Our Curriculum

Our curriculum is not based on any one theory or style of learning, but formed from a number of educational ideals and theorists over the years. While they differ, they all highlight the importance of providing response care, opportunities for play, and positive relationships.  By understanding these theorists, we can tailor our approach to meet the needs of individual children and support their overall development.

Our environment has been inspired by Reggio Emilia to encourage relationships, communication, and collaboration through play. Equipment and provocations are thoughtfully incorporated to encourage creativity, problem-solving, and open-ended play.  The environment is important to us and considered the ‘third teacher’ allowing the children the opportunity to explore their interests, collaborate with other children openly, and learn from experiences both inside and outside. 

Taking inspiration from Jerome Bruner, we advocated for discovery learning, where the children actively participate in the learning process by exploring and manipulating objects, performing experiments, or engaging in trial and error. We immerse children in their learning and therefore,  instead of being told about volcanoes, children experiment with science projects to build volcanoes and watch them erupt.  We believe in the concept of ‘Spiral Learning’ which allows us to revisit ideas and concepts over the course of a child's time with us to build on and imbed the children’s knowledge over time.  Our journeys around the world see us visit eight different locations throughout the year, and are revisited each year, with the aim that each revisit consolidates previous learning and introduces new content that builds over time.  This is all supported by the practitioner, who scaffolds learning at the children’s own pace to support them to confidently develop new skills. We give the children information they need, but without organising for them.

A row of wooden blocks with animal illustrations and positive affirmations written underneath, displayed on a wooden shelf. Behind the blocks, children's books are visible, including a book titled "KALLALOO!" with a colorful cover featuring a girl at the beach and other illustrations.

Five to Thrive

To support the children’s emotional wellbeing and build to resilience, we practice the Five to Thrive (remove building blocks) approach, building a foundation of strength for each child through the Five to Thrive building blocks.

In knowing and understanding these building blocks, we are able to place an emphasis on positive reinforcement to foster an environment of positive relationships, confidence, and security. These blocks may sound simple, but they are a bridge between professional understanding of neuroscience and our everyday experience which helps to:Promote healthy brain development in children and young people

  • Promote healthy brain development in children and young people

  • Maintain healthy brain function through life

  • Support recovery from trauma

  • Build confidence and resilience

Two plush monsters, one pink with one eye and the other blue with two eyes, are placed on a bookshelf among children's books and artwork. The pink monster has the words 'WORRY MONSTER' on its front, and the blue monster has the same text.

Now and Next

We use bespoke Now and Next cards as a visual aids to support communication and break down instructions and daily routines into clear, manageable and understandable steps the children.

In breaking down information into palatable ‘chunks’  we can help support children’s working memory and can reduce cognitive overload. 

The children are encouraged to be included and involved in choosing the next cards, where appropriate, which supports transitions and allows them to complete tasks independently.