The British American Pre-School
BAPS classes accommodate children of four age groups:
Toddlers
(from 2 to 3 years old)
Nursery
(from 3 to 4 years old)
Transition
(from 4 to 5 years old)
Reception
(from 5 to 6 years old)
The curriculum used at BAPS is tailored to the developmental stage of each child. In the first three grades, Toddlers, Nursery and Transition we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage framework (EYFS), and in Reception the Key Stage 1 of the English National Curriculum is adhered to . Preschool is an exciting time, children begin new adventures and set out along the beginning stages of their path of learning, we aim to accompany them along their journey.
What is the Outdoor Classroom?
The goal of the Outdoor Classroom is simple: to increase the quantity, quality, and benefits of outdoor experiences for children.
The Outdoors is an Important Learning Environment. Learning takes place outdoors that doesn't occur indoors. It is important, then, that outdoor environments be as richly and thoughtfully equipped as indoor ones.
The importance of independent play
A fundamental principle of the Outdoor Classroom is children's right to initiate their own activities. Children need to explore, imagine, try new things, and learn alone or with friends. Ultimately, what any of us learns most deeply is what we have explored "by ourselves."
Children need physical activity. Physical activity is necessary for children's development and health. Open space offers children opportunities for big movement, vigorous social play, and explorations big and small. Their activities help them refine motor skills and teach them how the world works.
Developmentally appropriate activities
The term "developmentally appropriate" in the Outdoor Classroom means that activities always lie within children's capacity to handle them and are never forced on children. Developmentally appropriate practices are fundamental to effective learning and to the well-being of children..
Learn about the curriculum of BAPS classes
Learn about activities with BAPS specialists
PSYCHODYNAMIC PLAY THERAPY
Psychodynamic play therapy is a discipline that helps children make the body, emotions and cognitive area visible through movement and play. It allows children to work "hands-on" with their emotions: depending on their age, play allows them to project desires and imagination, interact with others and recognise themselves. By moving cubes, building houses, jumping on soft mattresses or dressing up, little ones build their social relationships and personalities. The Psychodynamic play therapy practiced in BAPS is educational and relational: it enhances expressiveness (play), communication with others (a sense of limits and listening) and creativity (proposing one's own play and recognising each other's plans). Children's body language reveals much more than what they are able to tell: little ones do not express themselves as we do, they tell about themselves mainly through body movements, revealing to the therapist feelings they cannot recognize, such as fear or anger.
BRUNO MUNARI
Creative learning is important for children of all ages, as it brings huge benefits to a child’s overall development. At the heart of Bruno Munari Method® is the didactic principle of “learning by doing", the teacher acts as a facilitator not telling the children waht to do, which is at the centre of Montessori’s philosophy as well. The Bruno Munari® BAPS Atelier calls for experimentation, researching and discovering autonomously. It is a method in progress, because it intends to leave plenty of room for creative action; this is the reason it was originally called Giocare con l’Arte (Playing with Art). It fosters the idea of Learning by doing. Each workshop is different and that stimulates personal curiosity and the attitude to research: ideas are born from the experiences and imagination of the little ones, who learn to express themselves by exploring different possibilities. Munari defined this method as an "active-scientific method”: from an early age children are invited to play freely to stimulate their creativity and their "creative design thinking". The British American Pre-School offers a wide art programme that stimulates children to make multi-sensorial experiences and to work with a large variety of materials and tools.
JOLLY MUSIC
Jolly Music is a multi-sensory music programme which incorporates singing, dancing and movement, to help children learn basic music skills such as: rhythm, beat, tempo, pitch, inner hearing and music memory. By using their body, an object or an instrument, they showcase the skill which they have learnt and have the chance to reproduce and perform it with the class, as a group, or individually. This gives children an outlet where they can build self-confidence and performance skills (which is very important in the EYFS framework and has been proven to help them across other learning areas in class). Following on, numerous studies have shown that music has an important influence on cognitive and sensory development in children and helps them to maintain focus and concentration, which is not limited just to music. Furthermore, with bilingual children who may not feel confident in both languages, music gives them a moment where they can communicate and express themselves naturally and freely.