From October 2025, the five LittleHill Montessori campuses — Polofields, Thaba, Kikuyu, Fynbos (Cape Town), and The Huntsman (Cape Town) — have officially become part of the Dibber family, uniting under the Dibber name while maintaining a strong Montessori focus that families and educators have come to trust, says the Dibber group.

In this transition, Dibber will build on the Montessori foundation, enriching it through Dibber's Nordic pedagogy, an approach that celebrates emotional warmth, play-based learning and the holistic development of every child. Together, this creates a learning experience that reflects global best practice while remaining deeply personal, nurturing, and rooted in the local community, adds the group.

"This is first and foremost about children and the daily experience they have at school. Families will recognise the same faces and the same warmth. What changes is the name on the gate and the additional strength behind the school," says Ursula Assis, Managing Director of Dibber International Preschools South Africa.

It reflects the practical approach being taken on campus, with teaching teams remaining in place and daily life continuing without disruption. The Montessori curriculum, meals and fee structures remain unchanged. Starting in October, sites will carry the new identity, 'Dibber Montessori', and the branch name, adds the group.

"Dibber's heart culture is about relationships before routines. Montessori's respect for the child fits naturally with that. Our role is to create spaces where children feel safe, seen and ready to explore, while giving educators the support and tools to do their best work every day," adds Assis.

Estate partners and communities will also benefit from the transition. Dibber will assume school management while maintaining the existing staff teams, bringing the assurance of international best practice, ongoing staff development and strong quality systems and compliance, all while preserving the caring, Montessori-inspired environment that families value, says the group.

Dibber's South African growth sits within a global context. The group operates more than 600 high-quality preschools across ten countries, consistently focusing on nurturing every child's unique potential through warm relationships, purposeful play and meaningful learning, adds the group.

"Parents have told us they want continuity for their children and clarity about what matters day to day. That is exactly what we are safeguarding here by ensuring familiar teachers, predictable routines and a learning approach that honours every child, but now with the added resources of a global early learning family."

This evolution represents a thoughtful blend of Montessori's respect for the child as an independent learner and Dibber's conviction that every child is inherently valuable — a fusion that nurtures confidence, curiosity and compassion through relationships, joyful play and meaningful learning experiences, helping each child to grow with heart, purpose and a lifelong love of learning, says the group.

For more information, visit www.dibber.co.za. You can also follow Dibber International Preschools on Facebook, Linkedin, or on Instagram.

*Image courtesy of contributor