Curriculum

A child’s first two years are critical for the development of the brain and for language development. During this period, the child’s life experience plays a fundamental role in the “hard-wiring” of the brain, laying the foundation for all intellectual and emotional development to follow.

From birth, babies are busy, active learners, immediately investigating the sights, sounds, and feel of the world. Babies and toddlers are sensori-motor beings. They explore the world with their senses when developing motor skills. Long before they understand a concept like "under" or "far" with their minds, their bodies are learning to navigate the up and down, over and under of the physical world: their perceptions are sorting out sizes, colours, and shapes.

We provide babies and toddlers with what they need: a safe world, rich with opportunities to actively explore, with books, songs, and a lot of listening and responding to their vocalisations and words.

A child’s third year is a time of huge change: the experience is similar to adolescence in that it is transitional. In the same way that adolescence stands between childhood and adulthood, two year-olds are moving from the total dependence of babyhood to the more independent, mobile world of preschoolers. At this age children are exploring their powers to communicate, to move purposely, to assert their independence and individuality, and to control their important bodily functions.

We provide the manageable challenges and relaxed environment that two to three year olds need. Staff understand the frequent changes in moods, interests, and capabilities and provide calm, consistent care and supportive teaching.

As children move out of toddlerhood and into the independence of the preschool years the programme for learning develops into a more structured pace of meaningful and purposeful learning, where children are encouraged to approach the world with curiosity and with a positive disposition to learn. At this stage children need confidence and the skills and desire to think for themselves, to solve problems, to work with others, to communicate, and to gain an increasing understanding of the world and how it works.

Our programme for learning is designed to lay the pedagogical foundations that prepare every child to:

• Be ready to read: confidently equipped with the desire, vocabulary, and language-deciphering skills they have developed through experiences that are meaningful to them.
• Approach the world with curiosity and the knowledge and skills that lead to success in maths and science: a growing interest in the properties of things and the relationships and forces that exist in the natural world.
• Use their social skills to perform in a school classroom: listening skills, self-discipline, patience, and discipline for the task, ability to work with others, and ability to solve problems.

Our Preschool programme for learning builds on the children’s knowledge and skill base, learning style, and interests. Through a rich variety of projects children investigate the fascinating world in which they live, which enhances the development of emerging knowledge and skills. A balance of child-initiated and adult-planned guided learning across key areas of learning are provided for throughout the day.