Admission

We are thrilled that you’ve included Discover School in your quest for the perfect educational fit. Nothing brings us greater joy than guiding young minds on a journey of discovery and growth.

The gift of holistic education lasts a lifetime, and we believe in creating an environment where learning is not just a process but an experience. Delve into our vibrant website, where the essence of Discover School comes alive, or better yet, let’s arrange a personal visit. Feel the heartbeat of our school, witness the laughter, and experience the energy that fuels our commitment to education.

Since our inception in 2012, Discover School has been a world-class example of authentic Montessori education. We don’t just teach; we inspire. Our hands-on IB programs invite students to explore, fostering self-direction, critical thinking, and meaningful connections. Here, children gain practical tools and a strong foundation to navigate the challenges of the ever-changing world with confidence and resilience.

Discover School is more than academics—it’s a community, a family. We invite you to step into our world to grasp the spirit that truly defines us, meet our dedicated team, and share your aspirations for your child.

Together, we’ll explore how Discover School can become a home away from home for your child where curiosity, creativity, and growth thrive.

We look forward to welcoming you and your family and beginning this exciting journey together!

At Discover School, we are excited to welcome families into our vibrant, diverse, and nurturing educational community. Our admissions process is designed to guide you smoothly through every step, offering clarity and support as you find the best learning environment for your child’s growth and development.

1. Initial Inquiry: 

The journey begins with curiosity! Whether you’ve found us online, through a recommendation, or in person, our team is ready to provide a comprehensive overview of our IB programs.

How to Start:

  • Schedule a visit here at a time convenient for you.
  • Reach out via email at hello@montessorischools.bg or phone at 087 8832823‬ to make an inquiry.
  • Follow the link to schedule an introductory call with our Principal and learn more about our school’s philosophy, programs, and values.

2. Visit the School or Attend Open Days: 

We encourage families to visit the school to understand our community and educational approach better. There, they can explore our learning environments, meet the faculty, and observe the IB programs in action.

Visit Options:

  • Visits: We recommend that both parents attend to meet our team, tour the learning spaces, and get answers to any questions. You’ll gain an understanding of our school’s philosophy, curriculum, and learning environment. You can book an Onsite meeting here.
  • Open Days are community-wide events that offer an immersive introduction to our school culture. These events include interactive activities for children and in-depth presentations for parents, offering a complete view of our educational methodologies. The Open Days will be conducted on January 16 and February 15, 2025. Register here.

3. Submit an Application

Once you’ve determined that Discover School is the right fit for your family, the next step is to apply.

  • Application Form: link

4. Reception Day and Family Meeting: 

When you submit your application, we will schedule a Reception Day for your child. These sessions allow us to assess your child’s academic knowledge, cognitive abilities, social-emotional development, and potential to thrive in our holistic learning environment.

In addition, you will have a Family meeting with the pedagogical leadership team to discuss expectations and how we can best support your child’s educational journey.

The dates of Reception Days: January 8, 15, 18, 22, 24, 31, 2025. Register your child for a Reception day here.

Reception Day and Meeting Process:

  • Your child will participate in holistic assessment and learning activities with our Montessori and IB educators, allowing us to assess their readiness for our programs.
  • Parents will meet with the school principal and pedagogical leadership team to discuss educational philosophy, family involvement, and how we align with your child’s learning goals.

5. Decision and Enrollment: 

Following the reception day and family meeting, our pedagogical team will review all applications and provide feedback. Families will be notified of the admissions decision within one week. If your child is accepted, you will receive an Enrollment Proposal alongside the Admission Pack and details about tuition and school policies.

Next Steps:

  • Submit the signed contract and pay a deposit to secure your child’s place.
  • Prepare for the school year by attending orientation sessions and family meetings.

6. Orientation and Welcome to Discover School

We are thrilled to welcome your family! Before the school year begins, new students and families participate in our Orientation Program to ensure a smooth transition into the community.

Orientation Program Includes:

  • A classroom introduction for your child to meet their peers and teachers.
  • Family sessions to understand the IB framework and how we support your child’s holistic development.
  • Preparation guidelines to help your child confidently start their learning journey.

Who Should Apply for Early Admission?

Early Admission provides families with the advantage of securing their child’s place at Discover Montessori School ahead of time, ensuring a seamless transition into our educational continuum. Families also benefit from an exclusive early bird tuition discount for committing early. This allows children to immerse themselves in the Montessori and IB learning environment, fostering intellectual, social, and emotional growth from the start.

Application Deadline for Early Admission: December 6, 2024

Assessment Days: We are offering Early Admission Assessment for students entering the 2025/2026 academic year on October 30, November 6, November 20, December 4, December 11, 2024, and January 8, January 15, and January 18, 2025.

