Montessori Academy - Delran

Posted: July 8, 2025

This school is not worth the investment. There is no structure and my child was not provided help when she needed it. Preschool was ok. Elementary was not good at all. For math, my child was working on the large bead frame the whole year. We moved our child to a nearby private school. She is now a straight A student. Choose one of the other private schools. Your child will do better. Parents can easily track how your child is doing.

Posted: July 8, 2025

Posted: July 8, 2025

Posted: July 8, 2025

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Posted: December 11, 2023

This is a long-established, law abiding school. It is a safe, secure, healthy and wonderful peaceful campus. It is designed to allow for parental direct observations of the classrooms at work, and the Head of School is accessible for honest and straightforward, welcoming discussion.

Posted: February 3, 2019

Excellent school! We love how much our son has excelled in his academics and his maturity, and he enjoys going to school everyday.

Posted: February 3, 2019

The elementary Teacher knows my son and helps him to excel and do his best. He's advanced in mathematics because he loves the subject.

Posted: February 3, 2019

Everyone does their best to help each other.

Posted: February 3, 2019

Posted: February 3, 2019

My son's differences are accepted. He thrives in the elementary class! He is happy everyday when I pick him up from school. His smile says it all!

Posted: February 3, 2019

The community is small, everyone is close, and treats each other respectfully.

Posted: February 3, 2019

Wonderful! All staff is friendly and the teachers truely care!!!! Highly recommend

Posted: February 3, 2019

There are projects but not daily homework that takes up family time and extracurriculars. Majority of work is accomplished during school.

Posted: February 3, 2019

Ms. Faith helped my child grow by leaps and bounds in just a few short months. The teachers are wonderful and caring and work hard to see your children succeed. We feel very fortunate to have our children be able to receive their educations at MANJ

Posted: February 3, 2019

All the students are very well mannered, confident in their abilities and so quick to help others. It is amazing to see these values instilled in children especially during these times.

Posted: February 3, 2019

Posted: February 2, 2019

My three children attend this school. It has been amazing for them. My husband is in the military. We moved away after my oldest child completed primary years. As soon as I heard we were moving back, I contacted the school to see if we could enroll my younger child. We love this school!

Posted: February 2, 2019

Posted: February 2, 2019

I credit the success of my oldest child to Ms. Ratna and Ms.Assunta. My younger two are currently in school with both teachers. They are amazing teachers . I love the school because of them.

Posted: February 2, 2019

Can definitely say that my children are definitely developing strong characters. My oldest child is very respectful and compassionate!

Posted: February 2, 2019

My middle child had behavioral issue. Ms. Fox was very kind and helpful in her suggestions in helping my son.

Posted: February 2, 2019

Posted: February 2, 2019

Bullying has not been an issue in this school from my experience.

Posted: January 31, 2019

Posted: January 31, 2019

Posted: January 31, 2019

Posted: January 31, 2019

Posted: January 31, 2019

Posted: January 31, 2019

Posted: January 31, 2019

The best experience we could have had as parents. All the students are self confident strong individuals with self respect, respect to their peers and respect to their environment.

Posted: January 21, 2018

Homework was OVERWHELMING from public school. 2+ Hours of fighting everyday. Not so with Montessori, where learning is done in the classroom (not at home). Homework is small and structured. Went from fighting to improving!

Posted: January 21, 2018

With small class size, teacher can focus on the individuals.

Posted: January 21, 2018

Students work with each other on a daily basis. Older students help younger.

Posted: January 21, 2018

Posted: January 21, 2018

Every student is encouraged to learn at their own pace while still being pushed at their own grade level. Our second grade student was doing fifth grade math! This wouldn't happen in public school.

Posted: January 21, 2018

We have not heard or seen any incident of bullying in two years of attendance.

Posted: January 21, 2018

Our child has grown by leaps and bounds by attending Montessori Academy. Bored, overwhelmed and outcast at public school - our child is never bored, learns at his own pace and has classmates that all get along.

Posted: January 17, 2018

First school that thinks about children, and tells dont overload children with homework.

Posted: January 17, 2018

Very supportive and experienced. They children know very deeply.

Posted: January 17, 2018

Teachers and children work together in this area.

Posted: January 17, 2018

Posted: January 17, 2018

School is not limited to curriculum. Child can grow in his own capacity.

