Academic
Early Years

The Early Years (International Kindergarten) at Harrow Shanghai is an outstanding centre with world-class facilities and a caring, educational environment for our youngest pupils to learn and grow in.

The importance of early years education cannot be underestimated, and at Harrow Shanghai, we have a truly outstanding early years department for children ages 18 months to 5 years old.

Our Early Years Centre (EYC) offers a high-quality, caring educational environment for its students. We follow the Little Lions Curriculum which has been mapped and aligned to standards set out in England’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) as well as drawing from the best Early Years Curricula from around the world. We have a ‘play-based’ approach to learning and a strong emphasis on developing our students as citizens of the 21st century.

At Harrow International School Shanghai, we have created a positive and engaging learning environment where pupils experience inclusive, high quality, rich play. Children have the opportunity to be inquisitive and explorative through open-ended resources, and the environment heightens their senses through naturally appealing materials.

Areas such as Sustainability, Diversity and Digital Knowledge feature strongly in our curriculum. As well as the knowledge and skills (Learning Domains) that we would like our students to acquire, we also focus on five core learning behaviours (Learning Disciplines). Our bespoke curriculum supports our philosophy that children learn through active involvement with their environment and strong relationships with others. The structure of our curriculum is below:

The Early Years Centre includes our Cubs (for children ages 18 months to 2 years), Pre-Nursery (ages 2–3 years), Nursery (ages 3 to 4 years) and Reception (ages 4 to 5 years).

Our Early Years Centre is very well resourced. In addition to large classrooms and indoor play areas, the Early Years Centre has dedicated outdoor learning environments for each different age group. We have a soft play hall, swimming pool, library, and dining room. We also have a full-time nurse and a medical centre onsite. All year groups have appropriate access to modern technology, which is integrated into the curriculum.

The most important resource of any school is, of course, the staff. Our high-quality, well-trained, caring, and experienced EYC team ensures that our children are happy, successful, and thriving. Practitioners are always reflecting on the purpose, and in “every single element of the day, the children are at the centre of everything” (L. Hellyn Curiosity Approach).