St. Lucia’s The Montessori Centre has once again lived up to its founding motto “We strive to be the best we can be,” turning in a historic performance on the 2026 Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) that cements its reputation as one of the region’s leading primary education institutions. Five students from the school secured spots in Saint Lucia’s overall top ten rankings, with 12-year-old Emerald Alfred claiming the highest score across the entire Caribbean region.
Alfred posted a staggering 99.2 percent on the high-stakes exit exam, outperforming thousands of test-takers across multiple island nations to claim the top regional and national title. Behind her, fellow Montessori student Angelina Chreiki earned third place nationally with a score of 98.8 percent, while Zuri Boodhoo, Danielle Farida and Newt Leonce tied for ninth place nationwide, each scoring 97.8 percent. In a remarkable coincidence, Alfred sat for her final exam on her birthday. Rather than distracting her from the test, she says the special occasion gave her an unexpected sense of calm. In an interview with St Lucia Times following the release of results, Alfred shared that she plans to build on this success as she pursues her long-term career goal: becoming a member of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
For school principal Myrtle Murray, the extraordinary results were far from a surprise. Murray credits the institution’s long-standing, progressive approach to CPEA preparation, which introduces core test-aligned concepts to students as early as first and second grade, rather than cramming instruction in the final year of primary school. The school was an early adopter of this integrated preparation model, launching it years before the COVID-19 pandemic. “We do not start CPEA in Grade Six. We start at the Grade One and Grade Two levels with simple components of the CPEA, and as the children get older, we include all the components,” Murray explained, adding that she was overjoyed by the cohort’s performance. “The children were very prepared.”
Grade Six lead teacher Ivan echoed the principal’s excitement, emphasizing that the results reflect the school’s commitment to personalized, student-centric learning. “Words can’t describe it. It’s an amazing feeling. I feel elated… I feel super, super proud of my students,” Peters said. He explained that the teaching team tailored instruction to match each of the 19 students in the cohort, recognizing that every learner has unique strengths, weaknesses, and preferred learning styles, and adapting instruction to nurture each student accordingly.
Parents of the high-performing students shared in the celebration. Jodi Boodhoo, father of ninth-place finisher Zuri Boodhoo, said he always expected his daughter would earn a spot at her chosen secondary school after two years of consistent hard work. “I was not nervous. She put in the work over the past two years and the averages held up. Based on the marks she was getting throughout the term, I expected her to get into the school of her choice. Tying for ninth overall, I’m excited, but there’s still a lot of work to be done when she gets to SJC,” he said.
Beyond the standout success of its five top-ranked students, the entire Grade Six cohort at The Montessori Centre outperformed the national average on the 2026 CPEA, and every student earned a placement at their first-choice secondary school. This most recent high-profile win adds to a long track record of academic excellence for the institution, which has repeatedly produced top-performing students across Saint Lucia and the broader Caribbean region. For Murray and her team, the 2026 results serve as further validation that early, consistent preparation and tailored, student-first education deliver meaningful, long-lasting results.