Inside Dover Court International School’s Early Childhood (NEST) Programme

# What the NEST approach looks like

weeks

The programme begins by prioritising relationships and a sense of ownership. Teachers hold repeated conversations asking children how they want the classroom to look, feel and sound. Those discussions become the Essential Class Agreement, a co-created set of expectations.

Student voice appears in daily classroom life. One Reception child described favourite activities: "I liked painting my favourite colours because it made me feel calm. I liked glueing the cotton because it was messy and sticky."

Weekly outdoor learning at Medway Park

The outdoor space is framed as an extension of the learning environment. Changing the place of learning changes what children notice and how they inquire, aligning with principles of the Reggio Emilia approach where the environment functions as a partner in learning.

A student reflected on outdoor time: "I like exploring the outdoor atelier with my friends, and finding interesting bits of nature like sticks and inventing a new game together."

Play-led classroom practice and Learning Choice

Play is described as the vehicle for all early learning. During Learning Choice, children select activities independently, which gives them autonomy and ownership. Teachers observe during these periods to learn what motivates each child.

That observational knowledge determines how teachers introduce new learning: they add learning opportunities into a child's existing play instead of interrupting play for separate lessons. This helps foundational skills emerge naturally within projects the child cares about.

A pupil summed up the appeal: "Playing in Learning Choice because I can make lots of things with my friends."

How foundational skills are woven into play

English, Maths and Science are not confined to separate lessons. They are embedded across daily activities: children may mark or label their creations, write their names on artwork, count blocks needed to build, compare heights of constructions, or calculate how many pieces are missing. Science is introduced through curiosity-driven questioning, observation and investigation based on children's natural interest in the world.

This approach makes early literacy, numeracy and scientific thinking purposeful and connected to children's projects rather than abstract exercises.

Practical note for families

DCIS will host an Open House on 26 September where families can learn more about the NEST programme and observe elements of inquiry-based, outdoor and play-led learning in practice.