Smriti Sharma

Founder / Head

          With over 20 years of teaching in schools and working in educational development, I bring a wealth of experience and a deep passion for early years and primary education.

I hold a Montessori Diploma from Association Montessori Internationale (London) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (International) from the University of Nottingham. My teaching journey has taken me through mainly British Curriculum based schools, including Braeburn School (Gitanga Road), Hillcrest International (Karen), The Gower School (London) and Kyuna Kindergarten (Loresho) amongst others. I have also worked as a Montessori Guide in Singapore, Belize and various settings in England. My pedagogical philosophy is shaped by the principles of Montessori, play-based approaches inspired by Froebel, positive psychology, mindfulness in education and forest schooling.

My development work in education includes significant leadership roles across Africa, Central America, and Asia. Through my role as an Early Childhood Development Specialist with the Aga Khan Foundation in Afghanistan, I was responsible for improving the quality of learning across 75 pre-schools in 3 provinces. I worked on developing teacher training programs for the Madrasa Early Childhood Programme in East Africa and Kidogo and have mentored educators across different cultural and socio-economic contexts. I helped set up the first Montessori school, Liberty Learning Centre in Belize and supported the founding of Hothouse Academy in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. I co-founded Nurture ‘n’ Nature, an initiative offering mindfulness-based sessions in nature for children. I am a fellow of the METIS collective, which is a network for educational innovation in Kenya.

My diverse background has inspired me to establish an early years and early primary school that reflects a truly holistic and alternative approach to education for children aged 3 to 8 years old. I envision a learning environment that fosters curiosity, well-being, creativity and a deep connection with nature through an integrated curriculum drawing on the British framework of Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage One. With a proven track record in teaching, teacher training, curriculum development, and school start-up, I am confident in my ability to lead a vibrant and safe learning space that nurtures the development of each child rooted in an atmosphere of deep care which is at the heart of Kujali school.