Ashwood Glen School combines old and new methods of teaching

When Sonia Abbas moved to Canada from Pakistan 18 years ago, she brought her passion for education, an MBA in finance, and an understanding of how to blend the two to benefit students. 

Abbas is the co-owner of Ashwood Glen School, a private, Montessori, and international baccalaureate program school in Burlington, teaching approximately 135 students from K-8. 

“I always had a passion for young kids, and a respect for a good education,” Abbas said. “When I came here as an immigrant, I had an MBA and didn’t have to go through school again.”

Abbas was picked up by RBC commercial banking, but left after a few years when she felt she could do more. 

She added that the gratification from doing something for one’s community, and for a cause close to your heart, is unbeatable. After pairing up with a business partner, Glenview opened in 2019. 

“We started with just a daycare in Mississauga, and switched to Glenwood after a year,” Abbas said. “One year after we started, we were hit by COVID, so it hasn’t been easy.”

Admissions at the school have nearly doubled since last year, when there were only 65. School administrators expect somewhere between 160 and 180 students to be at Glenwood next year.

As a Montessori school, students are significantly more hands on with their learning – and are learning key life skills such as cooking, cleaning, and dressing themselves much earlier. The IB program, the only one of its kind offered in Burlington, helps students with a Montessori background transition into higher education better, Abbas said. 

“It’s a very progressive way of teaching; it helps children develop the skill sets they will need in the future,” Abbas said. “We know the world is changing, and the saying goes we train them for the jobs that aren’t even there yet.”

The IB program is usually reserved for students aged 16-19, but Ashwood adapts the program for younger students. It was designed to provide students with a more balanced education, facilitate geographic and cultural mobility, and promote international understanding. 

Since students at Ashwood can start as young as kindergarten, children are exposed to these alternative types of learning that stick with them for their entire education. 

“They’re learning critical thinking, self regulating and independence, to name a few,” Abbas said. “These are important for a child because they’re so agile, they’re absorbent, they take on whatever you teach them.”

Though every student can benefit from these alternative methods of teaching, Abbas added that each child learns differently. Class sizes at Ashwood cap at 16, and average around 10, meaning teachers can interact with their students more personally and directly. 

Currently, there are approximately 60,000 Montessori schools in the world, a 2023 BBC article reads. 

“We are growing, and I think the word of mouth and reputation we’re building in Burlington is helping us attract new families,” Abbas said.