had a daughter, and she decided to pursue her first passion and became a teacher. She graduated with NVQ3 and worked in a nursery setting for eight years before joining us at Casa. She completed her Montessori Teaching Assistant training at the Montessori Apprentice Academy in March 2024.
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She takes great pleasure in singing and has created a repertoire of French songs that the children enjoy singing together. Miss Emmanuelle also loves art and supports the children in developing their abilities and creativity in the art corner, working on different craft projects.
Finally, she likes to keep learning about how things work by offering a variety of scientific experiments.
Miss Rita
Miss Rita joined Casa Montessori in April 2023. She is originally from Reggio Calabria in Italy, and holds a Level 4 in Montessori Early Education.
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She is a passionate and dedicated Montessori teacher with 4 years of experience in Montessori settings. She is our Forest school leader and is DBS checked, and paediatric first aider. She is working part time at Casa.
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Other staff members
Casa Montessori staff might also include bilingual teacher assistants, volunteers and students.
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Casa Montessori also receives the support of external teachers for specific activities, such as music (Mini Jam company)
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All staff (assistants, volunteers, or external) is DBS-checked.