Montserrat Povill Pacheco
DIRECTOR
Montse can draw upon 20 years of experience working as a teacher and later as a manager with UNICEF, the children’s organisation of the United Nations, in Africa, Asia and America. Previously, Montse was part-owner of the Escola Povill, a primary and secondary school with 500 pupils in her Catalan home town of Olesa de Montserrat. After moving to Mallorca with her family, she dedicated herself to setting up an independent Montessori school on the island. Montse holds a Master’s degree in English Philology and a Master’s degree in Political Science.
Lucy-Ann Carver
DEPUTY DIRECTOR
Lucy-Ann has 20 years of experience as manager and teacher in schools in the UK. Before joining us, she has been the Head of Languages Faculty of Penglais Secondary School in Wales, responsible for leading a team of teachers in a school with 1,400 pupils. As part of the Leadership Team, she designed curriculum for years 7-13, had overall responsibility for all language GCSE, AS and A Level courses, and was responsible for quality assurance of all teachers within the Faculty. Lucy was also a Senior Post-Graduate Mentor with Aberystwyth University, delivering lectures on pedagogy to students training to become teachers. Prior to that, she was Head of Lower School and English, Spanish and French teacher at Tregaron Comprehensive School. Further, Lucy has been an Examiner for GCSE English Literature on the Welsh Joint Education Committee Exam Board. Lucy holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from the University of Wales Aberystwyth and has qualified teacher status (QTS). She holds a Master of Art degree from Essex University in Latin American Art and Architecture, specialising in Modern Art, Surrealism and Cubism. Lucy also has a Spanish and History of Art degree from Bristol University. She has a passion for travel and has enjoyed living in several parts of Spain and South America. Lucy was born in Swansea, South Wales, and speaks English, Spanish and Welsh.
Madeleine Rose Kingsbury
CASA LEAD TEACHER (3-5)
Madeleine has 20 years of experience teaching students of all ages, various nationalities, and all levels of English. She has a Diploma in Montessori Pedagogy: Early Years Education from the Montessori Centre International (MCI) and studied for a PhD in Applied Linguistics at the University of Barcelona. Maddy holds an Honours degree in psychology from the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand and a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) degree. Maddy has a continued keen interest in education and psychology and a burning curiosity to know the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of almost everything. She is committed to guiding others to learn and learning herself; she holds the strong conviction that education is a lifelong process, and that it should be a process of joyful discovery – for both children and adults alike.
Elena Mozo Lafuente
CASA LEAD TEACHER (3-5)
Elena joins us from the St Cyprian’s Primary Academy in London, where she worked as a teacher since 2021. Prior to that, was with the New Park Nursery & Montessori School in London for three years as a Montessori assistant. Elena holds a three-year bachelor’s degree in Primary Education for teaching foreign languages from the Universidad de Jaén, as well as a Montessori assistant certification from the Association Montessori International (AMI). She has lived in London for nearly 10 years. Elena speaks sign language and has for many years coordinated Medieval festivals.
Catherine Dherville
CASA ASSISTANT (3-5)
Catherine is a qualified Montessori guide with an AMI diploma (Association Montessori Internationale) from the Institut Supérieur Maria Montessori in Paris, France. She also has a Master’s in Education from the University of Nantes. Catherine practised her teaching at a bilingual Montessori school in Paris. She speaks French, English and Spanish. Catherine enjoys gardening and grows her own organic food.
Samuel Webster
LOWER PRIMARY LEAD TEACHER (5-7)
Samuel Webster worked as a Montessori lead teacher for over 10 years, mostly in London/UK. He joins us from Universal Mandala – Universal Education in Ibiza. Previously, he was a lead teacher at Green Gables Montessori Primary School, Pain Pots Montessori School, and Gower Montessori Nursery, all in London. Sam has completed a Primary Montessori course for 6–12-year-olds and has a diploma in Early Learning from the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI). Further, he holds a bachelor’s degree (Hons) in Business. Sam is a native speaker of English, is fluent in Spanish and speaks conversational French.
