The Preschool Adventure
A nurturing start with the freedom to explore and learn through curiosity and discovery
A world of discovery for our youngest learners
At ISA, our preschool offers a nurturing start to your child’s education within our exceptional indoor and outdoor environments. We believe that when children are free to explore and follow their interests, they become motivated and engaged, which is the foundation of all learning. Our approach is inspired by play-based discovery learning, with content drawn from Scotland’s curriculum for excellence and complemented by an introduction to modern languages.
Your child will be accompanied on this adventure by an experienced early years practitioner (EYP) acting as their key worker in a small group of no more than 8 children. This allows our staff to truly get to know each child and provide personalized attention. Through our curriculum, we work to develop essential qualities like trust and confidence, curiosity, imagination, and communication skills, ensuring a supportive and engaging start to their learning journey.
What do children learn?
Our curriculum is organised around five key areas that shape your child’s learning. You can find out more about each area here.
Working together for your child
At ISA, it’s the child who defines the day, not the curriculum. Our early years practitioners integrate learning into a child’s natural play, making it a meaningful part of their daily life. Children don’t just learn alone; they learn with others, developing self-awareness and a growing empathy for their peers. By following a child’s interests, our teachers will find opportunities to nurture a deep understanding of relevant concepts.
We work in close partnership with parents, providing informal feedback every day and making contact straight away with any concerns. Each child has a personal plan, allowing their key worker to track their progress in all key areas of development. While our preschool looks like a lot of fun – and it is – it also provides the most important learning a child will ever do: building the fundamental skills for a lifetime of joy and learning.
Learning in Action Showcase
This is where the magic happens! Browse through some examples of recent projects which have been entirely child-led, with staff supporting students as they take part in play based learning which we could never have imagined ourselves.
Fashion Show
A recent preschool fashion show is a perfect example of this. When one student dreamed up the idea, her key worker supported her, helping her borrow a sewing machine from the High School art teacher. The child-led project took off as students became inquirers, communicators, and thinkers, decorating the catwalk, choosing their outfits, and taking to the stage. They learned about expressive arts through music, dance, and design, and their social and emotional development grew as they collaborated with friends to make the project a reality. The fashion show, hosted in one of our performance spaces, the Black Box Theatre, ended with a fun dance to an AI-created song, proving that when a child’s imagination takes the lead, there is no limit to their learning.
The Cleanup Crew
At ISA, learning is full of fun and exciting real-life experiences! This was beautifully demonstrated when our preschoolers, after watching and talking to Denise about her work as a school cleaner, decided they wanted to help. Their conversations about her job led to a planned project to help clean the large windows in our library. Their actions perfectly illustrate the caring and principled qualities we nurture in our youngest learners, as they worked to contribute to their school community.
The project was a great example of social and emotional development and health and wellbeing in action, as they worked together to make their school community a better place. We are so proud of these little learners who come in each day ready to make the world a better place with kindness, empathy, teamwork, and respect!
Pop-up Exhibition Artists
At ISA, even the youngest artists are part of the big picture! When the entire school prepared for an exhibition, our preschoolers excitedly took on their own special project. They became inquirers and risk-takers as they planned a trip to the local Tesco to pick out fruit and vegetables for a unique printing project.
Their learning was brought to life as they walked to the shop, spotting numbers and letters on buses, making the concepts meaningful. They were knowledgeable and principled as they practiced road safety, understanding how to keep their bodies safe. Back at school, they became communicators and thinkers as they turned their produce into beautiful prints for the show. The children were thrilled to take their parents to visit the exhibition and proudly show off their artwork in a professional gallery setting.
Flexible attendance options
Our flexible attendance options, including term-time and all year round, and the Aberdeen City Council funding explaining.
Is your child ready for their great adventure?
If you’re looking for a nurturing start where your child can learn and grow through curiosity and discovery, we’d love to show you how we prepare our youngest students for a lifetime of joy and learning. Get in touch with our admissions team today to arrange a visit and see our preschool for yourself.