AGES 3–5 · KINDERGARTEN
Our kindergarten programme is built on play. Here a child learns to wonder, to try things out, and to be among others. Learning is not a task to get through — it becomes the favourite part of the day.
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OVERVIEW
Kindergarten is an important period in which both social and academic skills begin to develop. At this age a child meets more structured learning activities for the first time, and steps into the world of numbers, letters and sounds.
But the real subject of this year is not mathematics or reading. At this age a child is learning to wait their turn, to share a toy with a friend, to say what they feel when something upsets them, and to finish a task instead of leaving it halfway. These are the skills that will actually serve them in primary school and beyond.
Our job at this age is not to push a child, but to build a place where they feel safe and can show their curiosity without fear. A child who feels safe asks questions, tries, gets it wrong, and tries again. That is exactly where learning begins.
CLASSROOM FEATURES
These are not separate lessons. All of them are built into the day, and a child picks them up while playing. Below is what each one means and how it shows up in the classroom.
A child learns by playing. Building a tower of blocks works on balance and number; a shop game on buying, selling and talking; the sandpit on volume and measure. The activities look like fun, and behind each one there is a learning goal.
Waiting your turn, sharing, seeing that a friend wants something too, and settling a disagreement without hitting are the most important work of this age. Our teachers do not brush these moments aside; they use each one as a chance to teach something.
A young child does not learn by listening alone. They learn by touching, smelling, telling sounds apart and moving. Dough, water, sand, music, texture boxes and outdoor activities are permanent parts of the programme for that reason.
Vocabulary grows quickly at this age. Story times, rhymes, songs and circle conversations build a child's power to express themselves. We do not push the quiet child; we build the setting in which they want to speak.
Holding a pencil, using scissors, threading beads, doing up buttons and tying shoelaces all exercise the small muscles of the hand. These skills come into direct use the moment a child starts writing in primary school.
Sorting, matching, grouping, simple number work and cause-and-effect games strengthen the way a child thinks. The aim is not to have the right answer memorised, but for a child to get into the habit of finding their own solution.
What a child learns at school stays half-finished if it is not supported at home. Regular feedback, parent meetings and school events mean families are never left outside the process. You always know what is going on at school.
A DAY WITH US
The day is built on a rhythm a child can follow without tiring: from active to calm, from group work to working alone. For a young child, order means safety — knowing what comes next is what settles them.
Every child is greeted by name at the door. We talk together about what the day will bring. To make the moment of parting easier, we agree a routine with each family from the start.
The children sit in a circle and everyone gets a turn to speak. A story is read and questions follow. This part is the foundation of both language development and learning to listen.
Art, dough, blocks, music or work at the sensory table. A child chooses what interests them; the teacher guides but does not take over.
Free play and sport in the garden. Physical movement settles both a child's energy and their attention, and it has a direct effect on how well they focus indoors.
The day breaks for a quiet stretch. At the end we remember together what we did, and families get a summary of the day.
OUR METHOD
Our kindergarten programme is built on hands-on learning and discovery. Our teachers do not work from a single method; they keep a child's interest alive through group activities, games, small projects and one-to-one work.
No two children move at the same pace, and we do not expect them to. One child takes to numbers early, another is quicker to enjoy holding a pencil. Because we keep our classes small, the teacher can see that difference and support each child at their own pace.
Alongside this, activities such as sport and outdoor games help children develop physically and stay active through the day.
English supported by CLLC. As an optional programme, we offer English themes prepared with twenty years of experience from the Canadian Language Learning College (CLLC).
At this age English is not taught as a lesson. Through songs, games, stories and the repetitions of the day, a child comes to know the language by ear. The aim is not memorising words, but getting used to hearing and using a second language.
FOR FAMILIES
For most families, kindergarten is the first place a child goes without them. So we set out plainly, from the start, the things families ask about most.
The teacher knows each child individually. They are in a position to tell you what your child did that day, what they enjoyed, and where they found it hard.
Academic qualification is the starting condition. After that we look at how the teacher speaks to a child, at their patience, and at the way they read a child.
No two children settle into school in the same time. We do not leave a crying child on the grounds that they will get used to it; we build a transition plan that suits them, together with their family.
We share regularly how the day went. When something is on your mind, you do not have to wait until the end of term to reach the teacher.
When a child is angry or upset, we do not tell them it is nothing. We help them name what they feel, and make room for them to learn how to settle.
The classrooms, play areas and quiet corners were not designed to impress. They were designed so that a child is comfortable all day long.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We have gathered here the questions that come up again and again on campus visits. If yours is not here, please do ask us.
Settling in goes differently for every child; some are comfortable in the first week, others need a few weeks. We do not leave a crying child to themselves on the grounds that they will get used to it. We build a gradual transition plan together with the family, and adjust how long the child stays in those first days according to how ready they are. We stay in regular contact with you through this, because for a child to be settled, the family needs to be settled too.
No. In kindergarten we are not trying to prepare a child for an exam or for the next stage. Numbers, letters and sounds come up through play over the course of the day; there is no memorising, no testing and no homework load. We know that pushing a child early does not put them ahead — it makes them less willing to learn.
No, it is optional. A child who does not take the CLLC-supported English themes loses nothing from the rest of the programme. And for those who do take it, the aim at this age is not to teach a language but to get used to hearing and naturally using a second one. We work through songs, games and stories.
At the end of the day we share regular news of what your child has been doing. Beyond that, when something is on your mind you do not have to wait for an end-of-term meeting to reach the teacher. We treat parent involvement as part of the programme; your knowing what happens at school matters to us too, because your support at home completes the work done in the classroom.
We keep groups small by choice. The reason is simple: so that the teacher can know every child individually. In a crowded class the quiet child goes unnoticed and the struggling child is spotted weeks later. In a small group, the teacher sees in the first few days what your child enjoys and where they need support. Please get in touch for the current number of places.
Filling in the application form is all it takes. We then call you and meet on campus on a day that suits you. On the visit you walk through the classrooms, meet the teachers and put your questions to them face to face. We would like to get to know your child at that meeting too; before anyone decides which school is the right one, we think meeting each other is the soundest way to start.
Our kindergarten places are limited. Once you have filled in the application form we call you and meet on campus on a day that suits you, walk through the classrooms together, and get to know your child together.