Rachael Cosbie
LOWER PRIMARY LEAD TEACHER (5-7), DRAMA
Rachael holds a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education – PGCE for Secondary Drama from the University of Central England and a BA Hons degree in Theatre Studies from the University of Huddersfield. She brings extensive experience as Head of Drama from St Brendan’s Sixth Form College, Bristol, UK, Gordano School, Portishead, UK, and The American International School, Limassol, Cyprus. Rachael has served as an associate examiner at Pearson (Edexcel) for 15 years and has published educational resources at Zig Zag Education and Digital Theatre. Outside of work, she enjoys swimming, running, and yoga, and has competed in Aquathlon, Open water swimming, and trail running events.
Jenna Laffin
MIDDLE PRIMARY LEAD TEACHER (7-9)
Jenna joined us from Great River Montessori in St. Paul, USA, where she worked as the lead teacher for a Lower Primary class since 2018. Prior to that, she was the Lower Primary assistant at the AMI-certified Sunny Hollow Montessori in Minnesota for two years. Further, Jenna worked for four years as English Teacher in a public school in Madrid and in Cadíz, Spain. She was also a Literacy Specialist in the Obama Service Learning Elementary, creating individualised literacy interventions for students from 5 to 8 years. Jenna holds an AMI Elementary Diploma from the Montessori Training Centre in St. Paul, USA, and a Master in Education degree from the St. Catherine University. She also holds a B.A. English cum Laude with High Honors from Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA. Janna has a deep respect for and insight into each child’s individual personality and talents and give them ways to express their unique viewpoints. Creativity, humour, and wonder have always been at the core of her teaching style. Jenna is native in English and fluent in Spanish.
Tom Pontifex
MIDDLE PRIMARY LEAD TEACHER (7-9), MATHS & SCIENCES
Tom Pontifex joins us from Rafa Nadal International School, where he taught Year 6. With 10 years of teaching experience mainly in London, Tom holds a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from the University of Greenwich, UK and a BSc in Textile Studies from the University of Leeds. Prior to teaching, he worked for ten years in a range of managerial roles within the containerized shipping industry in London and Cape Town. Since qualifying as a teacher, Tom has worked in schools as a senior leadership team member, as a curriculum leader in science and art and as a training mentor for new teachers. He has published two reading comprehension study guides for Year 5 and Year 6. An artist in his spare time, Tom has also exhibited and sold paintings. He speaks Italian and enjoys fitness, yoga and literature.
Jo Roberts
UPPER PRIMARY LEAD TEACHER (9-11)
Jo has worked in education for over 23 years, in a wide range of educational settings. Before joining the Montessori School of Mallorca, she worked at Hugglescote Primary School where she was the Year Six Primary Curriculum teacher and Head of Mathematics – leading the whole school in mathematics development and improvement. She also worked as Head of Physical Education whilst at the school. Jo has worked in the capacity of Special Needs Co-Ordinator, working with external agencies for caseload pupils with general and specific learning difficulties, having qualified at the University of Leicester. Further, Jo ran an Inference Reading Programme, training teachers across the County and has taught Mathematics to adult learners, up to GCSE level. Jo holds a BA in Learning and Teaching (Honours) and a MA in Specialist Primary Mathematics Teaching from University of Northampton, a BA in Childhood and Youth Studies from the Open University and has qualified teacher status (QTS). She holds a Master of Primary Montessori Studies from the Centre of Guided Montessori Studies in the USA. She also has a degree in Adult Numeracy Subject Specialism and a Further Education Teaching degree from the University of Warwick and Jo is a Qualified Swimming Instructor. She enjoys reading, live music and swimming in her leisure time. Jo has worked at the Montessori School of Mallorca for the last six years.
Tamara Borrás Hernández
UPPER PRIMARY TEACHING ASSISTANT (9-11)
Tamara has a Master’s degree in Pedagogy as well as a university diploma for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) from the Universitat de les Illes Balears. Tamara has previously worked with the CEIP Bartomeu Ordines, the Colegio San Francisco, the CMSS Llevant Nord, the Colegio Ramón Llull, and the Educational Pedagogical Cabinet. For a year, she worked in Ireland as an Au Pair.