Posted: January 17, 2018

School strongly focus on character building in children that no child experience bullying. Children are very supportive, kind and friendly.

Posted: January 17, 2018

Great school. Love this school. Lucky to have this school for my child.

Posted: July 17, 2017

I came upon a brief hard time financially .The administrator of the school worked with me . We are so thankful to her for understanding the importance of keeping my children in a safe educational environment which is the Montessori school

Posted: July 17, 2017

At school it's time to concentrate and learn
When my children come home they can enjoy family time

Posted: July 17, 2017

The teachers are not only informative but they are compassionate

Posted: July 17, 2017

Posted: July 17, 2017

Posted: July 17, 2017

My one son had trouble adjusting to being away from home . The head mistress took it upon herself every morning for the first week of school walking my son to his classroom so as to make him feel safe and secure .

Posted: July 17, 2017

I know there is low is any tolerance to bullying

Posted: December 9, 2016

Posted: December 9, 2016

Yes because the teachers outnumber the head of school.

Posted: December 9, 2016

Posted: December 9, 2016

Posted: December 9, 2016

Posted: December 9, 2016

I want to be understood. The teachers are wonderful. They are full of love for the children. My child has attended for some time and I have never had a serious issue with her teachers. When I am talking with the faculty and staff I feel heard and cared for. However, the Head of School is a cruel woman. She sometimes stands at the entryway glaring at the kids as they arrive. She does not listen and seems to resent the fact that the parents keep the school in operation. The staff assisting the kids are angels and I love them. I will keep my kids there because the teachers are some of the best in the area. However, I would not suggest anyone else send their kids unless they are willing to endure near pure hatred from the top. For me, it is worth it but it certainly is not for everyone. Finally, make sure you read everything they give you. The Head of School frequently changes her mind and will enforce even the most minor point as if world peace depends on it. She is a hard, unfeeling woman and I am sad that I cannot trust her. Look past her and you will see an authentic Montessori experience.

Posted: October 23, 2016

Teachers and staff of Montessori Academy of New Jersey are wonderful. Montessori philosophy for kids' education is also fantastic. The property of school is just amazing. Yet, this school has serious management issues! All the decisions are made by one person whose response to any "why" question is "because I said so!"
Some school choices, that could influence children's well-being, lack any sense! But nothing can be done about them. There is no room for any arguments in such egocentric system.
Although our children were receiving a good education at Montessori Academy of New Jersey and loved their teachers and staff, we had to remove ourselves from that environment.

Posted: September 13, 2016

Posted: September 13, 2016

We had a mixed experience at MANJ. The grounds are immaculate, my children were well cared for. My children attended the toddler and primary program.

Ms. Ratna is a wonderful Toddler teacher. Ms. Marie in the ADM program was a fantastic fit for my son, whereas the previous ADM teacher didn't seem to understand how to channel him. Ms. Marie really made our year, whereas we weren't sure after the previous year if we would send our son back. We consider ourselves lucky to have had Ms. Marie guide his development and growth last year.

That said, communication from the school as whole is lacking and you need to trust that the teachers are doing right by your kids (which I would trust my kids with Ms. Ratna, Ms. Assunta, and Ms. Marie. I have no experience with the elementary teachers). Communication with the school has a heavy, at times condescending, tone. And there's little transparency into what goes on in the school day, which can be frustrating with toddlers and preschoolers who are not communicative.

The head mistress seems to foster a closed off culture, however, the staff is friendly and seem to do their best despite that. I've never had an instance when a teacher or aide wouldn't chat for a minute or 2 if there was something that needed to be addressed.

Posted: July 21, 2016

MANJ is a magical school that we still can not believe we found. A picturesque farm school with so much character. So much care goes into maintaining the school grounds and our children enjoy every second of exploring everything it has to offer. Being able to interact with animals every day is so special. Both of our children are lucky enough to be in Ms. Assunta's classroom. Ms. Assunta is passionate and dedicated. Her 35+ years of experience shine through immediately. Our children love learning because of her. They are very independent children because of the skills they learn here. MANJ is an absolute gift to our family. It is setting our children up for a bright future.

Posted: July 21, 2016

Posted: July 21, 2016

No homework at this school. Children work hard all day at school. When they come home, it is family time. MANJ completely understands this importance.

