1-3 Years Old
(8:00 AM to 1:00 PM)
Toddler
3-6 Years Old
(8:00 AM to 3:30 PM)
Primary
Our Toddler Program wlecomes a small community of 15 toddlers that gathers five mornings a week in a nurturing environment. Through hands-on daily activities, they collaborate, build essential skills, and develop independence with confidence and purpose. As they engage in meaningful, real-life tasks, they grow in self-sufficiency while also forming their earliest relationships beyond the family, fostering a deep sense of community and belonging.
Children can enter the Toddler community as soon as they are able to confidently walk.
In the early years of life, children are shaping the core of their personality, character, and mindset—foundations that will influence them into adulthood. Within the Toddler Community, they naturally develop skills such as decision-making, perseverance, self-discipline, and empathy. These qualities are not directly taught but emerge organically in a mixed-age setting, guided by caring adults who deeply understand child development and foster a nurturing, supportive environment
From the moment they enter our Toddler Community, children are encouraged and given the tools to do for themselves, fostering independence, confidence, and resilience. Through real-life activities like sweeping, food preparation, self-care, dressing, setting the table, dishwashing, caring for plants, etc., they naturally fulfill their drive for autonomy and order while developing executive function and problem-solving skills, body awareness, and a sense of responsibility.
Toddlers learn through movement, refining both fine and gross motor skills as they engage in hands-on materials, real-world tasks, and outdoor exploration. Activities like puzzles, sewing, and pouring strengthen hand-eye coordination, while climbing, balancing, and forest walks support spatial awareness, coordination, and confidence. This integration of movement and cognition builds physical competence, self-regulation, and focus, setting the stage for academic and life success.
During this critical period for language development, toddlers are immersed in a language-rich environment with conversations, songs, poetry, and storytelling in English, with exposure to French and Portuguese. Using books, picture cards, and hands-on materials, children expand their vocabulary, strengthen communication skills, and develop early literacy foundations. By learning to express themselves, they gain confidence, emotional intelligence, and a deeper connection to those around them.
Elementary
6-12 Years Old
(8:00 AM to 3:45 PM)
As your child approaches the age of 3, they become ready to join the Primary Program and a new environment, the Children's House.
Our Primary Program (8:00 AM to 3:30 PM) provides a dynamic and enriching learning environment for 25 children, expertly blending hands-on, mastery-based education deeply rooted in child development. with meaningful outdoor experiences that support both academic and personal growth. Within this multi-age community, children progress at their own pace, moving from letter sounds to fluent reading and writing, understanding quantity before moving to place value and the decimal system and exploring further advanced mathematical concepts such as fractions and geometry. More than academics, the program nurtures emotional regulation, self-mastery, teamwork, leadership, and independence, fostering a deep respect for oneself, others, and the environment.
In the Children’s House, children are supported to think and act independently, developing collaboration, leadership, and respect for others’ work in a mixed-age community. They make intentional choices from a carefully sequenced range of activities, guiding their own learning and exploration. Learning progresses from the simple to the complex, with children grasping the whole before its parts, advancing at their own pace and following their interests. As their skills grow, so do their challenges, opening new pathways for discovery and contribution within the classroom community.
Within a clear yet flexible framework, children learn to follow classroom guidelines while also enjoying the freedom to explore. Extended, uninterrupted work periods let children immerse themselves in chosen activities, cultivating a remarkable ability to focus. With gentle guidance from teachers, they learn self-correction, self-discipline, and a steady rhythm of engagement that supports deeper learning across all areas.
The foundation of the curriculum lies in practical life activities, where children engage in purposeful tasks such as pouring, buttoning, cleaning, and caring for their environment. Through these activities, children steadily strengthen both gross and fine motor skills. Empowered to do things for themselves, they gain confidence, exercise greater control of their will, and actively build the focus and self-reliance that characterizes ages three to six-and-a-half in our Primary Community.
Engaging the senses is key to understanding the world. Sensorial activities stimulate sight, touch, sound, taste, and smell, allowing children to sharpen their perception, strengthen cognitive abilities, and form meaningful connections with their surroundings. Sensorial materials are materialized abstractions opening the gate for a powerful development of the mathematical mind.
