Rivers State is no longer regarded as an educationally disadvantaged state. Rather, the state is seen as one of the topmost breeders of some of Nigeria’s most educated products.
This much have been attested to in the British Council supervised international examinations in both the Ordinary and Advanced Levels (Cambridge). Most times, schools from Rivers State snatch the topmost positions in scores. Products of schools in the zone have topped classes in universities around the world with First Class and Valedictorians.
One of the private schools credited in this revolution is the Bereton Montessori school group, which now has two top secondary schools, and more in the offing.
Some 48 years ago, Victoria Diete-Spiff, now a chief, allowed her dream to translate into action by spilling into a unique type of school called the Montessori school system. A Montessori school is indicated as a ‘child-centered learning space where students guide their own education using hands-on materials rather than following a fixed, teacher-led curriculum.’ The system is said to have been developed by Italian physician Maria Montessori in the early 1900s. This approach views children as naturally eager to learn and capable of independent discovery.
Thus, the Bereton schools believe that children can do it, if only they could be guided right and trusted fully.
The group 35 years ago set up a full boarding secondary school known as Charles Dale Memorial International School in Port Harcourt. Many feats and brains are said to have come out of this experiment.
Celebrating the anniversary which began on Thursday, September 3, 2026 at the Old GRA section of the Garden City, the management reeled out the impacts of the group so far.
Impact:
Speaking, Ayotomi Fasuyi, the Principal of the international school, said at Bereton, they do not simply teach children. ‘We watch them grow into the people they become long after they leave our gates.’
Rivers State (including the area now known as Bayelsa State), was created in May 1967, and by 1978, just 11 years later, the Bereton education system was born. Since then, she said, Bereton has raised what is now several generations of Nigerians. ‘One story we are especially proud of is that of Agbani Darego, who studied with us from 1985 to 1993 and went on to become the first African woman crowned Miss World, in 2001.’
She said Agbani’s journey reminds them that the confidence and discipline a child builds in a classroom can carry them all the way to a world stage.
She mentioned other top stars that have emerged from Bereton, including Aaron Brown Christopher, Samuel Ajoku, Peace Shaibu George Nwabugwu, Roberts Ivana and, most recently, Daisy Kpoudosu. ‘Some 48 years on, Bereton’s real legacy is not printed on a certificate. It lives in the confidence our students carry with them long after they have left us.’
Elfrida Diete-Spiff Omole, executive director, Bere-Mont group
Elfrida Diete-Spiff Omole, executive director, Bere-Mont group
The difference:
So what, at its core, makes a Bereton education different?
The Principal said it begins with the school’s motto, Diligence and Excellence, and the values built into every part of school life. ‘Dedication, teamwork, integrity, meritocracy, excellence, and diligence are not words we hang on a wall. They shape how our teachers teach, how our students are guided, and what we expect of every child who walks through our doors.
‘Our mission has always been to produce the total child, sound morally, socially, spiritually, physically, technologically, and academically, because we believe education must go beyond examination results.
‘That is why, alongside a rigorous academic programme, our students are exposed to coding, robotics, and digital literacy from an early age, why they compete in hackathons and score as high as 960 out of a 1000 in Microsoft Office certification, and why they are just as likely to be found at a chess board, in a swimming pool, on a golf course or in an art gallery as they are in a classroom.’
One of their students has claimed gold medals in both the junior and senior categories of the Port Harcourt Club Swimming Competition, and their teams have brought home championships in golf and chess alike.
Fasuyi stated: ‘None of this happens without the right environment around it. Bereton offers guidance and counselling, health centre support, science and language laboratories, smart classrooms, leadership and enterprise development, global pathway and community service programmes, sports and vibrant alumni base excelling across major cities in the world.
No room for exam fraud:
Bereton is known around Nigeria especially in the Niger Delta as a school that maintains a clear commitment that there is no room for examination malpractice on their campuses, across both our Old GRA and Stadium Road locations. ‘Every child is known, supported and gently pushed toward their own version of excellence.
