Early Childhood

Each class in our ECE has an experienced early years team dedicated to planning for the learning needs of individual children.

Our ECE Learning Communities contributes to a larger teaching team for each child. Our shared classroom and the range of open-ended experiences offered, enable children to work with and learn from all our teachers. It provides a multi-age classroom with 11 teachers that promotes respect and teamwork. It helps create a wonderful sense of belonging for everyone and helps teachers meet children's interests and needs, cohesively and purposefully.

As Early Childhood teachers, we understand and value the importance of learning through play. At YCIS, we utilise the "Development Matters" Early Childhood Curriculum Framework from the UK to guide our planning and practice and to reflect on achievements and goals.

• Playing

• Exploring

• Actively Engaging

• Creating

Each of the above is of high importance in our play-based curriculum. Our learning is visible through Learning Story Portfolios, Class Newsletters, and our Together Time Display Board.

We provide open-ended resources and props to engage children in various activities and play experiences. These experiences contribute to skill and knowledge across all developmental areas and provide a solid foundation for future learning as children move to our Primary School.

Children in our international Kindergarten in Beijing are immersed in a bilingual curriculum, where English and Chinese language skills are developed equally. Each class in our ECE has a fully qualified Chinese teacher and a Western teacher, allowing Eastern and Western cultures to meet in an efficient and engaging way in all day-to-day activities. The use and understanding of both languages are equally respected and evolve in each learning situation through play, routines, group learning, and conversation. In some instances, the children will be engaged in English, occasionally in Chinese and other times in both.

Children are encouraged to further develop language skills in their mother tongue, which will be supportive in enhancing confidence and skills in new language acquisition.

Collaboration between teachers, peers and families is the cornerstone of all our planning, learning and communications in the ECE.

All teachers share roles and responsibilities  regarding resources preparation, planning, and execution and working with all our ECE children. Students and teachers all work together to enhance learning opportunities. Ensuring each child’s voice is heard is at the heart of what we do.

There is also plenty of incidental collaboration and sharing between teachers during each day. In addition, a planning and reflection meeting takes place during a specific time to add depth and focus to this collaboration.

YCIS knows the profound responsibility it has to children and families. We value our partnership with parents and encourage their involvement in their child's learning journey.

In August 2015, our campus opened a newly renovated, purpose-built Early Childhood Centre. We use our modern, flexible learning spaces to meet the changing needs of children throughout the day. This flexible space has allowed us to introduce an innovative Learning Communities programme, where children can play and learn together in a multi-age group at the beginning of each school day.

"Together Time" is a highlight of our teaching and learning. Our shared space allows us to offer so many more opportunities than in a single classroom for children to:

• Observe

• Experiment

• Practise

• Socialise

Children benefit from opportunities to expand their social circle and develop relationships with other students and teachers through an extensive range of exciting new activities and play situations.

Children need a sense of where and with whom they belong. It is essential for young children to develop attachments with the important people in their lives, so our fundamental goal is to support each child to develop relationships with their teachers. In our ECE, each child feels safe, respected and valued. We offer routines that are purposefully consistent, predictable and reassuring.

This sense of belonging and confidence within our learning space offers essential connections for children as they engage with different people and learning experiences in their play.

We foster relationships with many peers and adults within our Learning Communities. By expanding the circle of each child's significant relationships, we also allow for opportunities for their development and learning.

We create more joyful experiences for the children.