“We believe that language, and the ability to communicate effectively, is great assets in life” and on top of teaching in French and English, we also offer an initiation to the Thai language”

Established in Singapore in 2012, La Petite Ecole is a Bilingual French/English preschool. The school has been accredited by French Ministry since 2013. The school was founded because of the genuine desire to nurture the positive development of third-culture kids. In Bangkok, La Petite Ecole opened its doors in 2017 in the Sathorn area, in a green and serene environment. The school is nestled in a cozy and bright villa, which overcomes the restrains of traditional classrooms, preferring open spaces with an organic and circular spatial progression.

La Petite Ecole also boasts a big, shaded garden with a pool, invaluable assets for the little students; not only do they spend recess outside, but the garden and its terraces are hosting plenty of engaging activities, such as sport, gardening, waterplay, music, carpentry, mudplay, storytelling, circle time, and many, many more! The school welcomes children of all nationalities, from 3 to 6 years old.

The school vision is that of a child-centric school, where the learning process, the pedagogy, the teaching practices, the choice of materials all revolve around the well-being of the child. The teachers here are native speakers in French or English language, to help develop strong language skills, as a base for bilingualism. They work together to teach the French curriculum in a continuous and consistent manner.

Communication is not only essential for the children, but it extends to the entire school community, which is why the school strives to create strong bonds between their pedagogical team and their students’ families: parents benefit from a virtual open window on their child’s life in school through the private platform & app and they are regularly invited to themed events organized in the school or offered to volunteer on one-time projects.

The school has four core values:

Mixing of different ages; Developing autonomy; Nurturing benevolence throughout the whole school community; Creating engaging indoor and outdoor environments to keep the child motivated.

Guidance Worth in Gold

Marie Nicou is the Director of the school. She has imagined and developed the school of her dreams, based on years of experience in diverse educational structures, including Bangkok’s international preschool ELC. There, she particularly enjoyed the pedagogy, inspired by Reggio’s philosophy, which enables hands-on experience based on creativity, imagination and the arts.

She then joined a small English-speaking nursery, Annabel’s Nursery, where she immersed herself into early-years education. In 2004, she moved on to the French International School in Bangkok, where she experienced working in a bilingual class for the first time.

Building on these experiences, she had the exciting opportunity to open a little corporate school for a renowned French company in Malaysia in 2014. Opening La Petite Ecole was the natural progression in Marie’s career.

Global Academic Offerings

To ensure the quality of the education received at La Petite Ecole, they teach the official curriculum from the French Ministry of Education, which has 5 major areas of focus: mastering language skills in a holistic way, acting, expressing oneself and understanding through physical activities, acting, expressing, and understanding through artistic activities, getting the foundations to organize one’s thoughts, and exploring the world.

At La Petite Ecole, each child is encouraged to think in a logical, critical and independent way, thus building the foundations to later become a responsible member of society. Each child is continuously encouraged and praised, as they believe learning in a positive atmosphere will help get a better understanding of the world they live in. The school teaching methods are innovative and their pedagogical system promotes the independence, curiosity, and motivation of the child, while integrating the use of new technologies in a responsible way. The children use the class ipad to take pictures of their work, reflect on it and share it with their families.

The different areas, such as Language, Mathematics, Shadow Screen, Observation & Science, Practical, Arts, etc. are organized around permanent pedagogical workshops, with a focus on creativity. This spatial arrangement helps promote cooperation and social interaction between the children. The school prefers natural materials and equipment that promote the development of all the senses. Our workshops are very hands-on, thus encouraging the child to take an active part in the learning process.

Proliferation of Education

Beside the academic accomplishments of the students, which are closely monitored by the teachers and discussed with the parents on a regular basis to ensure that the curriculum achievements are met, the school also focus on the self-development of each individual. Their child-centric philosophy is designed to help foster respect, tolerance, flexibility and adaptability.

The school believes in the positive evaluation of the children’s work, and they constantly praise their efforts to help them building up confidence. The pedagogical Director chose to create mixed-level groups to teach the children that they should help and care for each other. The children have their own letterbox where they can leave each other messages or drawings.

The school also strives to propose stimulating and innovative activities and projects (i.e. gardening, modeling with clay, building a teepee, painting with a straw, observing shells and rocks, taking care of baby) that will develop a creative, logical and open mind, while instilling a lifelong love for learning. The positive and encouraging environment that they are creating in La Petite Ecole will allow their students to build self-esteem, generosity and integrity, and become responsible citizens in the future.

The school also acknowledge that the world extends beyond the walls of the school, which is why they organize pedagogical and cultural outings on a regular basis, in direct link with what the children are learning in school. For example, the children have visited a sustainable farm, after learning about the environment and how to grow plants.