Posted: July 21, 2016

Posted: October 5, 2015

Montessori Academy of NJ in Delran gave our children a wonderful head start. The toddler and primary years are well thought-out AMI programs with devoted, caring teachers and supportive classrooms. The farm setting is idyllic in an overcrowded suburban area of New Jersey. In an era of "teaching to the test", Montessori pedagogy is a breath of fresh air. This school is definitely worth a visit if you're concerned about the state of education today.

Posted: October 5, 2015

Posted: October 5, 2015

Posted: October 5, 2015

Posted: September 24, 2015

As a parent, you need to ask yourself one question when determining whether this school is right for you. Will my child get the best education possible here? After spending several years at MANJ, we have to say no. There are other options in the area, both public and private that will care more about your child's education than this one. Yes it is pretty on the outside, but once you scratch the surface you'll realize it is not all it is said to be. If you enroll and decide this for yourself, you'll no doubt lose your 10% security deposit because the school expects you to stay for the duration of your program (primary, elementary etc). It is "school policy". Perhaps if the school were as wonderful as they say it is, then this wouldn't be necessary?

We came from a small Montessori primary school where the children were nurtured and cared about. We expected the same here. The teachers our children had tried but were often undermined by the head of school. A child should not come home in tears because he/she was reprimanded for having mismatched socks, or because the child was tardy (the parent's fault not the child's) and didn't bring in a late slip. Children should not fear any adult at their school, but children (and I dare say some adults) fear her. In our opinion that does not cultivate an environment conducive to learning. I highly doubt Maria Montessori would approve of this type of environment.

Our children did the best they could here, but they could have done better. As we've moved on to a more traditional school system we have found that there are gaps in their learning. We are fortunate however to have moved on to a place where we know they will get the help they need. But looking back, we feel we could have made a better choice for them. Thankfully now they are thriving both academically and socially.

The pros of this school are obvious - the grounds, the animals, and most of the teachers and staff. However because of the influence of the headmistress, we just cannot recommend it.

If this was just one opinion, then you can chalk it up to an anomaly....a disgruntled parent with an axe to grind. But couple it with the reviews below and hopefully it will at least make you stop and think while exploring all of your options. Best of luck with your decision.

Posted: September 7, 2015

All of the teachers at the school are wonderful and very invested in the children.

Posted: September 7, 2015

Posted: September 5, 2015

Posted: September 5, 2015

Posted: September 3, 2015

My family is entering our 6th consecutive year at MANJ. I have seen two of my kids flourish and grow academically thru the primary program. I also have spent much time in the classrooms as a volunteer and have seen first hand the breadth of work that is accomplished by these children daily. Anyone I tell about this school is amazed that children are free to move throughout the day, set tables for each other, clean up after themselves, care for plants and other living things and are independent in many aspects that other schools are not. We could have sent our child to public Kindergarten but chose MANJ because we knew the quality of education he/she would be getting at MANJ, and upon completion of the MANJ primary program, my first child had completed most of the first grade (and some of the second grade) lessons upon entering public first grade. I recommend this school to anyone looking for a solid foundation in education.

Posted: September 3, 2015

Posted: September 3, 2015

Posted: September 3, 2015

Posted: September 3, 2015

Parents: If you carefully read all of these negative reviews, you will see that they are all posted by one disgruntled parent. Great schools does not require unique email addresses to post on the site. All of the points this parent makes are the same, simply repeated. Do yourself a favor, visit the school yourself, and form your own opinion. Don't simply listen to one angry parents viewpoint.

I personally have had two children go through toddler and primary at M AN J. Both have had great experiences. And, both have gone on to success, performing better than their peers at a selective public school in the area.

