Ethos and objectives
We like to think of ourselves as a happy, dynamic pre-school where children are inspired and parents’ participation adds to the strong sense of community, high standards of behaviour and outstanding development of our pupils.
Within a caring and structured environment, our children are inspired to become curious about the world around them and are carefully prepared for the primary cycle by creative teaching staff who encourage them to enjoy all aspects of life and learning.
Curriculum
Pre-school education is a fundamental to life-long learning and its purpose is to support children’s growth into responsible, moral members of society. Teaching and learning in these early years support and monitor pupils’ physical, psychological, social, cognitive and emotional development by providing the best possible opportunities, experiences and learning environment.
Learning in the early years is holistic with a strong focus on learning through play and the encouragement of exploration and experimentation appropriate and meaningful to young children.
Our bilingual parallel classes follow the Early Education Curriculum of the European Schools, which consists of four main areas: Me and my body, Me as a person, Me and the others and Me and the world. The curriculum recognises that each child develops at his/her own pace and we respect all our pre-school children as individuals. Opportunities are available for the teaching of mother tongues other than the language of the section.
With our well-equipped pre-school being located in the heart of the campus, we are able to include healthy outdoor play and environmental education throughout the year. We take advantage of the wide range of opportunities that the seasonal changes in the natural world have to offer. Teachers also organise events that connect the lives of the children to events in wider society and in their home cultures.
Collaboration
Our pre-school is a multi-linguingual and multi-cultural environment. The pre-school parallel classes have joint events, work together on specific projects and also take part in events within the whole school. We aim to provide a smooth transition for our pre-schoolers into the primary classes and thus there is plenty of collaboration between the pre-school and primary classes and teachers.
Parental Involvement
We encourage and welcome the support and involvement of our parents in the life of the pre-school and hope to form a supportive and beneficial partnership between home and school where the child is always our priority. There is an ongoing informal exchange of information between parents and staff on a daily basis when appropriate, so that any difficulties can be addressed and achievements recognised.
Written reports on the children’s progress are provided at the end of the autumn and spring terms. There are also opportunities to discuss your child’s progress at the individual parent-teacher meetings that take place twice a year.
Parents are always welcome to discuss any areas of concern with the nursery staff. Our pre-school is a place where children can enjoy positive learning experiences, develop confidence and grow in a healthy, nurturing, happy environment.