" The school is meant to be not just a place full of children -a children village- but a place which belongs to the children -a children’s village- where they are masters of their action and learning,…"


History :

In 1997, I came to Cambodia to open a bilingual primary school. The political events in July of that year made the project fall through. For the sake of my children I had go back. I decided to leave teaching teenagers and university students to acquire valuable experience in primary and nursery schools. This has convinced me that day care and nursery eduation are crucial if society were to change. Working in a Montessori school made me fall in love with the appraoch which is so similar to my own ideas and aspiration. I realised I was Montessorian without knowing it. I realised also our traditional way of raising babies respecting their natural patterns and needs is essentially Montessorian. So I decided to take up the course and trained at Montessori International London before coming to Cambodia on 18 th August 2003 to set up Seametrey Children’s Village.

The name:

The school is meant to be not a place full of children -a children village- but a place which belongs to the children -a children’s village- where they are masters of their action and learning. Maria Montessori’s first school was called Casa del Bambini (the children’s house). Ours is a village. It tells about our desire to stretch the community into a cross-cultural global village to sow the seed for peace and harmony.

The staff are of diverse nationality like the children. They will be male and female, young (child assistants)and mature (retired people) as in a real society. Whether they are academic staff with university education or a humble carpenter they have in common the love, warmth and humility of village people.
The school is set up as an open space for children. The garden is not only a garden but an outdoor classroom. Children will not realise they are at school but on a village ground where nature and people look after each other. Parents and nannies are welcome to visit, to stay, to help for an hour, half-day or a day. Our doors are always open and we welcome any comments or suggestions.

Where the school is :

SCV is located in the heart of Phnom Penh not far from the Monument of Independance. The adress is 13A, Street 830, Tonle Bassac area, Phnom Penh. What the school offers : it offers a fully integrated nursery education, day care and after school care to children from 3 months to 6 years old.

The Montessori approach :

The school follows the Montessori curriculum – Practical Life, Sensorial, Literacy, Maths, Art and Craft and Cultural studies (Science, Geography, History). The Montessori philosophy respects the child’s individuality and sensitive periods.
We create opportunities for each child to develop at his own pace without pressure. At Seametrey Children’s Village we shall strive to form the heart as well as the mind. We shall help each child achieve his full intellectual potential by giving him a solid foundation but most of all we shall strive to bring the best out of him, making him happy to learn but also ready to share and appreciate. We believe social skills, self-confidence, self-esteem are the most important things at this age which must be nurtured. Children will acquire them through truly cross-cultural, experience sharing and practical learning. The staff are true educators, role models with good manners, warm, caring and sharing.

Sister schools :

Seametrey Children’s Village enjoys the support of two overseas international schools. Our Montessori materials were purchased with contributions from the National Honor Society of the American School of Doha (ASD) in Qatar and from Bangkok Patana School (BPS). Final year students at Patana have set up a Seametrey Children's Village Committee and are engaged in raising funds to acquire materials for our school. We are grateful and proud of their support.