Why start the learning early for academic success?

If you want your child to be successful, then the earliest you start them in a school learning environment, the better it will be for their long-term prospects.

Some parents only start to consider the importance of their child’s education when they are just a few years away from the formal examinations that will be their entry ticket to university. In reality, the real building blocks of all learning are formed in those younger years, which is why we call it the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The framework for the EYFS enhances the academic success of the children and helps develop the holistic education of every child who walks through the school gates. 

Children at BISS Puxi are allowed to simply be children by being given the opportunity to explore, imagine and understand the world around them. This method of learning helps to create a delight in new skills, knowledge and understanding and creates a commitment in these children to be lifelong learners. We pride ourselves on the achievements and successes of all our students. 

In the IB Diploma Programme, our IB students scored an average of 38.3 compared to the global average of 31.9; that is a remarkable achievement. One of our students achieved the perfect score of 45 points and 100% of pupils passed the IB Diploma Programme with individual subject grades often exceeding 6 out of 7. After IB, our students attend some of the top universities in the world such as Oxford, Yale, Imperial College and University College Berkeley. 

These excellent results and successes could not have been achieved without the dedication and emphasis placed on our youngest learners. At Nord Anglia Education, we have an ambitious approach to learning, allowing the students to be the best that they can be and reaching academic and personal highs beyond their own imagination. This, again, begins with our youngest and enthusiastic children proving the fact that if we catch them young, we inspire them to create their own futures. 

In the Early Years, we focus on seven areas of learning: 

• Communication and language 
• Physical development 
• Personal, social and emotional development 
• Literacy 
• Mathematics 
• Understanding the world 
• Expressive arts and design 

Each area covers the qualities needed to develop the leaders of tomorrow. Every parent wants their child to be challenged to think deeper, aim higher and imagine beyond limits. Through our relentless focus on setting challenging tasks and activities, we know that there really are no barriers to what can be achieved. Through carefully planned, continuous provision activities that invoke the children’s enquiry-based skills, every child is allowed to embark on their own learning journey. They are guided in their path of discovery by highly qualified, expert teachers. These teachers are at their side every step of the way, catching them when they fall, helping them to succeed, encouraging them in their endeavours, and celebrating with them as they develop the skills and knowledge required to achieve. We know that the longer a child is educated within our school, the better their progress and prospects for success. So, if you want the best for your child, think about how you can help them build the solid foundations that will enable them to construct their learning with confidence and surety. Start them young to enable them to grow to their full educational height. Help your child to create their future with our expert team of teachers and support staff at The British International School, Shanghai.

Alfred Creissen MA is Deputy Head of Primary at The British International School Shanghai, Puxi, part of Nord Anglia Education, the world’s leading premium international schools organisation. The British International School Shanghai follows the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, a world-renowned British curriculum. If you would like to know more about our Early Years provision or any other stage in your child’s education, please visit our website or arrange a school visit and we would be happy to show you around and tell you more about our school.