What is the Curriculum of the Early Learning Centre in Bangkok
The Early Learning Centre in Bangkok at Kensington International School is based on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). This is the approved pre-school programme at all schools in England and forms part of the British National Curriculum.
The Early Learning Centre in Bangkok creates a link between home life for pre-school aged children and the structured system of the British National Curriculum that these children will be entering when they reach the age of five.
Daily Curriculum
EYFS and the Early Learning Centre in Bangkok both take a different approach to a traditional kindergarten. The child is recognised as a thinking individual whose needs and interests form part of the daily lessons and activities.
There are four specific areas of development in Bangkok’s Early Learning Centre. These are literacy, expressive arts and design, mathematics, and understanding the world.
There are also three prime areas that comprise the fundamentals of development. These areas are personal, social and emotional development, communication and language, and physical development. These prime areas are exercised in lessons and activities in the four specific areas.
The four specific areas can be combined with each other as well. The flexibility and combining of disciplines and development areas creates an exciting and engaging daily atmosphere in which each child is encouraged to ask questions, explore a subject and develop their mind and body. Through activities and play, the students are taught that learning is fun and exciting.
Curriculum Based on EYFS Principles
The curriculum is mainly based on four principles of EYFS:
- Recognising the child as an individual who is capable of learning and developing into a confident and self-assured student. The commitments of the teachers focus on inclusion, safety, development and well-being.
- Providing loving and secure relationships with parents and teachers that support the child and treat them with respect and compassion. The school fosters a partnership with teachers and parents to ensure the child’s environment is consistent in its focus.
- Providing an environment that enables the child to explore their interests freely and encourages them to further their understanding of the world around them. This environment also acts as a place of observation and assessing the abilities of each child to prepare them for entry into a structured school environment.
- Learning and development used the above observations and assessments to ensure that each child gets the needed developmental help. Every child develops at a different rate. By focusing the curriculum on learning and development, the school ensures that each child is at a satisfactory level of development to enter Year 1 at five years of age.
The Centre has had great success in preparing the students of Kensington School to excel throughout their primary and secondary education. And just as importantly, the students are thoroughly engaged in their education and enjoy their classes because of the techniques and focus on the child as an individual instilled by Bangkok’s Early Learning Centre.