How to Apply:

For the 2025/2026 academic year, we will accept 15 students born in 2020 and 15 in 2019 into our Preschool program. This process identifies children ready to thrive in our  IB program.

Steps for Preschool Admission:

  1. Visit or Open Day Registration: Schedule a visit, register in advance to attend an Open Day or call 087 8832823‬.
  2. Application Submission: Complete the Application Form before the deadline.
  3. Reception Session: The future young students will spend three hours filled with exciting learning experiences. Schedule a Reception session here.
  4. Decision and Enrollment: Admissions decisions will be communicated within one week. If accepted, families will receive an Enrollment Proposal and Admission Pack.
  5. Orientation and Welcome to Discover School: Before the school year begins, new students and families participate in our Orientation Program to ensure a smooth transition into the community.

For the 2025/2026 academic year, we will admit 18 students born in 2018 into Grade 1. This process identifies students ready to excel in our IB multilingual programs.

Steps for Grade 1 Admission:

  1. Visit or Open Day Registration: Schedule a visit, register to attend an Open Day or call 087 8832823‬.
  2. Application Submission: Complete the Application Form before the deadline.
  3. Reception Session: On a typical day at Discover Montessori School, your child will spend half a day participating in learning experiences. They’ll join classroom activities, participate in circle time, and engage with hands-on learning materials. Register your child for a Reception session here.
  4. Decision and Enrollment: Admissions decisions will be communicated within one week. If accepted, families will receive an Enrollment Proposal and Admission Pack.
  5. Orientation and Welcome to Discover School: Before the school year begins, new students and families participate in our Orientation Program to ensure a smooth transition into the community.

For the academic year 2025/2026, we will admit a limited number of students to Grades 2-7. This process includes:

Steps for Grades 2-7 Admission:

  1. Visit or Open Day Registration: Schedule a visit, register to attend an Open Day or call 087 8832823‬.
  2. Application Submission: Complete the Application Form before the deadline.
  3. Reception Session: A holistic assessment of a prospective student’s skills and ability to participate in transdisciplinary learning, assessment of the entry levels in Mathematics, Bulgarian, and English language, followed by a meeting with the school psychologist. Book a Reception session here.
  4. Decision and Enrollment: Admissions decisions will be communicated within one week. If accepted, families will receive an Enrollment Proposal and Admission Pack.
  5. Orientation and Welcome to Discover School: Before the school year begins, new students and families participate in our Orientation Program to ensure a smooth transition into the community.

For the 2025/2026 academic year, we will admit 12 students to Grade 8. For students applying to Grade 8, Discover School offers a unique and innovative educational journey that integrates the globally recognised IB Middle Years Program (MYP) framework with the Bulgarian state standards and enduring Montessori approach. This unique blend crafts an educational experience that sparks curiosity and instils a profound love for learning, preparing students for a future of limitless possibilities.

Steps for Grade 8 Admission:

1. Visit or Open Day Registration: Schedule a visit, register to attend an Open Day or call 087 8832823‬.

2. Initial Application and Academic Records Submission: Submit the Application Form and previous academic records. Students may also be asked to submit a portfolio of projects showcasing their learning and achievements.

3. Reception Day and Assessment: Schedule a date for your child’s reception day here. The assessment is in three components: 

  • Part 1: Academics: Assess the student’s readiness for Grade 8, focusing on critical thinking, problem-solving, and subject-specific knowledge in areas such as Mathematics, Bulgarian and English language and literature, and Science.
  • Part 2: Skills and Interests: Evaluate the student’s collaborative abilities, communication skills, and personal interests through collaborative tasks and group activities that assess the student’s ability to engage in teamwork, community projects, and reflection.
  • Part 3: Social-Emotional Screening: Identify the student’s emotional readiness for the Grade 8 learning environment, particularly the independence required in the MYP programme, by conducting a psychological interview or observing how the student interacts with peers in the current Grade 8 cohort.

4. Family Meeting and IB Focus Discussion: A family meeting will discuss the student’s goals, alignment with IB principles, and opportunities to become contributing members of the Middle Years Programme.

5. Decision and Enrollment: Admissions decisions will be communicated within one week. Families will receive an Enrollment Proposal and Admission Pack.

We will admit a limited number of students to Grades 9-12 for the academic year 2025/2026.

For MYP and DP students in Grades 8-12, Discover Montessori School offers a unique and innovative educational journey that integrates the globally recognised IB framework with the Bulgarian state standards and enduring Montessori approach. This unique blend crafts an educational experience that prepares students for a future of limitless possibilities, fostering intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and personal growth.

