Our guiding sound with our pre-school & early years’ education is love and play. The young child requires a loving environment free from any pressure at all. It is in this context that we provide a structured and safe learning space where children will play and learn, explore and create, take part and persevere, solve problems and make friends. A stimulating environment, including our beautiful forest garden, supports the teachers’ planned activities and the children’s own initiatives for learning.
The John Scottus Curriculum is:
- Play-based – we understand that play is the child’s way of learning and of coming to terms with the world around them
- Nature-based – we blur the lines between the indoor and outdoor space, outdoor time is extensive, natural materials are
found throughout the indoor space, and classroom activities are based on seasonal happenings - Spiritual-based – we invite the children to connect with their inner self through mindfulness practices.
- Real Life and The Teaching of The Virtues – we explicitly teach the children life virtues such as Fearlessness, Gratitude, Attention, Perseverance and Kindness. We encourage children from as young as three to ‘meet the need’ and help take care of themselves and the world around them.