Our approach
Jump to:
The concept
Our approach is based on the three pillars of Integration & Inclusion, the Diversity and the Montessori Education.
We have All children are welcome, including those with special needs! We want to organise our provision in such a way that every child – with or without a disability – feels at home here.
All our staff therefore play a part in bringing inclusion to life here.
Inclusion means that every person is a natural part of the community. It doesn’t matter what they look like, what language they speak, or whether they have a disability or impairment. We are open to the needs of every child.
Together, let’s foster a positive attitude towards Inclusion create. In doing so, we are implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities within our organisation, which calls for children to participate in social life on an equal footing.
Inclusion is a human right – and our organisation is committed to it.
The concept behind our international nursery – Kay International Pre-School – and our educational programme are based on the requirements of the the English curriculum for early years education (Early Years Foundation Stages). This curriculum covers education in 6 learning areas.
Free play and creativity
The pre-school day begins at 07:30 and includes a balanced selection of stimulating activities both inside and outside our premises. The morning begins with free play based on the principles of Montessori Education, with the children being free to choose their own games and playmates as they see fit. These may include table-based games and activities, such as jigsaw puzzles, crafts, drawing, or card and board games. Meanwhile, the nursery teachers can make valuable observations, particularly regarding the child’s social skills, conflict resolution abilities, cooperative behaviour and ability to work in a group. (formative learning assessment)
Circle time and group learning activities
After the daily „Tidy-up“ – our joint tidying session, which begins with our „Tidy-Up Song“ – we move on to the circle time, during which the individual groups, either together or separately, engage in metacognitive discussion about the topic of the day and their shared learning, i.e. the children are actively involved in the day’s events (proactive learning). This is followed by a series of learning activities in one of the 6 learning areas, with the groups being divided according to the children’s stage of development. The pre-school day also features music and singing, storytelling, movement exercises, playing in the garden, craft activities and table-top activities. Some activities, particularly those that Reading and spelling skills and that mathematical and logical thinking To support this, the groups are divided according to each child’s stage of development, with age not necessarily being the deciding factor. It may therefore be the case that a „Caterpillar“ child is already at the „Butterflies“ level in one learning area, and vice versa. The focus here is on the Internal differentiation is a priority, so that every child can make the most of their potential. For children who stay beyond 1.00 pm, there are further learning activities such as storytelling, role-play and table-top exercises. Our pre-school day currently ends at 4.30 pm.
Additional services
However, we can also offer longer childcare hours. An important part of our day-to-day work is ensuring that parents are kept fully informed about our work with the children.
In addition, parents receive the Weekly Planner and every month our Newsletter with up-to-date information about the activities at our nursery. To give our parents an insight into our work, we post photos and short videos of all our daily activities on our private CLUSTER app, which is accessible only to parents. Parents can download the photos and videos and compile them into photo books. In addition, we organise two events a year at our nursery: our Summer Play with a graduation ceremony and our Christmas Play..
Parent-teacher meetings are held at regular intervals, and parents can arrange a meeting at any time, even at short notice, to discuss their child’s progress.
Health in nursery school
At our pre-school, we place great importance on health, a balanced diet and a mindful approach to food. This also includes physical activity, stress management, good hygiene and psychosocial well-being.
These include a a balanced, shared lunch with plenty of fruit, hand-washing and general hygiene lessons, free play and running about in our large garden, our „Forest Day“ with long walks in the woods, and our numerous outings.
Health and health-promoting rituals in our pre-school:
- Hygiene measures before eating
- Wearing clothing suitable for the weather conditions
- Learning good hygiene habits: coughing and sneezing into the crook of your arm
- Turn your head away when sneezing and blowing your nose
- Practising independence when using the toilet
Children develop an awareness of health and hygiene through role models and through their own experiences and actions. That is why this teaching cannot simply stop at the nursery door. Hygiene and health education takes place countless times in our nursery, sometimes without us even realising it.
Health and hygiene education is a shared responsibility between nursery staff and parents. The content we provide for the children at our nursery cannot, and is not intended to, replace the education provided by parents.
Learning English
Our language acquisition approach is based on the The principle of immersion, where English is used as the medium of everyday communication. Our native-speaking teachers ensure that children acquire the English language naturally and authentically.
Learning English through immersion means „immersing yourself in the language“.
This methodology can be empirically substantiated the most intensive and successful methodology for early childhood language acquisition.
Our child-centred early years education approach views education and upbringing as a process through which the children entrusted to our care form their own understanding of the world.
We provide the children with secure relationships, a listening ear and communication, as well as opportunities to interact with other children, as the foundation for their educational journey.