Why Parents Choose Poppins Montessori
Poppins Montessori has been part of the Rathfarnham community for over 24 years. Founded by Principal Caroline Hosey, our small, family-run school sits at 2 Highfield Drive, Dublin 16 — close to Divine Word National School and easily accessible from Ballinteer, Knocklyon, and the surrounding areas.
Tusla-registered and LINC-certified, our team of qualified Montessori educators genuinely care about every child in our care. With a teacher-to-child ratio of 1:6, your child receives real individual attention — not just a place in a room.
Many of the families we serve today were referred by parents whose children attended years ago. That kind of word-of-mouth trust is something we're very proud of.
Trusted by Local Families
A Montessori Environment Built on Care and Experience
We currently have ECCE places available for September 2026. The ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education) scheme provides free preschool for all children aged 2 years and 8 months to 5 years and 6 months — and Poppins is a fully approved ECCE provider. We provide 3 hours of daily Montessori education, 5 days per week, for 38 weeks of the year.
Most children are entitled to two full academic years on ECCE.
We are registered with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and hold LINC certification — Ireland's specialist qualification in inclusion practice. Our setting is inspected regularly and our full policies are available to all families on request.
Our programmes
We offer two sessional services from our Dublin 16 setting; a Montessori Preschool and a School Age Service - our afterschool club.
Our core programme for children aged 2.5–5.5. Each morning follows a structured Montessori cycle — practical life, sensorial work, language, and mathematics — with Irish language woven throughout. Children work at their own pace with purpose-made Montessori materials in a calm, prepared environment. A two year rolling curriculum ensures progression, and parents receive a monthly newsletter and are kept updated with regard to their child's progress via our Mosaic app.
All of our Montessori morning sessions are fully approved for the government ECCE scheme. Places for September 2026 are now open — contact us early as spaces fill quickly. We also accept NCS (National Childcare Scheme) subsidies for families who qualify.
Running 1:30pm to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday, our afterschool club is aligned with Divine Word National School in Marley Grange. We offer a reliable collection service, homework support, a hot nutritious meal, and supervised outdoor play. Parents can also arrange drop-off and collection for extra-curricular activities and sports training.
Frequently asked questions
BEST Montessori in Dublin 😍✨
I can’t recommend this place highly enough to anyone looking for a truly special environment for their children. Both of my kids attended Poppins, and they still miss it so much 🥹😩 Caroline, Deirdre, and Pauline were like kind, magical guardians to them during their time there, so caring, attentive, and genuinely invested in each child.
We all miss Poppins dearly 🫶😭
Gabby Marcano, Marley Grange