May S. Quiles
ENGLISH SUPPORT
May holds a bachelor of arts in professional communication and linguistics from the Metropolitan State University in Minnesota, USA. She has a Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA) from the University of Cambridge. May has taught English, business English and Spanish in international schools in the USA, Argentina and Spain. More recently, she has worked at the Academia Estudi in Sa Pobla, the Lycee Francais in Palma, the Europa International School in Catalunya and La Miranda, a multilingual school in Barcelona.
Daniel Fajardo Reina
SPANISH, CATALAN, PE
Daniel has degrees in Early Childhood as well as Primary Education from the Universidad de las Islas Baleares (UIB). After finishing his studies, he combined interim teaching positions with his personal growth, showing interest in Emotional Education and holistic pedagogy. His passion is reading, and Dani collaborates with writers from numerous publishers, writing literary reviews and meeting with writers on the national scene. Outside school, he loves to ride his bicycle or moped around his home town of Alaro.
Kriss Cunningham
ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE, HISTORY
Born in Scotland, Kriss has been teaching IGCSE, A Level politics and Cambridge First for Schools English exams in international schools in China, the Netherlands and Spain for over six years. Kriss spent two years teaching English at the Jiangsu College for International Education, Nanjing, and in Zhenjiang, China. Prior to that, he worked in the office of a US Congressman in Washington DC, USA. Before joining us, he worked at the Baleares International College (BIC), where he was Head of EAL and teacher of English Literature, History, and Politics. At BIC, Kriss taught English Literature and History at Key Stage 3 and 4 level, and Politics at A-Level. Kriss has a Master’s degree in International Relations & Politics from the University of Aberdeen, and a TKT Young Learners certificate from Cambridge Assessment. Kriss enjoys art, history, and music and loves spending hours in museums, or listening to his vast collection of music. He has a passion for gardening and nature and spends lots of time in his garden growing a variety of different plants, fruits, and vegetables. He is fascinated by current affairs and world politics with a specific interest in Chinese politics and Asian studies.
Heidi Ginn
MATHS & SCIENCE
Before joining us, Heidi was Head of the Science Department at Queen’s College, Mallorca for 14 years. She has 25 years of teaching experience, including a large inner-city School, Salford, UK and a comprehensive Boys School in Sandbach, Cheshire, UK. Heidi has a BSc Honors in Molecular Biology from Manchester University and previously worked in cancer research for GSK in London and AstraZeneca, Alderley Edge, UK and Wilmington Delaware, USA. She loves sports, including caving expeditions, rock climbing, winter mountaineering, marathons, and triathlons.
Llum Vallès i Fitor
CATALAN
Llum has a degree in Catalan language and literature from the University of the Balearic Islands. She has previously worked with the publishing house Disset Edició. She has worked as well as youth leader with the youth group Agrupament Escolta i Guia Pedra Viva, as well as with the Granja Escola es Molí d’en Joan Bea. Llum has been a Scout girl since she was five years old, and has a passion for reading, especially fiction. Llum lives in Binissalem.
Daniela Obodyński
GERMAN
Daniela holds a Master’s degree from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, and studied German and English Philology, Film and Theatre studies. Daniela worked as a German university lecturer and teacher since 1990, including the Fryderyk Chopin University, the Austrian Institute Warsaw, and the Academy of Economics Wroclaw. She was also an ÖSD examinator (Österreichisches Sprachdiplom). More recently, she was the German and English teacher at ecolea Mallorca, and is now preparing students for Cambridge A level and IGCSE exams at the Mallorca Tutoring Academy. Daniela was born in Linz/Austria and is a German citizen. She speaks, German, English, Polish, Spanish and French.
