ᐅNURSERY in WATERLOO, Brussels

Early Childhood Education in Waterloo, Brussels

At our leading kindergarten in Waterloo, children receive an outstanding education that lays the groundwork for a lifetime of learning and global achievement. We offer a comprehensive early childhood programme based on the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Reggio Emilia approach, fostering excellent outcomes in all learning areas.

Learners embark on a personalised educational pathway that promotes vital skills and qualities from an early age. At our Waterloo creche and preschool, we offer a stimulating early years programme that cultivates curiosity, creativity and future multilingualism and is led by specialists in early childhood education.

As they advance through our preschool programme, learners develop a strong foundation in academic, physical and emotional skills, ensuring a seamless transition into primary school.

Why Choose Our Kindergarten in Waterloo?

As a leading kindergarten in Waterloo, Brussels, our programme is guided by the principles of academic distinction and a commitment to unlocking each child's unique gifts. Supported throughout the creche and preschool years by our talented, dedicated early years teachers, our youngest learners nurture the tools they need to become confident, curious, lifelong learners.

For our youngest learners joining the crèche, we prioritise a smooth and comfortable transition from the home to the school setting. Our personalised learning approach, based on the world-renowned Reggio Emilia and IB PYP models, yields outstanding results among all ages and allows our students to take ownership of their learning. By providing an early foundation in multiple languages, moreover, we set the stage for future language learning and cognitive growth.

Our Waterloo kindergarten is equipped with all the best tools and resources for promoting excellence and boosting engagement at this stage. An inspiring range of extracurriculars, along with full English and French immersion, adds depth to the core curriculum, nurturing well-rounded, independent, multilingual learners.

Early Years Curriculum

Our early years teachers deliver a well-rounded curriculum based on the Reggio Emilia approach and the IB PYP framework. By combining these well-established and globally recognised educational models, we foster children's innate curiosity and promote academic and personal growth through collaboration, communication, play, exploration and negotiation.

This inquiry-based approach encourages children to ask questions, investigate their surroundings, and cultivate important competencies (e.g., problem-solving). Physical development is embedded in our programme, nurturing fine- and gross-motor skills, and learners enjoy plenty of outdoor time and immersion in nature.

An Engaging & Stimulating Environment

At our Creche and Preschool, children from 12 months to 5 years enjoy an outstanding space in which to learn, with purpose-built buildings and extensive grounds providing ample opportunity for them to explore and play.

Our dedicated and highly skilled practitioners ensure that classrooms and open areas offer stimulating opportunities for the holistic development of our students, in line with the Reggio Emilia Approach to education, which considers the environment to be a third teacher.

Kindergarten students have an active and healthy daily routine, with plenty of time for outdoor learning and play. Students take part in PE sessions to develop their physical fitness, which are part of our curriculum and under the guidance of our qualified coaches.

Our young learners enjoy a healthy nutritious lunch every day and teachers guide them as they learn positive eating habits and start to appreciate the social aspects of mealtimes.

A Purpose-Built Setting for Creche and Preschool

At our Waterloo kindergarten, we believe that the learning environment plays a crucial role in supporting the unique needs of young children. Our purpose-built early years spaces are designed to support all areas of child development, in line with best practices in early childhood education.

St. John's International School offers an unparalleled learning environment for our youngest students. Our spacious, purpose-built classrooms, engaging sensory play areas, and expansive outdoor playgrounds inspire wonder and support the developmental journey of each child, nurturing modern skills and an appreciation of nature. Children have ample opportunities to discover and explore outdoors, enjoy physical activity and quiet reflection, and engage with age-appropriate technology.

Dedicated Early Years Teachers

At our Waterloo creche and preschool, teachers leverage their exceptional knowledge and experience of the early years to help prepare children for future academic success while also nurturing their unique strengths and interests. Small teaching ratios (1:6 in EY1 and 1:7 in EY2) are additionally helpful in providing individual attention to each learner.

Every member of the early childhood teaching staff is dedicated to helping young learners achieve outstanding developmental outcomes through personalised learning. As enthusiastic early childhood specialists, they recognise the crucial role these formative years play in shaping lifelong learning attitudes. Whether in French or English, they support children's language fluency through natural, everyday interactions across all learning experiences.

Our early years teachers stay informed of the latest developments in early childhood education to implement policies that best support our learners' needs.

Languages in Our Kindergarten

As an international school, we place great value on language learning from the earliest years. Our aim is to develop confident, multilingual communicators who can express themselves easily in at least two languages. Our immersive language environment is designed to support rapid language acquisition at this early stage of development. We capitalise on young children's innate ability to acquire language with immersive, language-rich activities throughout the school day.

Children in our early years programme benefit from an exceptional multilingual environment: from the crèche through to preschool, learners participate in engaging daily activities conducted in both English and French. With our Dual Language Programme (DLP) available from the early years onwards, the majority of our students become bilingual and biliterate.

Extracurriculars in the Early Years

As part of their educational journey, our learners are empowered to develop their unique interests and cultivate a love of learning that extends well beyond the classroom. Our kindergarten offers various exciting activities and clubs to stimulate learners and cultivate talent across disciplines. Our goal is to deepen their engagement with learning through inspiring experiences that instil a passion for discovery and exploration, whether in sports, the arts or other areas, and develop their social skills and self-confidence.

Alongside our engaging early years programme, our learners can take part in the following:

Kid's Dance
Cooking Club
Kid's Gym
Lego Club

We also offer daily CUB Care, our 'garderie' or wraparound care which looks after students after normal school hours. This service is available to all children and runs from the end of the school day until 6PM.

Additional Information

Transportation

Families may access a convenient and reliable bus service during the school term. Offering a safe and comfortable option for daily travel, our bus routes serve neighbourhoods close to our kindergarten, the wider area around Waterloo and the greater Brussels region. This includes pick-up from your front door wherever possible.

We prioritise the safety and wellbeing of our youngest learners. Our high schoolers serve as bus monitors to ensure all students follow the rules on the bus and to help younger students when needed. Our bus coordinator can provide you with approximate pick-up and drop-off times for more specific locations.

Parent Involvement

We believe in the importance of strong home-school partnerships in early childhood education. Parents are encouraged to actively participate in their child's learning journey through regular communication with educators, participation in school events, and volunteering opportunities.

Explore Our Parent Groups

Discover the transformative impact a St. John's education can have on your child's life. To find out more about our Waterloo kindergarten, kindly complete an Enquiry Form.

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