La Miranda

Educational model

Escoleta La Miranda is a non-religious, democratic, apolitical, pluralistic and integrative nursery. Our teamwork-centred approach is based in respect and tolerance for people, and for the physical space—the escoleta—that we share every day.

The nursery’s indoor and outdoor spaces are prepared with educational intentionality. Whether the focus is on the physical, intellectual, affective or social, children can engage in optimal development in an environment that is safe, welcoming, warm and jovial.

We strive for values-based learning, rejecting discrimination in all forms and aspiring to equality and respect for the rights of the child. That’s why we work to make gender parity natural, normal and standard practice. In tune with the principles of equal rights and equal-opportunity education, children at Escoleta La Miranda are educated equally in a coeducational setting.

Information at our school is conveyed in Catalan—the centre’s lingua franca. We strive for bidirectional communication between family and school, allowing for close collaboration around child development.

Teaching methods are tuned to helping children forge their own identity and form a positive and balanced self-image. Emphasis also goes on cultivating personal autonomy, emotional and social bonds, control over movement and the body and communicational tools, not to mention a taste for exploring, discovering and building.

Driving educational content are globalised activities made to be interesting and meaningful. They emerge from normal, everyday situations in the classroom and in our immediate surroundings. Such moments give children the chance to draw from their own lessons and experiences, and act to complement growth and varying paces and styles of learning.

To promote self-esteem and social integration, teaching methods grounded in emotional bonds, shared interests, experiences, activities and play are used in an atmosphere of care, trust and safety. Children are likewise encouraged to discover the physical and social characteristics of their surroundings.

Key authors in our educational philosophy

Many authors present a particular teaching style that incorporates nearly all the principles outlined in our educational model. Take Loczy’s approach to the autonomy of the child based on materials appropriate to distinct levels of maturity. Or Piaget’s theory about the stages of development. Then there is Freinet’s assessment that experimenting is crucial to the learning process, and Maria Montessori’s work on sensory stimuli and play adapted to the various maturity levels. Bowly stresses affection between adult and child in order to forge strong, stable emotional bonds, and Loris Malaguzzi describes the hundred languages of the child, where the educator is a constant researcher, learning from children as they learn from her.

The crucial role of La Miranda's families

For the escoleta to be successful and for educators to be coherent in their work, collaboration needs to come from the entire educational community. Families’ involvement is especially crucial; they, together with children, are the school’s backbone.

Much of the time children spend at La Miranda is spent at the escoleta, where there is a shared sense of responsibility for daily activities. It follows, then, that in our job as educators, efforts to strengthen and enrich the link between family and school are vital. Stress also must be placed on communication that is constant, positive and enriching.

Families’ experiences as they take part in school affairs must, from the very start, be positive. Open doors should greet them so they feel appreciated, comfortable, respected and encouraged to participate in anything pertinent to their children’s growth and learning.

To promote relationships between family and school, Escoleta La Miranda organises the following activities during the school year:

• End-of-the-year party: to celebrate the end of another year, teaching staff organise workshops where parents can spend the day with their children.
• Family workshops: over the school year, families are encouraged to visit their child’s classroom and join in activities.
• End-of-the-year outing: in May/June, teachers organise a trip where families are welcome to participate. In recent years, children in infant groups visit the swimming pool while other groups take a trip to the beach.
• Graduation: on the last day in August, the school invites families to the schoolyard to bid farewell to soon-to-be primary pupils.
  
  

Facilities and spaces

Located in Sant Francesc, Escoleta La Miranda occupies a public building zoned exclusively for under-3 learning.

The building consists of two modules linked by hallway. There are three entrances and a large car park near the main entrance. The building is accessible for people with reduced mobility.

La Miranda offers the following spaces:

• Classrooms equipped for children under 3. All classrooms have a small bath for young children and an open-air space.
• Relaxation room: a classroom where children who stay during break can take time to rest. The room is also equipped with cribs for infants.
• Multipurpose room: used as a psychomotricity space. Tatami mats on the ground help prevent scrapes during activities, and material can be kept in nearby cupboards. A sliding door offers access to a small porch and the school’s small inner playground.
• Kitchen: a kitchen space where snacks and lunches are prepared.
• Canteens: there are three canteens; the first is used by the infant classrooms, the second is located beside the kitchen and the third is near the front entrance.
• Drop-off spot: intake during drop-off hours happens in the entryway, where children can play with toys and are supervised by teaching staff until class-time starts (9.00am).
• La Miranda has three patio spaces:
  • Infant classrooms are connected to a small patio, separated from the other patios by a fence.
  • Main patio: directly accessible through sliding doors in each classroom, the main patio, with its array of objects and toys, offers children a space for open-air play.
  • Small patio: the first of two spaces is a nature corner where children can play with sand, stones and other objects from the natural world. The other space, with shade cover and a grassy area, is used for summertime activities.