Cardiff Steiner Early Years Centre

• Location: Cardiff, United Kingdom,
• Year of foundation: 1997,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type: mixed.

Cardiff Steiner Early Years Centre is a center for the development of children from 0 to 6 years old, located within the Cardiff Steiner School.

Cardiff Steiner School is an independent school in Cardiff, educating boys and girls from pre-school until the age of 18. The institution has more than 1200 affiliated schools in 60 countries, 25 of which are located in the UK and Ireland. Cardiff Steiner School is also the largest and still growing school system in the world.

The foundation of the educational institution in 1997 was served by parents, who in 1997 aimed at creating a school with a quality education. At the moment, the institution is considered a multicultural center, where students from many countries study. The main language in the school is English, although children are also introduced to Welsh through songs and stories.

In the first year of study, parents take an active part in the education of their child: they attend classes, organize events. To help your child adapt, leaders advise:

• At the first visit to spend the whole day with the child,
• In the future, bring the child at the beginning of the school day, leave him for an hour and take him home upon his return,
• After a few weeks of regular visits, you can leave for a couple of hours, gradually increasing the time interval.

In Steiner kindergartens, one of the highlights of the day is healthy and satisfying snacks. Every morning, children and their teachers have breakfast together, choosing dishes from vegetables, cereals and fruits. In the kitchen of the preschool department, fresh portions are prepared daily, using environmentally friendly and seasonal products. Employees also take into account all the dietary needs of pupils, including vegan, gluten-free, dairy and other preferences.

Students who stay for an afternoon snack also receive a full lunch. Sample lunch menu:

• Monday: rice, vegetables,
• Tuesday: barley soup with vegetables and oatmeal cakes,
• Wednesday: whole grain millet casserole,
• Thursday: spelt and rye bread with hummus and vegetable sticks,
• Friday: yogurt with apple-almond crumbs, compote of seasonal fruits.

Every day children are provided with fruit salads, water, chamomile tea and apple juice.

Students help prepare meals as part of daily community work: knead dough, peel vegetables, mix ingredients.

In addition to public holidays attended by students of all grades, the kindergarten hosts activities related to the cultures and beliefs being studied.

Festivals take place in important seasonal periods: Winter Solstice, Harvest Season, early spring and others. Festival motifs are introduced to the classroom through storytelling, song and decorations.

Two main festivals for younger pupils of the institution:

• The Arrival of Spring

In the kindergarten, children, teachers and families come together and build a giant nest of sticks, branches, leaves and spring flowers, hoping to attract the attention of the Easter bunny. During the holiday, cheerful songs and poems are played, students prepare and share treats, organize a puppet show.

• Walking with Lantern

Every autumn, younger children create beautiful lanterns for the school festival. At a time when the day is shortening, winter festivals of light are held all over the world: glowing pumpkins on Halloween, Diwali lamps, Bonfire Night. Calan Gaea on the first of November is traditionally the first day of winter in Wales and includes dancing around a village bonfire on a dark night.

• It is part of the largest school system in the world,
• He is a member of the Council of Independent Schools of Wales,
• Individual approach to each pupil.

The campus is housed in a beautiful Victorian building in the north of Cardiff , the capital of Wales, UK. The school moved here in February 2013. On the territory there are students of all departments: preschool groups, primary, middle and high schools. The building is ideally equipped for teaching students of all ages: game studios, lecture classes, recreation areas on site, interactive laboratories and much more.

The campus offers easy access to Haley Park, the Taff Trail and Forest Farm Nature Reserve. The area has an excellent transport system and Llandaff railway station is just two streets away.

Dates of trimesters in the academic year:

• Autumn: September 2-December 20,
• Spring: January 10-March 31,
• Summer: April 20-July 14.

Attendance by children from 0 to 3 years old is not regulated by the schedule, while pupils from 3 to 6 years old are expected in kindergarten according to the schedule:

• 3 years – minimum three mornings a week,
• 4 years – four to five morning visits per week,
• 5 and 6 years old – five morning visits are mandatory.

Students can visit campus from 9:00 to 13:00 or stay for extended classes from 8:00 to 15:30-16:30 or 18:00.

Additional costs:

• Extended classes – from 8 to 16 £ per day,
• Deposit – 300£,
• The registration fee is £100.

The price of the program includes meals and all activities on campus.

Step-by-step admission process:

• Fill in the application form, attaching the required documents,
• Wait for an official invitation with the date of the interview,
• Pay the deposit and registration fee,
• Get a CAS number for a long-term visa,
• Meet with staff on campus for interviews and paper signing.

Children can spend one morning in a preschool group for free in the format of trial classes.

Admission of foreign students begins at the age of 3. For admission you will need:

• Personal documents of the child: birth certificate, passport, medical insurance, visa or residence permit, etc.,
• Report from the previous place of study, if any.

The admissions committee reviews applications throughout the year.

The school provides discounts on kindergarten fees of 20% for first siblings and 80% for second and subsequent children from the same family.

Also, the institution financially supports parents who, due to circumstances, cannot pay the full amount of the program. Thanks to the support of the UK government, families can receive payments:

• Tax-free childcare – £2 for every £8 paid and up to £2000 per year,
• Universal child care loan,
• Childcare vouchers for employees,
• Free 30 hours per week for pre-school education for working parents of three- and four-year-old students.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision