The Founders’ Story

We founded the first English-language preschool, elementary school, and high school in Ostrava. We wanted a school where every child would have the chance to succeed and enjoy learning. We wanted a school where English would be spoken just as fluently as Czech, because we consider English to be a universal global language and believe it’s important to master it as early as possible—and, if possible, naturally—in an environment where English is used regularly and continuously. And that is exactly the kind of school we opened on September 1, 2005. Despite the fact that many people discouraged us at the time, Monty became the first preschool in Ostrava and the surrounding area where English was used as both the first and second language. We were convinced that if we taught children to use English and communicated openly and friendly, and if we worked diligently and with passion, we would succeed in creating an educational institution that met our vision.

We founded the first English-language preschool, elementary school, and high school in Ostrava. We wanted a school where every child would have the chance to succeed and enjoy learning. We wanted a school where English would be spoken just as fluently as Czech, because we consider English to be a universal global language and believe it’s important to master it as early as possible—and, if possible, naturally—in an environment where English is used regularly and continuously. And that is exactly the kind of school we opened on September 1, 2005. Despite the fact that many people discouraged us at the time, Monty became the first preschool in Ostrava and the surrounding area where English was used as both the first and second language. We were convinced that if we taught children to use English and communicated openly and friendly, and if we worked diligently and with passion, we would succeed in creating an educational institution that met our vision.

We devoted all our time, skills, and money to Monty, and thanks to the interest and trust of the parents, as well as the support of our region’s leadership at the time, we opened Monty School Elementary School in 2008, the first private English-language school in Ostrava and the entire region—a region where English was only just beginning to gain a foothold and where the first foreign companies related to the future development of the automotive industry were just starting to appear. Gradually, we filled all nine grades at our school. In 2008, we expanded our services to include a preschool group for children aged 1 to 3, as well as a unique preparatory program for children getting ready to enter first grade, known as Zero Class. Hundreds of children have passed through Monty since then, and many of them are now successful and happy adults of whom we are very proud. Since 2012, we have been located in our own building in Poruba. In 2017, thanks to support from the IROP, we were able to completely renovate the school, so we now teach in modern facilities and have access to a large playground and even our own spacious parking lot. Ten years later, in 2018, we were among the few at the time to successfully register our combined lyceum in the Ministry of Education school registry, thereby logically rounding out our educational offerings. We chose the lyceum model over the Czech gymnasium because, as time has shown, this type of school is gradually replacing general education at gymnasiums in the Czech education system with individualized study focused on specific academic fields. This will make it easier for students to choose their future studies at a university, or career and entrepreneurial opportunities. Our lyceum surpasses traditional high school programs in many areas, particularly in English instruction, the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, and preparation for college studies anywhere in the world. The first class began in the 2020–2021 school year. Today, we are proud of our graduates’ academic achievements and conduct, as they are well-educated, self-confident, decisive, and open to new challenges.

Monty School is not a typical conservative school, nor is it an alternative one. We do not use rigid methods, nor do we adhere to any particular educational ideology; instead, we take the best from all approaches. Common sense and effectiveness reign at our school. We are liberal; we respect all cultures, minorities, and differences, and we are constantly seeking new approaches. Our goal is to teach children as much as possible about the most important things they will need in life. We want our students to achieve outstanding academic results, but above all, we strive to ensure that they want to achieve these results of their own free will. We strive to avoid excessive stress and do not use authoritarian teaching methods; we do not punish, but rather motivate. Everyone should always know where they stand, what they know, and what they’re good at. We achieve this thanks to our outstanding teachers from many countries, who are dedicated and professional in their support of every student who studies with us. We are confident that we give children and students a head start not only in English and other subjects, but also guide them toward independence, expertise, and meaningful learning. We are proud that, based on all available nationwide standardized tests, we rank among the top 5% of schools with the best academic results in the Czechia! And also that we built our school without funding from more or less hidden investors. Thanks to this, we are completely independent, which we consider our greatest advantage over other private schools.

Even in our twenty-second school year, we personally tackle every challenge on a daily basis, resolve any issues immediately, improve and care for our school, and are always available to both children and parents. For 22 years now, we have strived to ensure that Monty School is truly considered “their own” by all those who work here, study here, and entrust their children to us.

Alexandra and Petr Vidlák