Academics

Curro Chartwell is a preschool in Chartwell, Johannesburg, that provides high-quality early childhood development for children from 3 months to 5 years. Our classes are divided by age, and we carefully control the number of children per class to ensure that they are all cared for and entertained. Our preschool programme centres around the internationally-acclaimed Curiosity Approach, which allows children to discover areas that naturally interests them. We also have an early drop-off and late pickup times, we are open during school holidays, and meals and snacks are included in our school fees.

Get an overview of everything we can offer you on our fact sheet.

What your child can enjoy

As part of the Curro school group, our children enjoy a programme that supports their physical, social, emotional and cognitive well-being. This approach to early childhood development is built around Early Learning and Development Areas (ELDAs), which focus on development areas rather than strict milestones. This means that children feel supported and encouraged instead of pressured to develop at someone else’s pace. Children spend the day playing and being creative while teachers and teacher’s assistants guide them through the activities to ensure that the ELDA areas are engaged.

The learning and development areas include the following:

• Identity and belonging: personality, friendship, sharing
• Physical well-being: balance, movement, safety
• Communication: speech, listening, understanding
• Creativity: playing, drawing, painting, dancing, imagination
• Mathematics: shapes, size, time, counting
• Learning about the world: exploring and understanding the world around them

Do you want to know more? Visit this page on our website to discover more about the ELDAs and how they work together to give children a high-quality preschool programme.

All about the Curiosity Approach

The Curiosity Approach is a preschool programme that focuses on letting children follow their inherent interests and curiosity to develop their natural strengths. However, our teachers still guide them through other areas of development to ensure that they are exposed to all areas of development.

When entering the classroom, children are drawn to different themed stations of play that our teachers design to cover a wide range of interests. Children can explore as they wish, while teachers guide them around to ensure that they still gain exposure to a multitude of skills and interests.

Our teachers still monitor your child’s progress, to ensure that they get the holistic development they need to truly understand all areas learned in class.

Most tables and chairs are removed from our classrooms, and are replaced with furniture made from natural materials. Even the classroom environment itself contributes to the sensory-rich atmosphere by having natural, soothing colours, rather than bright colours that often overstimulate young minds.

This method involves aspects of the Regio Emilia, Montessori, and several other methods of early childhood development. Though this philosophy might seem modern and new, it actually uses age-old techniques that focus on the wonders and importance of letting young children play and just be kids.

How big are the classes

Children need lots of attention and nurturing. That is why our classes are divided by age, and we carefully control the number of children in each class. Our teachers also have one or more assistants, depending on the age group and number of children in the class. By having a limited number of children in class, our teachers can give each one the individual care and attention they need to flourish and feel loved.

As part of the Curro school group, our learners enjoy preference when applying to any school in the group. Nearby schools nearby include Curro Academy Riverside, Curro Douglasdale and Meridian Cosmo City. Our children are also automatically enrolled at HeronBridge College, a nearby Curro Select school in Fourways, Johannesburg, unless you choose to move to any of our nearby schools where you will also enjoy preferential acceptance.

We encourage loose-parts play

The development of curiosity and imagination in early childhood is vitally important to the development of problem-solving skills and critical thinking later on. Therefore, as a Curro school, we encourage playing with loose-parts and multi-purpose playthings rather than single-purpose toys that don’t involve much imagination. Through loose-parts play, our children learn to use their natural curiosity to explore previously undiscovered fascinations such as stacking, rolling, sliding, fitting, colours, and more.

Activities your child can enjoy

Our daily preschool programme is packed with a variety of physical and cognitive activities where children play while they learn. The programme even includes specialised programmes as part of our school fees, such as B-Active, Baking and Making, urban farming, and more!

As a preschool in Chartwell, Johannesburg, we also offer additional, optional extramural activities as additional opportunities to strengthen focused areas or hone certain skills. Our extramural activities are offered by external tutors or coaches at an additional cost and take place on the school’s premises.

See which activities we offer on our fact sheet.