Steps for Grades 9-12 Admission:

  1. Visit or Open Day Registration: Schedule a visit, register to attend an Open Day or call 087 8832823‬. 
  2. Initial Application and Academic Records Submission: Submit the Application Form and previous academic records. Students may also be asked to submit a portfolio of projects showcasing their learning and achievements.
  3. Reception Day and Assessment: Students will participate in various learning experiences and do assignments in Mathematics, Bulgarian and English language and literature, and Science, followed by a collaborative task to assess teamwork and problem-solving skills. Schedule a reception day for your child here.
  4. Family Meeting and IB Focus Discussion: A family meeting will explore the student’s goals, alignment with IB principles, and their fit within the Middle Years Programme.
  5. Decision and Enrollment: Admissions decisions will be communicated within one week. Families will receive an Enrollment Proposal outlining the next steps.

The tuition fee is an annual fee. We offer different payment options:

  • one payment,
  • two equal payments,
  • monthly payments.

The extra services – School bus and Extra Activities require additional fees that could be paid per school term or per school year.

The Clubs vary from year to year and are offered to different age groups and at various levels of expertise. A list of Clubs is sent via monthly newsletter to parents before the start of the school year and is available on the online platform.

It is our privilege to provide our families the opportunity to design their child’s experience based on the whole family’s needs, abilities, and hopes for their little ones –

  • younger sibling receives a 5% discount,
  • twins receive a 7% discount.

In addition, we offer a limited number of scholarships and financial aid packages available to qualified candidates, designed to ensure that our educational opportunities are accessible to a diverse community of students.

А Learning Resources Fee is due for a school year and aims to ensure art and craft materials, extra learning resources, supplies, and books.

For more information, please get in touch with us: hello@montessorischools.bg

Tuitions

Tuitions of Discover Montessori School are revised on an annual basis. The tuition includes:          

  • Holistic Education according to 
    • Bulgarian state requirements.
    • International standards for holistic Montessori education.
    • Primary years programme (PYP) and Middle years programme (MYP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB).
    • Bespoke individualised program responding to the child’s needs.
    • English language program as a main language of instruction.
    • Intensive study of a second foreign language (Spanish, German, or Russian) in Middle Years and High School.
  • Core and Extended School Day
    • Early Years (Pre-school): Core school day: by 4:00 pm. Extended day: by 5:30 pm.
    • Primary and Middle Years (1. – 7. grade): Core school day: by 4:30 pm. Extended day: by 5:30 pm.
    • High School (8. – 12. grade): Core school day: by 1:30 pm. Extended day: by 5:30 pm.
  • Extra Curricular Activities:
    • Early Years (Pre-school): arts.
    • Primary and Middle Years (1. – 7. grade): sports games.
    • High School (8. – 12. grade): theatre club.
  • Meals: fruits and vegetables
  • Visits to theatre or music productions, activities in a museum or gallery, architectural and natural attractions, and practices in Sofia.
  • Medical professional attention includes morning checks, first aid, and prevention measures.
  • Annual “Accident” insurance.

Extracurricular activities, which require additional payment:

  • Clubs (robotics, photography, dancing, digital skills, handwork, theatre, piano, handwork, sports math, writing workshop, chess club).
  • Sports (swimming, tennis, football, yoga).
  • Ski and green camps (for children over six years old).
  • Trips and educational activities outside Sofia.
  • Classes with a speech therapist.

Tuition for School year 2025-26:

Program  Age/Grade One payment Two payments Monthly payments
Primary Early Years  Pre-school 7 400 2 х 3 800 = 7 600 1 х 2 600 and 9 х 585 = 7 865
Primary /Elementary Years
Grades 1 – 7
 7 650 2 х 3 925
= 7 850		 1 х 2 600 and 9 х 610 = 8 100
Middle Years and High School
Grades 8 – 12
 7 200 2 х 3 900 = 7 800 1 х 2 600 and 9 х 633 = 8 306

Discounts:

  • Signing a 3-year contract provides a 5% discount.
  • For a second child in the family, a 5% discount is applied to their annual tuition fee.
  • For a third child and twins in the family, a 7% discount is applied to his annual tuition fee.

School Year:

  • Primary Yearly Years (Pre-school): 1 September – 31 July.  
  • School: 15 September – 15/30 June.

Terms of Payment:

1 payment
by 1st June
2 payments
by 1st June and 1st of September
Monthly payments
from September till June

Deposit:

A deposit of 15% of the tuition is payable upon signing the educational contract. The deposit guarantees the child’s place in the program and is refunded from the first paid instalment of the tuition for the academic year.

