Ennis Montessori School was founded more than 25 years ago by Davnet Dwyer. At the time, Davnet was a qualified nurse balancing long working hours with the demands of parenthood. Recognizing the need for a high‑quality and dependable childcare service within the community, she made the decision to change career path and establish Ennis Montessori School from her family home.

Since then, the service has expanded significantly and now accommodates up to 75 children at any one time. It has built a strong reputation for excellence, trust, and a warm, child‑centered approach within the local community. Although Davnet retired in 2025, she continues to support the service through her valuable mentoring and extensive Montessori expertise.

Our team is highly qualified and experienced, with many members having been part of the service since its earliest days. Continuity of care is central to our ethos, ensuring that children feel secure, supported, and familiar with the educators who guide them each day.

Our Junior Montessori programme is designed to support the important transition into a preschool environment. It focuses on early developmental foundations such as sharing, building friendships, and developing independence. Children learn through free play, exploration, and sensorial activities, with a curriculum that is child‑led and shaped by their individual interests to create a fun and engaging learning experience.

Our Senior Montessori programme builds on the Junior year, offering progressively more challenging Montessori exercises to further develop each child’s skills. This is combined with an Aistear‑led, play‑based approach to create a holistic and enriching curriculum. Throughout the year, children enjoy a variety of visitors, workshops, and excursions that enhance classroom themes and broaden their learning experiences. The programme aims to help each child reach their full potential and feel confident and prepared for starting primary school.

Ennis Montessori School received the highest level of accreditation with Síolta, the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education, in 2014. The service was revalidated in 2018, becoming one of the first childcare settings in Ireland to achieve this distinction twice.

Members of Early Childhood Ireland.

We have been validated by Healthy Ireland as a Health Promoting Service.

Large outdoor play area including sheltered space for inclement weather conditions.

Ennis Montessori School incorporates all aspects of both Síolta and Aistear (the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework).