Bluebell Cottage School began its journey in 2016 with a vision to create a loving, warm, engaging and stimulating atmosphere for children to develop and derive quality education in.

The school, being situated in the heart of Chelsea on Ives Street, is an amazing open plan building that boasts an aura of simplicity, minimalism and functionality. The atmosphere is primed to give the children the opportunity to let their imagination loose whilst receiving quality education.

The young students are provided a nurturing learning environment with a school house approach that supports the distinct individual needs of each child, with the youngest children aged two starting at ‘Bear House’, then aged three children transitioning to ‘Owl House’, and aged four and five children graduating to Squirrel House, where they prepare for prep school. Each play area and classroom has been personalised with amazing murals to reflect the three school houses.

Hit the ground running, literally!

At Bluebell Cottage School they have developed their own specialised curriculum based around the ‘Seven key areas of development in the EYFS (early years foundation stage)’, whilst including four extra areas of learning which they believe are most significant to a child’s early development. These additional areas are:

• Physical education:

The school holds physical education at the core of their curriculum with an emphasis on learning through physical experiences: Indoor and outdoor learning spaces that allow children to run, jump, climb and explore; Yoga, dance, and sports activities are provided regularly, and sports day is held once per year in the summer term for all children to participate in.

Early years education is quickly becoming a crucial area and we see our school at the forefront of the drive to excel and push the boundaries of child development.

• Art and design:

Art and design are used in many aspects of school life with opportunities for children to create and design with the support of teachers and experiment a selection of materials. At the end of each school term the teachers display the children’s work in school with an art exhibition for parents to view. Some pieces are shared in the local community and at the end of each school year every child takes home their ‘Magical Moments Portfolio’ which highlights their artwork and is unique to each child.

• English is the primary written and spoken language at school with Spanish also being offered within the curriculum. Children of a pre-school age have the capacity to develop an extensive vocabulary in additional languages and for that reason they have created a unique curriculum that incorporates different languages. English and Spanish are taught through music, stories and art. The school makes it a point to enable children to express themselves as an individual within the school community, which is inclusive of all cultures from around the world.
• Music education

The children are encouraged to develop their understanding and use of different musical instruments and experience music throughout school life with songs, dance and play.

“We are lucky to have teachers that specialise in these areas who have incorporated these specialist school subjects as core elements for the Bluebell Cottage School curriculum. This allows the teachers to give real immersive learning opportunities for every child through play.

Aspiring to make a difference

Bluebell Cottage School has many directives which are focused around providing children with a ‘complete package’. One such programme is the ‘Superfood for Superheroes’ programme which is designed to introduce children to a multitude of healthy, organic foods that will please even the fussiest of eaters. These programmes are designed to promote a healthy lifestyle along with a great early education.

The pandemic posed a number of a challenges. Like many schools, Bluebell Cottage School has seen an affect on admissions with the rise of Covid-19 and the restrictions on day-to-day life. In response to this crisis, the school has implemented rigorous safety measures to protect children, staff and parents.

As work from home becomes the new normal, Bluebell Cottage School has decreased their fees and amended its school day by offering morning or afternoon school sessions to give parents the flexibility and choice to work around the changes in their schedules.

“We want to do our part to help families feel comfortable in this time of uncertainty and so have lowered our fees to give parents a feeling of security and to make sure no child is missing out because of any unforeseen circumstances.”

As the world persists through the distortions presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, the overseers of the education system in the UK are evaluating the way forward and a new overall direction is emerging.

In this ever-evolving field of education, it is key for schools to remain fluid in their practices to make sure children are continually stimulated and challenged. Schools like Bluebell Cottage School are continually working to integrate new and exciting elements to their curriculum to achieve the same.

In the past 20 years, the teacher-student dynamics has seen a remarkable shift. The learning process has increasingly had more of a focus on allowing children to have a say in their learning as opposed to an excess of ‘teacher-talk’.

Owing to this approach, children are able to have an input in how they are taught, giving them a much-needed sense of agency. This increases their engagement, promotes teacher-student collaboration, and encourages the students to use their own reasoning and to reach their own conclusions.

Where once the education system was responsible for driving brigades of children to follow a strict nonflexible curriculum whilst being steered into a single direction, now homely yet thrilling schools like Bluebell Cottage School are evolving to let children pave their own directions and have fun doing it!

Foundation

Bluebell Cottage School Bluebell Cottage School by Sara Brennan (Director) who understands how vital it is for children to receive a good education in their early years.

“One of our primary focuses is to make learning as immersive as we can with every child experiencing a wide range of activities in school, school trips and community projects. Above all we encourage children to just be themselves, explore and have fun, take risks, and learn through personal, social and emotional experiences. When children graduate, they are prepared for their future schools, with the resilience to adapt and explore the world around them,” Sara Brennan noted.

Sara is currently operating as the Director and is dedicated to build Bluebell Cottage School into a global early education institute in the future.