Miss Luwam Araya
Head of School
AMI trained, twenty years in Montessori classrooms, still teaches one morning a week.
Montessori in the room, Cambridge on the record
A school of 210 children, ages three to eleven, on two acres.
- Child-centred education
- Inspiring curiosity
- Character and confidence
- A better world together
Believe. Inspire. Innovate.
Our mission
Cultivate a global community of empowered, dependable, compassionate individuals.
Eco-Bloom was founded in 2024 by Luwam Araya, after a search for a school that could say what her own daughter had been curious about that week.
Read the founder’s letterClose the letter
I did not set out to open a school. I set out to find one. My eldest was four, and had already worked out that the safest thing to do in a classroom is nothing at all. Every school we visited was proud of something: the results, the uniform, the new building. Not one could tell me what she had been curious about that week.
So we began with fourteen children in two borrowed rooms, on a conviction that has not changed: curiosity is not the reward for finishing the work. It is the reason a child starts.
People are surprised that we teach Cambridge. They expect a Montessori school to be against examinations. We are only against a child sitting one they were never allowed to prepare for in their own way.
I hope to meet you soon.
Our vision
Nurture each child's innate potential as an international citizen who values their culture, producing happy, productive global citizens who love learning and are healthy stewards of sustainable living.
What we are for
What your child leaves with
Reads for pleasure
Confident with numbers
Finishes work without being pushed
Kind without being told
Our values
The values that guide our community
Eight values shape how children learn, work together and care for the world around them.
Respect
Compassion
Integrity
Independence
Curiosity
Responsibility
Courage
Collaboration
In practice
How the vision takes shape
In practice, this shows up in several ways:
Levels
Daycare, Kindergarten and Primary.
Inclusion
Special needs support, including speech therapy, with more therapy services planned.
Identity
African heritage and identity topics are woven into school life.
Campus vision
A farm, STEAM wing, sports space and parent room are part of the campus vision.
Families
Services are open to walk-in (non-enrolled) families through the Eco-Bloom Foundation.
How we teach
Montessori in the room, Cambridge on the record
Cambridge sets the destination for each stage. The classroom sets the route, the pace and the day. Checkpoints at the end of Primary are marked externally, and the qualification is recognised by ten thousand schools in a hundred and sixty countries.
- 2 – 4 yearsFoundation 1 and 2
Cambridge Early Years
Communication, early number and understanding the world. Nothing timed, nothing tested.
- 4 – 4 years and 12 monthsReception
Cambridge Early Years, final year
The bridging year. Ends with graduation into Primary 1.
- 5 – 7 yearsPrimary 1 and 2
Cambridge Primary, stages 1 and 2
English, mathematics, science, global perspectives and digital literacy.
- 7 – 9 yearsPrimary 3 and 4
Cambridge Primary, stages 3 and 4
The same subjects, deeper, alongside long research projects and going out.
- 9 – 11 yearsPrimary 5 and 6
Cambridge Primary, stage 5 and 6
The final year, ending with the Cambridge Primary Checkpoint and a report that travels.
Cambridge mathematics, Primary 3.
Beyond the work cycle
Three clubs, in term time and in the holidays
All three run inside the school day during term, so nothing is missed and no separate pick-up is needed. In the holidays they run longer, and are open to children from outside the school. Days and age bands.
Piano
Foundation 2 upwards. Instruments provided.
Robotics
Primary 1 upwards. Building and programming.
Karate
Reception upwards. Graded, with belts.
Care and safety
Who is looking after your child
A small school's real advantage is not its ratio. It is that the adult beside your child in October is the same one who was there in September, and will be there next year.
A guide who has observed your child daily for three years, which is long enough to notice a change of mood before it becomes a problem.
A designated lead, a deputy, and annual training for every adult on site, including kitchen and grounds staff.
New children start gradually, with a parent nearby for as long as it takes. There is no fixed number of days.
Our community
Voices from our school community
Families and guests at Eco-Bloom’s Celebration of Learning.
Celebration of Learning
Testimonial1 of5: Family 1
Who runs the school
The people you will actually deal with
A small school, so the person who answers your email is usually the person who can decide the answer.
Ruth Eze
Cambridge Coordinator
Prepares the Checkpoint entries. Ask her how your child is tracking.
Daniel Okonkwo
Head of Primary
Leads the Primary 1 to 5 teachers and runs the going-out programme.
Fatima Bello
Head of Early Years
Oversees Foundation 1 to Reception and the settling-in of every new child.
Grace Adeniyi
Designated Safeguarding Lead
First point of contact for any family whose circumstances have changed.
Tobi Adewale
Head of Outdoor Learning
Runs the garden, the forest and every holiday club that involves getting wet.
Accredited by and working with
- AMI
- CIS
- Eco-Schools
- KPTF
- GFES
- WAMN
Come and visit us
Tours are Tuesday and Thursday, 9am, while the children are working.