On 13 January, 2014, the Geneva English School will extend its provision for English-speaking primary school students by opening a new nursery school for children aged 3 years and above.
Open to a maximum of 25 children, the nursery will be housed in the historic main building of the school, which has inspirational views over Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc. Teaching methods will follow the same English National Curriculum as the rest of the primary school, but with a strong focus on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which has a special emphasis placed upon the following areas: Communication and Language; Physical Development; Personal, Social and Emotional Development; Literacy; Mathematics; Understanding the World; and Expressive Arts and Design. Click here for more information on this stage, which is widely regarded as providing children with the necessary foundation for successful progress through school and life in general.
Parents are invited to bring their children to the GES nursery at least two mornings per week between 09h00 and 13h00, although provision can be made for those who need to be left earlier, from 08h30. The morning session will include lunch, vital to the social development of children this age. As soon as children are able to cope with a full day, they will be given the option to stay on in the afternoon, at no additional cost.
The nursery will be staffed by a fully-qualified EFYS-trained teacher, who will be supported by two further assistants when the nursery grows to reach full capacity. In line with the school’s strong tradition of teaching French, the nursery will also provide morning sessions in French, supervised by native French-speaking teachers already working at the school.
One parent told knowitall.ch, "Having just arrived in Geneva, my husband and I were keen to find an English-speaking nursery that could give our 3 year old daughter some exposure to the French language. Not only does the GES nursery provide this option, which we believe is essential for successful integration into our local community, but it will also enable us to keep all our children at the same school as they grow older and move from the nursery through to the infant and junior sections."
New children will be eligible to join the nursery in the January, April or September, following their third birthday, providing that they are fully toilet-trained during the day. Children are expected to transfer automatically into GES’s Reception Class in the September following their fourth birthday, although this is, by no means, obligatory.
Founded in 1961, the Geneva English School has recently embarked on an ambitious development program, designed to extend the range of amenities and services available to its primary-aged students. Situated in Genthod, the school has recently opened a new building with state-of-the-art facilities that now include provision for more classrooms and multi-purpose spaces as well as a dining hall, IT facilities, and rooms for art and creative expression. The improved amenities also provide more opportunities for a wider range of extra-curricular activities and after-school care.
As a direct result of the additional space provided by the new building, GES has now been able to reduce overall class sizes, thereby offering greater individual attention and optimal supervision to pupils. The school is in the process of developing an outdoor classroom in its grounds, which will provide further creative learning possibilities for students and plans are afoot to build an all-weather games pitch in the near future.
For further information concerning enrolment at the GES nursery, please visit the Geneva English School website at: http://www.geneva-english-school.ch/classes/nursery.
Geneva English School
CP 40
36 Route de Malagny
1294 Genthod
Switzerland
022 755 04 40
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.geneva-english-school.ch
Photo caption 1 : Geneva English School's historic main building
Photo caption 2 : Geneva English School's new building
Photo caption 3 : Geneva English School's playground