Posted: September 3, 2015

Posted: September 3, 2015

Posted: September 3, 2015

Posted: September 3, 2015

As I sit here and look over these reviews, it is blatantly obvious that the same person is writing all of the negative ones. If I were to make an educated guess as to who was writing these negative reviews, it would be that a disgruntled ex employee is behind this sad attempt to damage MANJ's reputation. This school is celebrating its 50 year anniversary this year. I highly doubt you would achieve that kind of success if you were just randomly suing parents, not speaking with families or kicking kids out of school.
My children are thriving at MANJ. When it came time to decide as to where to send our children to school, My wife and I did not even blink an eye. We have known other families that have sent there children there and those children have flourished. Whether it be at MANJ or other schools. A Montessori educated child stands out. The out of the box, free flowing and organic thinking is engrained in each child in the primary program and nourished in the Elementary.
If you do not like the school policies or philosophies, feel free to send your child to another private school. Or go ahead and send them to public school where they have "common core" education where 5+5=11 as long as you feel good about it and can show your work.
-A parent and MANJ Alumni

Posted: August 25, 2015

I sent my child here thinking "Oh how cute, a little school with farm animals." I didn't realize what was behind the doors and how I would be treated by the Head of School. The school is a horrible one. The staff and head of school always had an us vs. them attitude toward the parents. There were ridiculous policies that they would impose and make up. As a preschool, the school was good if you had the right teacher, but from kindergarten and on it was a disaster. My child wan't learning what other children at the same age knew. The elementary program was not very compassionate toward the needs of the child. If your child wasn't learning the teacher and Head of School blames it all on the child. With the history of law suits against parents, who would want to send their kid to this school. Forget this school. Beware and ask other parents who left what they think and you will realize what a bad school this is. Believe me there are a lot of them out there.

Posted: July 17, 2015

Both of our children have had smart, engaged, compassionate teachers. The benefit of this type of classroom environment is that the teachers really get to know each student, their interests, their academic strengths and weaknesses so they can guide and encourage each child as they progress through the program.

Posted: July 17, 2015

I think the amount of homework has been grade appropriate and with the extended school day to 4 for the elementary class, they have plenty of time to finish their assignments at school leaving after school time for family and other activities.

Posted: July 17, 2015

Posted: July 13, 2015

I sent my child to this school for three years. To be frank, it was a horrible experience. The staff would not give me any written reports on my child. When I realized my child wasn't learning, it did not seem like the head of school or the teacher cared. Furthermore, we were always walking on egg shells and subjected to the unreasonable policies of the Head of School. The Head of School refuses to listen to parents and the needs of the children. Any support and special projects that I did for the school throughout the years were thankless. This year the staff pressured the parents into signing re-enrollment forms. Many did not sign this year because of the school's reputation for suing parents. When I finally pulled my kid out of this school, I made a clean break and now have a feeling of relief because I no longer have to deal with the Head of School. Save yourself the time and stress, and forget this school. Check with other parents who have left the school recently and they will tell you about their similar experience.

Posted: May 21, 2015

The teachers just complained that my child was not motivated and blamed my child for poor performance. I moved my child to different school and she was enthusiastic and immediately showed improvement because of the positive atmosphere.

Posted: May 21, 2015

The school brags that it doesn't give homework. I had no knowledge of what my child was learning. When I asked, the head of school told me you wouldn't understand because you are not Montessori trained.

Posted: May 21, 2015

The school does not treat students with honesty, integrity and fairness. The head of school is known to be dishonest and will throw children out of school without warning. The Montessori method preached peaceful resolution, yet the school has a history of litigation.

Posted: May 21, 2015

The head of school is inflexible and imposes unreasonable policies on the students, staff and parents. After three years in primary and two years in elementary, my child did not learn and could not do the things that other children her age could do. The school refuses to give copies of teachers notes and records.

Posted: April 30, 2015

I sent my child to this school and moved my child out this year not because of staffing changes, but because of the unreasonable school policies and the head of school. The school official point of view refers to the negative comments as a "campaign of malicious slander." This is simply untrue. As a parent, I found many of the comments to be quite true and consistent with the stories of many families who have left. All of the facts in the comments about the school, such as 50 children to 1 teacher in a classroom, an $80,000 scam loan that the parents borrowed from the head of school to build a playground for the head of school, the litany of law suits initiated by the school, the inability to get written feedback or status about your child, the decrease in enrollment, children not doing anything all day, children thrown out of school, are all verifiable. The school is not good. My child was not learning as much as children in the same grade and who attend other private and public schools. Parents should read the school handbook and ask yourself what are you willing to be subjected to. If your child is kicked out, don't think that you will get your tuition money back.

