Children at the centre:

• Each child is treated as unique and receives the attention they need, according to his/her individual level of maturity

• Children progress at their own pace

• Each child receives work at his/her level in the classroom

We do this by:

• Having groups small enough for the teachers to form a personal relationship with each child

• Listening to children, giving them time to express their needs, wants and views

• Setting challenging academic goals and giving teachers flexibility on how to achieve these, according to the maturity of each student

• Allowing children in the same class to work with the same theme at different levels

• Having a Student Health Team team which works to prevent and catch potential issues early, i.e identifying children in need of additional support

Respect for others:

• Children feel and believe that they are worth the same and are equally treated

• Children come from mixed backgrounds, many nationalities are represented

• Children are taught to show solidarity with the weak and vulnerable

• The school shows zero tolerance towards degrading treatment and discrimination

We do this by:

• Explaining what a child has done wrong and why this is not tolerated (they can get hurt, they can make someone sad etc) instead of just “telling them off”

• Having a team of staff trained to identify potential issues and address these at an early stage (Student Health Team)

• Talking to children about unfair treatment

• Celebrating diversity and exploring traditions from different countries

• Taking an active interest in each other’s languages and cultures

• Doing joint projects between the Scandinavian and International Sections, e.g music projects, International Week

• Allowing students to study all three languages of the school (Swedish, English and Spanish) as well as additional languages

• Arranging theme days where we work together in mixed age groups to learn respect for each other and have fun together

A safe and supportive environment:

• A small and family oriented school

• Calm and peaceful environment

• Children feel that they are seen and heard

• Reduced number of children per teacher

We do this by:

• Welcoming parents to speak with teachers before or after class in case of any issues or worries

• Having small classes and a high teacher-to-student ratio

• Limiting the number of students in the school to one class per year or less (age integrated classes)

• Open spaces, big windows and open doors to increase transparency of what is going on it the classroom

• Providing a safe environment where students are allowed to make mistakes in order to learn

• Continuously assessing students by a variety of methods to confirm progress and to identify what can be improved in teaching and learning

• Instilling a feeling of pride for the school

• Singing our own school song

• Enjoying music performances for all students, staff and parents

A close relationship with nature:

• Promoting a sense of environmental responsibility in each child (e.g. love for nature, responsibility to keep tidy, recycling)

• Time spent outside in all weather conditions

• Promoting understanding of the importance of environmental sustainability

• Promoting a sense of belonging and responsibility for the school

We do this by:

• Proving plenty of outside space with lots of green

• Encouraging children to tidy up

• Encouraging recycling

• Encouraging students to take care of their belongings

• Books are often on loan (and need to be returned to the school in the same condition as received)

Quality relationships with staff;

• Competent, dedicated and responsible staff with relevant education and high level of emotional maturity

• Quality attachment relationship with each child

• Teachers acting as role models

• Proximity and continuity in relationships with teachers

We do this by:

• Careful selection of staff with not only the right education but also a drive and interest to support the way we work

• Wherever possible, hiring staff with Scandinavian educational background for both Scandinavian and International Sections; where this is not possible, by providing training in Scandinavian educational philosophy and approaches

Independent individuals:

• Play is an important part of learning, especially at a younger age

• Global development of the child: cognitive (language, perceptual, motor skills etc) and emotional development

• Expecting personal responsibility for belongings

• Focusing on how to find information

• Fostering a creative and experimental environment

• Critical thinking and the essential need to develop one’s own point of view

• Encouraging lifelong learning

We do this by:

• Encouraging young children to be responsible for their belongings.

• Not giving all the answers but rather encouraging children to find out by themselves from books, people and digital resources

• Encouraging students to be critical and form their own views

• Giving students the tools and skills to express their own views

• Preparing students to manage on their own later in life, including classes in craft and cooking in the curriculum

• Ensuring children understand why they learn different things by emphasising their natural relationship to everyday life; this could involve activities such as counting cars on the street and not only counting in the classroom.

International and multicultural awareness:

• Understanding of cultures

• Respect for differences in cultures

• Richness of languages

We do this by:

• Exchanging and sharing teachers between groups, e.g. an English-speaking teacher reads a story in English for children in a Swedish speaking group

• Singing in different languages

• Undertaking joint projects between the Scandinavian and International Sections

• Celebrating different national holidays

Close relationship between school and home:

• Flat communication (children, parents, teachers and leadership)

• Parents welcome to participate in school activities

• Open classrooms

We do this by:

• Having parent representatives from each class, who meet regularly with the school management

• Welcoming parents on campus and into the classroom, to appreciate the work of their child and to see where they spend most of the day

Positive attitude towards exercise and good health:

We do this by:

• Offering healthy food and encouraging healthy snacks to be brought to school

• Offering nature excursions, e.g annual trip to the mountains for non preschool children

• Organising sports days for all students

• Guiding and promoting activities at break times

• Teaching children the importance of good personal hygiene by ensuring everyone changes clothes for PE and shower after the lesson