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Founder's Experience

A Global Track Record

Over 20 years of leadership across 6 countries, 4 continents, founding schools, designing ecosystems, and pioneering human-led AI in education.

MA International Education (Leadership & Management), University of Sunderland
BSc (Hons) Developmental Psychology, The Open University
PGCE (Initial Teacher Training), University of Sunderland
Advanced Diploma in Mental Health & Distress, The Open University
Diploma in Child & Youth Studies, Lincoln University
Certificate, Teaching of Synthetic Phonics & Dyslexia, Direct Learning Ltd
International Baccalaureate Diploma, St. Dominic's International School
Foundation Studies (Art & Design), Surrey Institute of Art & Design
Harvard Project Zero, Playful Learning, Harvard University
The Science of Learning, edX (Harvard & MIT)
OECDUNESCOWorld Economic ForumHarvard GSEStanford d.schoolMIT Media LabLEGO FoundationAshokaCASELP21ISTEUN SDGs
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Nichola de Montaigne, founder of ISI Cascais and international educator

Nichola de Montaigne

Founder & Founding Head

EntrepreneurWomen in TechEdTech InnovatorMother of Three

Cascais, Portugal · Global

British-born in Saudi Arabia, raised in Cascais. A background in psychology, seeing the child as an individual, she has also been in international education as teacher, leader and entrepreneur, with over two decades of working with children and advising families globally, designing ecosystems that connect the right people, places, and purpose, so communities thrive.

Creator of the proprietary PPPP™ and WEITS™ frameworks. Pioneer of inclusive education, human-led, AI-supported life design across Europe, Asia and Latin America. A woman in tech building agentic AI that connects what everyone needs, vetted, verified, human-led. Has worked and lived in the UK, Brazil, China, the Philippines and is now continuing her journey back home in Portugal where she truly wants to make a difference to make sure every child feels a sense of belonging, so the community thrives.

“For the first time in history, we can see every child, at scale.”

Credentials

Two decades. One trajectory.

Tap any section to explore the detail behind the work.

The invitation

When every child belongs, the community thrives.

That is the philosophy, simple, durable, and the lens through which every choice at ISI is made.

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.

Book a Call with NicholaStart the Conversation on WhatsApp

Every enquiry is answered personally, usually within two working days.

How we measure our success

Academic excellence.
Never compromised.

We can only learn when we are willing to take risks, and we can only take risks when we feel confident and known. That is why belonging and rigour are not opposites at ISI. Academic excellence is a key driving indicator of how we measure our success as a community.

Curiosity is what we light first. Our unique PPPP™ compass, Purpose, People, Place and Practice, is how we keep learning relevant, meaningful, significant and challenging for every child, so rigour is felt as wonder, and challenge becomes something children learn to meet with growing skill, stamina and confidence.

01

Rigour, never compromised

High expectations in literacy, numeracy and conceptual understanding for every child, assessed against international IB-aligned standards and tracked with evidence over time.

02

Strengths first

We begin with what a child can already do. Strengths-based teaching is linked to higher engagement, persistence and achievement, so we build from strength towards stretch.

03

Courage to take risks

Learning happens at the edge of what we know. Children who feel safe to be wrong attempt harder problems, and mistakes become information, not judgement.

04

Confident lifelong learners

Self-efficacy is one of the strongest predictors of achievement. We measure growth in what each child can do, and in how confidently they choose to keep learning.

Research · Bandura on self-efficacy · Hattie, Visible Learning · Seligman & positive education on strengths-based practice · Dweck on learning from mistakes

Our Mission

When the Child Belongs, the Community Thrives.

Three commitments

Three commitments that bring ISI Cascais and DeMontaigne Life Design together.

“We hold one standard above all others: that every child belongs, deeply, visibly, and before anything else is asked of them. Three studios, flexible ages, one question that guides every decision: does this genuinely serve the child, the family, and the wider community, over time?”

Wellbeing · Belonging

Inclusion Specialists

Two decades in international education, developmental psychology and life design. Neurodiversity, wellbeing and belonging are not add-ons, they are the foundation of how we teach.

Our philosophy

Design · Innovation

Individual Pathways

We bring the PPPP Compass (Purpose, People, Place, Practice) that clearly aligns and charts each learner's individual pathway from ages 6 through 18+. Growing slowly, with intention.

How we learn

WEITS™ Framework

Future-Proof Learning

Wellbeing, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Technology, Sustainability: the five literacies that travel across unknown futures. Human-led. AI-supported. Concept-based.

Explore the curriculum

In partnership with DeMontaigne Life Design ↗