Montessori, Steiner or Mainstream: What Each Approach Means for Your Child
Written by
BestSchools Team
Montessori, Steiner and mainstream are three ways a school can organise learning. The name on the gate is the start of the question, not the answer.
As of 20 October 2026, the accreditation points below come from ACARA, Montessori Australia and Steiner Education Australia. For how a school's everyday culture shows up on a tour, use school culture and values.
What is a Montessori school?
A Montessori school uses the Montessori approach. Classrooms often mix ages, and children work with hands-on materials. Montessori Australia says each school or centre is run on its own. It may be privately owned, part of a public school, or run by a non-profit association.
The word Montessori is not trademarked. Montessori Australia, opens in a new tab says any service can put Montessori in its name. Membership of Montessori Australia is not the same as being assessed.
Montessori Registered is the national mark for a service that has been assessed against Montessori Australia's standards. A "participating" or "applied" logo means the service is on the way, and has not yet been assessed. The Montessori Registered page, opens in a new tab explains the mark.
What is a Steiner school?
A Steiner school follows Steiner education, also called Waldorf. Steiner Education Australia, opens in a new tab is the national association. It says Steiner schools have operated in Australia since 1957, and that it represents 51 Steiner schools and 16 associate members. Those are the association's own figures. They are not a government count of every classroom that uses some Steiner ideas.
The same page says each school is registered with its state or territory authority. It also says Steiner-based streams have been introduced in some state schools in South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. A stream inside a government school is not the same thing as an independent Steiner school. Ask which parts of the week follow Steiner practice.
What mainstream means
Mainstream, on this page, means a school whose main curriculum is the Australian Curriculum, or the version the state or territory uses. That includes most government, Catholic and independent schools. It is not a judgement that those schools are ordinary or better.
States decide how the national curriculum is taught. Senior certificates explains why Year 11 and 12 then diverge into the VCE, the HSC and the other state certificates.
What ACARA recognition does, and does not, do
ACARA keeps a recognition register, opens in a new tab for some alternative frameworks. Recognition means the framework can lead to comparable learning by the end of Year 10 in the learning areas ACARA has assessed. ACARA says this does not replace state and territory registration.
As of the register checked on 20 October 2026:
- The Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework was assessed in 2023 against Australian Curriculum version 9.0. ACARA's summary says it allows comparable outcomes by the end of Year 10 in English, Health and Physical Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Mathematics, Science, Technologies and The Arts, with some qualifications. Recognition applies only to the version and the learning areas that were assessed.
- The Australian Montessori National Curriculum was assessed in 2025. ACARA's summary says it allows comparable outcomes by the end of Year 10 in English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Health and Physical Education and The Arts. It does not include a Technologies learning area. Schools should teach Australian Curriculum Technologies, or the local equivalent, as well. Because digital technologies are often introduced later in Montessori schools, ACARA expects students to be able to show the Year 8 achievement standard by the end of Year 10.
A school can be registered and still not hold Montessori Registered status. A school can use the Steiner name and still have to meet NESA registration in NSW, or the equivalent regulator elsewhere. In NSW, registration is the licence to operate, opens in a new tab for a non-government school. Accreditation to offer the HSC is a further step.
The approach is only part of the fit
Match the day to your child
The School Choice Assessment sorts budget, travel, sector and learning priorities. It does not tell you that Montessori, Steiner or mainstream is the right label.
About five minutes. Confirm the program with the school.
Questions that sort the schools
On a tour, ask what a morning looks like, how old the children in the room are, and which curriculum document the school is registered to teach. Ask who checks that practice, and what happens in the senior years if the alternative framework stops at Year 10.
Then look at schools you can reach in the directory. Sector still matters for fees and enrolment. Public vs private is the page for that, not this one.
Official sources
- ACARA, Recognition register, opens in a new tab
- Montessori Australia, Montessori Registered, opens in a new tab
- Montessori Australia, Know quality, opens in a new tab
- Steiner Education Australia, About, opens in a new tab
- NSW Government, How registration and accreditation work, opens in a new tab
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to go next
Turn this research into a clearer shortlist
Three practical ways to move from reading to action.
- Start the assessment
Take the School Choice Assessment
Get a personalised report based on your budget, commute, sector and learning priorities.
- Open schools map
Browse schools near you
Compare nearby schools by location, sector, type and fees.
- Browse open days
Find upcoming open days
See live school events and tours so you can move from research to real visits.