‘That, in the end, is the Bereton difference, and the Bere-Mont difference. Roots deep enough to hold a child steady, and an environment rich enough to give them real wings to fly into prosperity.’
Sound education products in the making
Sound education products in the making
How PH young scholars find pathway to global academic excellence
Port Harcourt began to make waves across Nigeria and in the Western World, and much of this came from the Charles Dale experience. ‘I would say it is the breadth of what a single child can access under one roof.
‘It begins, of course, with the Academic, our blended Cambridge and national curriculum that prepares students for both Nigerian and international pathways. But we go further.
‘Through our Vocational offerings, students build practical, hands-on skills alongside their academic work, and our iSTEAM programme brings science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics together in a dedicated lab, the same programme that has carried our students to gold in Rome, the Netherlands and Spain.’
The school takes leadership just as seriously. ‘Through ‘the Leader in Me framework’, ‘the Duke of Edinburgh Award’ and our ‘NISSMUN Model United Nations’ experience, students learn to lead long before they graduate.
‘Our Enterprising strand nurtures the entrepreneur in every child, teaching them to spot opportunity and build something from it. And because a whole child needs more than intellect, our ‘Spiritual and Wellbeing’ programme nurtures character, faith, and emotional health alongside academic growth.
‘We also walk each student through a clear Pathway, guiding them from their earliest years toward the university course or career that fits who they are becoming. Community Service keeps our students rooted in the world beyond the school gate, while our Sporting programme, strengthened by our new partnership with YAFA (the Youth Arise Football Association) gives every child a place to test discipline and teamwork on the field.
‘And when a Charles Dale student graduates, they do not disappear. They join a growing ‘Alumni Base’ of doctors, engineers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and creatives who remain part of this family, proof that what we build here does not end at graduation. It simply continues, out in the world.’
35 years of legacy – Elfrida Diete-Spiff Omole
The dream had convictions, now known as ‘The Bereton Convictions’, a story that Elfrida Diete-Spiff Omole, the executive director of the group, said began even before Bere-Mont itself. The conviction is that every child deserves an education that does not just fill the mind, but shapes character, nurtures talent, and prepares them to stand confidently anywhere in the world.
She stated thus: ‘From that foundation, our growth has been deliberate. In 2006, we expanded further, establishing Charles Dale Memorial International School to extend our reach into international-standard education. Then Bereton Montessori Secondary School in 2017. And more recently, Camp Global joined the family in 2024, bringing new dimensions of experiential learning to our children.’
Victoria Diete-Spiff: Managing Director speaks on vision and community service
Victoria Diete-Spiff, a chief, talked about many visions and how these were not meant to be meant to stay within their walls. ‘Over the years, Bere-Mont has extended scholarships to deserving children, invested in community initiatives, and carried out corporate social responsibility programmes that reach beyond our student population.
‘Through educational outreach, we have contributed to raising standards not just within our schools, but across Rivers State and beyond; because we believe our responsibility to this community goes further than the children in our classrooms.
Where they are today:
The MD went on: ‘Today, Bere-Mont Group stands as a family of three institutions and campuses, offering a full spectrum of education from the earliest years through secondary school. Our students grow through robust academic programmes, strong development in character and skill, and international exposure that prepares them for a global stage. The achievements we celebrate today reflect where we currently stand and they set the direction for the strategy we continue to pursue.
The future:
‘But we are not here only to look back. Bere-Mont’s future is one of deliberate expansion, deeper digital transformation across our schools, new educational programmes designed for the world our children will inherit, continued investment in the people who work with us, and stronger partnerships (locally and internationally) that will keep widening the horizons available to every Bere-Mont child.’
