Free play
Interest corners, blocks, dolls and books. The child chooses what to play with and with whom, while an adult stays close by.
About us
Teaching concept
Exploring the world through all the senses, an individual approach to each child and everyday play with English.
What we believe
- Children learn through play, movement, music and art.
- Every child develops at their own pace.
- The adult walks beside the child, not ahead of them.
- A sense of safety is the foundation of everything we do.
How children learn
Six roads to knowledge
A child explores the world with their whole body. Every sense and every movement is a road to knowledge, so our play combines several at once.
Sight
Colours, shapes and light. We observe nature, sort, compare and look for differences.
Hearing
Music, rhythm, songs and stories. We learn to recognise sounds and to listen to others.
Touch
Sand, clay, cotton wool, soft and rough textures. We discover the world with our hands.
Smell
Scents of herbs, flowers and fruit. We learn to name what we smell.
Taste
New flavours at the table and the first healthy eating habits.
Movement
Balance, coordination and play in the garden and indoors.
Play
Play comes in many forms
Play is not a break from learning. It is its most important form, and every day the children play in several different ways.
Themed play
Shared stories and projects: a shop, a doctor's surgery, a journey, a spring garden.
Outdoor movement
Play outdoors and walks. When the weather keeps us in, movement happens in the playroom. Children run, jump and learn balance.
Music and rhythm
Songs, dance and rhythmics twice a week.
Art and drama
Painting, modelling, collage and theatre. Children create, rather than copy ready-made patterns.
English in play
Names of toys, animals and everyday actions in English, woven into games the children already know.
From nursery to school
A child's path through our centre
The nursery and the kindergarten share one building in Podolany, Poznań. Children get to know the kindergarten space before they start there.
- 1–3 years
Nursery
First steps in a group. Permanent carers, sensory play, rhythmics and first words in English.
- 2.5–6 years
Kindergarten
Educational and developmental classes, daily English with a lector, corrective gymnastics and theatre.
- The next step
School and beyond
Curious, independent children who are open to others. That is how we want them to leave us.
How we plan
Every plan starts with observation
We do not set the whole year's activities in advance. We start from what we see in the children, and we always come back to observation.
Observation
- 1
Observe
We notice what the children are interested in, what makes them happy and where they need support.
- 2
Plan
On that basis we design play and classes for the whole group and for individual children.
- 3
Act
We run games and classes indoors, in the garden and on walks. When something does not work, we change the plan.
- 4
Reflect and share
The team discusses its observations, shares them with parents and goes back to observing.
A day in the nursery
Rhythm of the day: movement and calm in turn
Children need energy and rest in turns. So after active play comes a meal and a nap.
- Play
- Calm
- Movement
- 17:00–8:30
Arrival and free play
Free play indoors, finishing with morning gymnastics.
- 28:30–9:30
Breakfast and washing
Breakfast, morning routine and health habits.
- 39:30–11:00
Classes and outdoor play
Educational classes and speech support, then play outdoors.
- 411:15–12:00
Soup and hygiene
A meal, drinking water and health routines.
- 512:00–14:10
Story, nap and lunch
A story and rest, followed by a two-course lunch.
- 614:30–15:30
Indoor play and afternoon snack
Free play indoors, then an afternoon snack.
- 715:30–17:00
Movement, music and pick-up
Movement games, music, dance and songs until the children are collected.
A schematic view based on the nursery daily schedule. The full timetable is on the daily schedule page.
Principles
How we work in groups
Every group works by a few simple principles. Open a principle to see what stands behind it.
Familiar people in every group
Each group is run by three adults. Children always have someone they know, and parents know who to ask.
Safety comes first
Carers and teachers look after the safety of every child. We describe our child protection rules in a separate document.
Child protection policyEvery child at their own pace
We pay attention to each child's needs, temperament and strengths and weaknesses. Every child joins the group at their own pace.
Parents kept in the loop
We share what we see in the group and ask what happens at home. Together we look for what will help the child.
Get in touchEnglish every day
In the nursery, the language appears in daily play with a carer who is a lector. In the kindergarten, a lector works with every age group.
See how we teach English
Terms
Words we use
- Adaptation
- Gradual getting used to a new place, group and carers. In the nursery, classes also serve as an introduction to the kindergarten.
- Free play
- Play chosen by the child. The adult observes and supports, but does not steer how it goes.
- Multisensory learning
- Learning through sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste and movement all at once.
- Lector
- A person who leads classes in English. In the nursery, some of the carers are English lectors.
- Rhythmics
- Classes with music and movement in which children learn rhythm, listening and coordination. They take place twice a week.
- Observation
- Careful watching of how a child plays, speaks and makes contact with others. It is the basis of our work plan.
See how it works day to day
Our daily schedules show what happens in the nursery and the kindergarten hour by hour. We are happy to answer your questions and arrange a visit.