Enrolment:

Upon signing the contract, the enrollment fee is 500 EUR for preschool and 750 EUR for primary and middle years.

Learning Resources:

The learning resources fee is paid once for the entire academic year: 400 EUR for preschool and 500 EUR for primary and middle years.

Meals:

  • Early Years (Pre-school): breakfast, fruits and vegetables, lunch, afternoon snack: 1 200 euro.
  • Primary Year (1. – 4. grade): fruits and vegetables, lunch: 1300 euro.
  • Middle Years and High School  (5. – 12. grade): breakfast, fruits and vegetables, lunch: 1 500 euro.

Extracurricular Activities:

Clubs and extracurricular activities are part of the Extended School Day program, which is offered every day of the week. They play an important role in school life, providing children with a wide variety of activities. The list of clubs and activities is updated every school year.

Transport:

The service is offered for children who have reached the age of 5, according to the schedule of the students of Otkrivatel Montessori School (from 15.09. to 15.06.). A subcontractor performs the service, and a transport fee is charged in addition to the tuition. The transport fee for the academic year 2024/2025 is 2 500 euros and can be paid once or in two instalments before the beginning of each term – September and January. If the transport is used in one direction only, a discount of 35% of the price is used. If there is a second child from one address, a discount of 60% of the price is applied.

Summer School:

From June 15 to August 25, students can attend Summer School, where a bilingual language program continues in all subjects. The Summer School fee is per week.

All figures are in euro.

For more information, please contact us: hello@montessorischools.bg

We are thrilled to announce our scholarship program for newly admitted students in grades 8, 9 and 10 who have shown exceptional multilingualism abilities or excelled in the humanities, mathematics, sciences, social studies, or the arts.

Join us at Discover School and embark on a journey of academic excellence and personal development!

Scholarship Details:

  • Eligibility: New students entering grades 8, 9 or 10 who are multilingual or have demonstrated exceptional talents in the humanities, mathematics, sciences, social studies, or arts.
  • Benefits: The scholarship covers 50% to 100% of tuition fees for the student’s educational stage up to grade 12.
  • Application Deadline: March 31, 2025.

Application Requirements:

  • Submission of an application enrolment form.
  • Evidence of multilingual skills or talent in specific academic areas (portfolios, awards, letters of recommendation, etc.).
  • Academic record showing term and annual grades for the previous two academic years and the first term of the current academic year.
  • Scholarship Application Form, including an essay or response to a life question describing the candidate’s talents and plans to contribute to the school community.

Why Apply?

This scholarship aims to support and encourage students who wish to expand and enhance their skills in a dynamic, multicultural educational environment. Recipients will benefit from financial support and a wealth of resources, including access to international programs, state-of-the-art facilities, and a community of creatively minded peers and mentors dedicated to fostering mastery and a love of learning.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should send their applications online to hello@montessorischools.bg or in person at the school office by March 31, 2024. 

We are excited to welcome bright, motivated students to join our thriving community and look forward to your applications.

We look forward to your applications. We can’t wait to see what you will achieve!

If you have any questions, please contact us at +359 885500155 or +359 87 8832823‬.

What is your admission procedure?

The school accepts students if there are any places available. Admission of students complies with the requirements and conditions set forth by the Pedagogical Committee following relevant regulations by the Ministry of Education and Science. Please have a look at our Application Process page for more details.

What is the tuition fee?

The tuition for each level is updated every year.

Why is an assessment necessary?

This is an opportunity for your child to visit the classroom and meet other children. It allows our team to get to know your child and assess their level of independence, curiosity, academic, social, and emotional development, and interests and to evaluate how we can support the development of your child’s unique potential and talents. We assess the child’s academic knowledge, cognitive abilities, social-emotional development, and their potential to thrive in our holistic learning environment to ensure that your child will flourish within our learning communities.

Do you accept transfer students from non-Montessori schools?

We welcome transfer students from other schools, provided we have available spaces. Every child can benefit from a student-centred learning environment. During the admission process, we assess the child’s level of independence, academic proficiency, social and emotional skills, and readiness to integrate into one of our communities.

What documents are required for admission?

The required documents are:

  • Copy of the Birth Certificate
  • Health and prophylaxis card with immunisation status
  • Letter of Notice stating that the child hasn’t had contact with infectious diseases
  • Certificate of transfer from the child’s previous school.

How early do we need to start the admission process?

The process should be started as early as possible. However, it could take from 5 to 30 days.

Contact us for further information at hello@montessorischools.bg or  +359 87 8832823‬ and +359 885500155.

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