Jaime Díaz-Guardamino Coll
BUSINESS STUDIES, SPANISH & MUSIC
Jaime has master’s degree in philology and a teaching degree from the University of Deusto, Bilbao, as well as a diploma from the London Chamber of Industry for Business English. He has taught for 15 years at Secondary and Primary levels, including at the Colegio Retamar/Madrid, Colegio Punta Galea/Madrid, and at the Colegio Gaztelueta/Leioa, where he has previously been a lead teacher in Secondary and carried out teacher training courses. Jaime is also an AMI-qualified Montessori assistant and has been with The Montessori School of Mallorca since 2017. Jaime has a wide knowledge of music and plays the guitar. He has previously taught music in Madrid and Bilbao. In addition, he is a vivid collector of vinyl records and has a lifelong passion for music.
Ignacio Fernández
MUSIC & ICT
Ignacio Fernández is an educator, composer, arranger, and music teacher. He has a Master’s degree in Teaching and Education from the National Technological University (Argentina), a degree in Music Composition with Electroacoustic Media from the University of Quilmes, and a degree in Music Recording and Post-production Techniques from the TECSON Institute. Education is the field where he has found fulfilment in transmitting and enjoying his love for the arts, especially music. Throughout his extensive work experience, Ignacio has primarily been involved in private and public educational institutions. Ignacio is passionate about fostering curiosity and interest in students, guiding them in their own aesthetic exploration and enhancing the artistic techniques they already possess.
Amadeo Orellana
ARTS
Amadeo studied Art and Design in Chelsea College and has a B.A in Fine Art in Central Saint Martins, London. Recently, he worked in Mallorca as an artist doing exhibitions, collaborations, window displays, photography, street art and murals. Currently, Amadeo is doing a mural of 100m2 in a socio-educational school in Son Roca with kids from 5 to 19 years old. Check out some of his recent work on Facebook or Pinterest.
Ester Oliver Cazorla
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST
Ester holds a Master of Science degree in psychological interventions and mental health and a Master of healthcare administration from the University of the Balearic Islands. Ester also has a postgraduate degree on mindfulness for healthcare professionals from Madrid Open University, and an undergraduate degree in psychology, including studies at the University of Sorbonne/France. Ester is currently working as a Cognitive Stimulation Therapist at the Factoria de Somnis. Previously, she tutored tennis players at the Rafa Nadal Academy, was an undergraduate research intern at the University of Edinburgh, a neuropsychologist intern at Son Espases University Hospital, an assistant at the Psychiatry and Psychology Balearic Institute, and a Board member of the Psychology Students Society. Ester is a self-described bookworm, passionate about travelling, an Ironman volunteer, and has so far finished two half marathons.
Lina Aleksandrova Angelova
ADMINISTRATION
Before joining us, Lina worked as a coordinator in the Spanish embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Prior to that, she has been managing and supervising staff in various enterprises for twelve years. Lina holds a postgraduate degree in Neuroscience and a master’s in biology. Lina is also a qualified Secondary teacher. She is a native speaker of Spanish and Bulgarian and is proficient in English and Catalan. Her interests include gardening, decorating, and reading scientific literature.
Tanya Lazarova
ADMINISTRATION
Tanya has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hotel Management from Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. She currently studying graphic design. Previously, Tanya has worked at Castillo Hotel Son Vida and Hotel ICON Rosetó in Mallorca, as well as Hotel Complex Montecito in Sofia. She speaks Bulgaria, English, Spanish and some Dutch.
Dr. Thomas Winderl, MBA
STRATEGY ADVISOR
Thomas holds a Doctorate in Political Science from the University of Vienna, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Liverpool and a Master’s degree in European Histories and Societies from the Free University in Brussels. He is an internationally active management consultant mostly working for multilateral organisations in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Thomas advises the school on strategic planning, recruitment, business administration, ICT and school policies.
Gloria Duque
SUPPORT STAFF
Gloria helps us to keep the school clean. She is the proud mother of two girls and enjoys going to the gym.
Benito Gomez Requena
SUPPORT STAFF
Benito keeps the garden tidy and helps out with anything that needs to be fixed.