About
A journey, built slowly and intentionally with people who truly care.
ISI Cascais is one of two independent companies founded and led by Nichola de Montaigne, alongside DeMontaigne Life Design. Two distinct organisations. One founding head. One shared compass.
Managed by a multidisciplinary team from DeMontaigne Life Design, supporting ISI's growth and development for three years already.
The Team · Our current bench of excellence
The people already in the room.
A multidisciplinary team of pioneers in education, psychology, and operations, some have designed and scaled schools together across continents for decades, bringing a lifetime of trusted collaboration to day one.
Leadership
Nichola de Montaigne
Founder & CEO · Education & Wellbeing Expert
Life Design · EdTech · Strategy
Mark Whitfield
COO · Lead Consultant
Operations & Strategy
Advisors & Consultants
Emmeline Barnes
Advisor & Consultant
Wellbeing & Neuroinclusion
João Dinis
Licensing & Accreditation Advisor
Sustainability & Futures
Lucas Andrew
Youth Coach & Programme Developer
Wellness & Entrepreneurship
Charlotte Caetano
Marketing & Social Media
Communications
We Are Looking For
Build & Design Partnership
Developing in partnership with Openbook Group, integrated practice spanning Architecture, Real Estate, Studio, Engineering and Design.
Founding Head · ISI Cascais & DeMontaigne Life Design
Nichola de Montaigne
British-born in Saudi Arabia, raised in Cascais. Over two decades of international education leadership across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America.
Master's in International Education and Leadership. Background in Developmental Psychology. Creator of the proprietary PPPP™ and WEITS™ frameworks.
Nichola has spent her career building schools where children are deeply known, and where teachers are trusted, supported and stretched. ISI Cascais is the school she always wanted to build.
"I have spent two decades watching what happens when belonging comes first. Everything else follows."
Two companies · one founding head
A studio, and the ecosystem around it.
ISI Cascais and DeMontaigne Life Design are two separate, independent companies, sharing one founder and one philosophy. ISI is the school. DeMontaigne is the wider ecosystem of family, school and partner consultancy that surrounds it.
Company One
International Studio of Innovation
An intimate school for ages 6–14 in the heart of Cascais. Three mixed-age studios: Studio One (Wonder), Studio Two (Venture) and Studio Three (Horizon). We are working with relevant organisations to ensure IB candidacy (PYP & MYP) and full licensing with the Portuguese Ministry of Education.
Cascais · Portugal
Company Two
DeMontaigne Life Design
Future-proof pathway design for families, schools and partners. Human-led, AI-supported. Independent, commission-free. Operating globally from Cascais.
Global · Cascais
PPPP™ · The Compass
How we think.
The proprietary PPPP™ framework, shared with DeMontaigne Life Design, orients every decision we make at ISI: from curriculum to community.
Purpose
What lights you up.
People
Who walks beside you.
Place
Where you feel at home.
Practice
How you show up daily.
From passion to daily practice, a continuous loop, never a checklist.
WEITS™ · Five pillars
What we grow.
Every skill for the future, soft and hard, baked in. The WEITS™ pillars run through the studios at ISI and the ecosystems at DeMontaigne alike.
Wellbeing
Emotional Literacy
How we eat, move, rest & belong.
Entrepreneurship
Financial Literacy
How we take risks & solve real problems.
Innovation
Design Literacy
How we stay curious & adapt to change.
Technology
Digital Literacy
How we connect, create & use AI ethically.
Sustainability
Systems Literacy
How we care for people & planet long-term.
PPPP™ & WEITS™ © Nichola de Montaigne · proprietary frameworks. Used at ISI Cascais under the founder's licence.
The shift
In a world flooded with information, trust is the currency.
When every child belongs, the community thrives. That is the philosophy, simple, durable, and the lens through which every choice at ISI is made.
6×
Misinformation travels six times faster than fact. — MIT, 2024
39%
of core workforce skills will change by 2030. — WEF
1 / 7
adolescents face mental-health challenges. — UNICEF / WHO
∞
A continuous loop of Purpose · People · Place · Practice.
An invitation
We would love to meet your family.
For families
Want to know more? Book a call with Nichola.
A relaxed conversation with Nichola, before anything is decided. Ask about the studios, the daily rhythm, the fees, or what your child would find here.
Every enquiry is answered personally, usually within two working days.