The language curriculum builds a strong foundation in literacy, guiding children from early phonetic awareness to independent reading, writing, and self-expression. As words evolve into messages, stories, and research, they experience total reading—a deep love of reading combined with technical mastery. Through this process, they gain the confidence to express ideas and engage with the written world.
Children joyfully explore the foundations of the four operations in arithmetic through hands-on, self-correcting materials—often mastering numbers into the thousands, far beyond typical kindergarten standards. By linking concrete activities to abstract concepts, they build a strong mathematical foundation and a genuine joy in problem-solving.
Social skill development is gently woven into every aspect of our program, encouraging children to be thoughtful, kind, and respectful. This emphasis on considerate behavior fosters a caring and supportive community for everyone involved. Children learn to help one another, practice empathy, and build a caring community—skills that not only enrich their final year in the Primary Community but also prepare them for a peaceful future beyond the classroom.
Our Forest School Program fosters a deep connection with nature by giving children the freedom to explore, discover, and learn in a natural setting. Through hands-on experiences like seasonal observations, outdoor challenges, and nature-based activities, children develop independence, resilience, and problem-solving skills. Exploring ecosystems and wildlife nurtures curiosity and scientific thinking, while active play enhances coordination, strength, and emotional well-being. Group activities encourage teamwork and communication, fostering a strong sense of community. Direct engagement with nature also instills a deep respect for the environment and a sense of responsibility for its care. More than just an outdoor program, Forest School is a holistic learning experience that inspires confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong love for the natural world.
The Elementary program is a place of growth, curiosity, and boundless possibilities, where children strive to become the most knowledgeable, and most capable versions of themselves. With independence now fully nurtured and encouraged, no fixed lesson times or set assignments, children take charge of their learning with the expert guidance of our educators and a framework designed to ensure deep engagement and mastery.
Knowledge is presented as an interconnected whole, rather than isolated subjects, helping children see real-world connections across disciplines like science, history, geography, and the arts. This broad perspective provides the children with a cohesive and interconnected framework of knowledge from the start, rather than presenting isolated facts that they must later piece together on their own, cultivating critical thinking and a deeper understanding of the world.
Lessons are not just theoretical but actively engage children in exploration—whether through scientific experiments, museum visits, or hands-on mathematical tools. Concepts are introduced, reinforced, and revisited through ongoing exploration, ensuring that children practice and refine their understanding until full comprehension and mastery are achieved. This dynamic and immersive approach makes learning meaningful, fosters deep connections between ideas, and enhances long-term retention.
Children develop a sense of gratitude, responsibility, and awareness of their place in the universe. They explore the contributions of past civilizations, environmental stewardship, and universal values like respect and peace, fostering a strong moral foundation.
The classroom functions as a vibrant community where children organize events, plan outings, and engage in discussions. These experiences strengthen leadership, teamwork, and communication skills, preparing them for real-world interactions.
Building on the independence, intrinsic motivation, and strong foundation developed in the Primary years, our Elementary Program (8:00 AM to 3:45 PM) inspires curious, independent learners aged 6 to 12.
Through hands-on projects, “big works,” and real-world connections, children dive deep into math, language, science, geography, and cultural studies. From mastering long division to uncovering the timeline of life, they are encouraged to ask meaningful questions, think critically, and solve problems. Collaboration and leadership are at the heart of the program, with children working both in groups and independently. Learning extends beyond the classroom through outdoor exploration and city engagement, fostering self-discipline, emotional intelligence, and a deep respect for others and the environment—preparing children to thrive academically and personally.
This is education without limits—a place where children don’t just prepare for the future, they actively shape it.
Explore our programs
We welcome children up to 12 years old, offering one program tailored to each developmental stage. Come and discover how we empower children to become the best version of themselves, meet our passionate school, and get a taste of the life that awaits your child here. Schedule your visit today and take the first step toward an exciting educational journey.
📍 Av. Almirante Gago Coutinho, 141, Alvalade, Lisbon