Birth of ‘Mobile Crèche and Event Childcare Services’
Always looking ahead, the MD seems to see where childcare is headed to. A society dominated by child-bearing couples would need early childcare of top levels. Thus, she thinks the future now takes them beyond their own classrooms. ‘Bere-Mont is now offering education consulting services – to local and international schools, to state and national ministries of education, and to other education providers looking to expand or enter this market – drawing on 48 years of hard-won experience to help build what we ourselves once had to build from scratch. And to support the families who trust us with their children, we are launching our Mobile Crèche and Event Childcare Services, extending the same quality of care our children know, to wherever families need it most.
The human story:
The human story is what the MD wants the nation to think about. This story came from a question – what has Bere-Mont contributed to the lives of the people who have passed through it over these 35 years. ‘What do we intend to contribute over the next 35? That is the true measure of who we are. It is not buildings, nor certificates, but lives shaped, futures opened, and a legacy that continues to grow roots and give wings, one child at a time.’
Puzzles in education sector: answers from team leads:
Gabriel Ezeka, Head of Secondary School, gave hints from Bereton Montessori early years, primary and secondary school, that tend to answer many questions about the gaps that the Bereton system has filled in the Niger Delta.
He said the vision and belief shaped a curriculum enriched with Cambridge content and aligned with the examinations their children actually sit for, from BECE and WAEC to IGCSE, SAT and IELTS.
Looking back some 48 years, most assessors could see the education levels of the Niger Delta, a time when the region was classified as ‘educationally disadvantaged’. The founders seemed to want to bring the Port Harcourt educational zone at par with the Lagos zone, known as the most advanced zone.
It was true that top level workers in the oil industry were bringing their families over to Port Harcourt, attracted by the exploding hydrocarbon industry. The visioner saw her job cut out for her. Now, the 35 years seem to have afforded her the opportunity to look back at the 48.
Though the asset value of the group and the total number of children that have passed through their gates were not available, testimonies at the anniversary seemed enough to show that the mission must have been accomplished. Reports indicate that no part of the intellectual world around the globe is bereft of the Bereton footprint.
Over the years, public schools seemed to have collapsed totally, with most rural schools having very few teachers. Schools such as the Bereton group are said to have remained the pillars of education in the oil region, trapping back many that would run abroad.
They have also formed the bridge between those that school abroad and the ones from poorly funded rural school systems. This thus helps Nigeria achieve a moderate education standard because many say the Bereton scholars usually shock top universities abroad.
Bereton is thus known to have helped to ward off the consuming fire that comes from exam fraud and cultism. The fire is seen to be ravaging schools in Nigeria, but the likes of Bereton lead the few schools that have stood against this menace.
Names above names:
Ejike Onyeke captures the essence of Bereton formula
Ejike Onyeka, team lead of brand, business and communication, seemed to capture the Bereton essence in his opening remarks at the anniversary press conference. He talked about names that seem to stand above others and become part of a society’s memories. ‘For many of us, Bereton is one of those names.
‘If you grew up in Port Harcourt, you probably knew Bereton as a name associated with quality education, discipline, excellence and a strong foundation for life. Some of us had the privilege of attending ‘Bereton Early Years and Primary School’. Some went through Secondary School. For others, it was our siblings, friends, children or people we knew who passed through its classrooms.
‘And then there is Charles Dale Memorial International School, another highly regarded institution that has established itself among the leading schools in Nigeria. These are names many of us know. We know the schools.’
He pointed out: ‘We know the students. We know the achievements. We know the reputation. But there is something many people may not have known. There is an organisation behind these institutions. An organisation that has provided the corporate structure, strategic leadership and business management through which the education enterprise and other interests have been developed and managed. That organisation is Bere-Mont Nigeria Limited, now Bere-Mont Group Limited.’
He maintained that the schools are where the education happens. ‘Bere-Mont is the parent organisation providing the broader corporate and strategic framework that supports the institutions and the group’s other interests. And that is why this 35th Anniversary is significant. It gives us an opportunity not only to celebrate a milestone, but also to tell a bigger story: A story about institution building. A story about education. A story about people and generations. And a story about a parent organisation whose name may not be as familiar to the public as the institutions it oversees, but whose journey is deeply connected to them.’