Posted: April 27, 2015

I sent my two children here for 6 years and I pulled them out. The elementary program was not a good one. The teacher refused to give me a written report card or any written progress reports. The head of school is very inflexible and will not work with you. There were days when the children would say they did nothing all day. I was always walking on egg shells when dealing with the school staff, especially the head of school. I recently moved my children to a nearby Quaker Elementary School and I was shocked to see how much more the Quaker school had to offer over this school. The Quaker school had separate rooms and programs for Art, Music, technology, spanish, latin and gym, a cafeteria with food service, teachers that were accessible (I had the teacher's phone number), a stage, a kitchen, a science lab, a library, a large field, a soccer and field hockey program, and many after school programs in dance, sports, Chinese, art, music and science. Because of the positive environment, my children's academics improved. This Montessori school has none of these programs or aspects. Forget this school and all of its headaches and look elsewhere.

Posted: April 26, 2015

Montessori Academy Delran, established in 1965, has undergone staffing changes for the 2015-2016 school year. These changes were warranted and made strictly with the best interest of the children in mind. However, any time changes occur there will be those who don t agree. While we understand that every person is entitled to their opinion, and Great Schools seems to be the platform of choice to voice same, we believe that you, the discerning parent, will understand the difference between an opinion and a malicious slander campaign. We invite you to come and see our school, meet our staff and thus form your own opinion. We look forward to meeting you!

Posted: March 26, 2015

I observed class several times and saw most kids not working at all, but chatting and playing with no supervision. When you enroll, the headmaster makes you pay several thousand dollars saying you will stay at the school through 6th grade and if you leave you will not get your money back. You don't get any info from the teachers about how your child is doing. You don't get a copy of the review during conferences - you can look but the teachers 'aren't permitted' to give you a copy. If you need to email it goes through the main office - you don't have any access to direct communication with the teacher. We even had a teacher try to sneak us an email address but said to make sure to not let the head of the school know. The final straw for us was when we went in to observe a birthday celebration. As they were finishing, the head of the school did not like the way a child was acting so she forcibly grabbed and yanked him across the floor where he was sitting. The boy had done nothing at all - and even if he did that does not justify the head of the school being physical with a 9-10 year old child. Avoid this school.

Posted: January 25, 2015

When I first entered the grounds of MANJ I instantly fell in love with the peaceful and beautiful outdoor environment. There were the sheep, the goats, the chickens and guinea hens all quietly grazing, there was the vegetable garden in full bloom and the overall landscape made this all come together as a magical place for children to flourish and bloom. I knew enough about Montessori education to realize that it was the children who took care of the animals and tended to the garden: this is what I wanted for my children. All this before I even set foot inside the building or met any of the staff! My children have had amazing experiences and wonderful teachers all throughout their toddler, primary and (6)elementary years and have made an easy adjustment to the local public school honor students and self driven all throughout. It is thanks to the Montessori education at MANJ that I, as a parent, have never had to sit down to do homework with or for my kids, or even remind them to do their homework. They have been independent, self motivated people since their primary years!I highly recommend this school!

Posted: January 22, 2015

With two children still in Elementary, we have been Montessori Parents for eight years so far. It took awhile, but I have learned several things that have helped me understand the Montessori Method. Like that it offers a whole education both for the child and the parent, that it is structured by a hands on, real life process that nurtures individual freedom and self discipline. Our faith has waxed and waned over the years and we have struggled with the whole no tests, homework or report cards concept. However, we cannot ignore the results...we have two highly social, self directed, enthusiastic, funny, well mannered, conscientious, school aged children who enjoy reading, researching, writing and performing with no expectations for reward or fear of failure...they are just curious. I recognize the method may not be for every child, certainly not for every parent or even teacher, but it has absolutely worked for our family. We are proud to be a part of the Montessori Academy of New Jersey and if you value your children as people, not products, please visit. You will see work in progress...development taking place and yes, happy children doing things they love!

Posted: January 20, 2015

We have been very happy with the education of our 2 children here. The teachers are passionate about providing the best learning experience for all types of learners and the school and grounds are beautiful.

Posted: December 24, 2011

Do your research! We were sadly, disappointed by a couple of teachers but also the work, or lack of. We are big fans of the Montessori method however, we didn't find all the "teachers" or "directresses" knew it well enough to create a productive and educational experience. Lots of parents were disappointed, large groups have left over the years.