our concept

Our concept

Childcare and Primary Education

Discover Inquire Create

Open plan concept

IB PYP (candidacy)

Childcare and Primary Education

Lucas Onderwijs and Vlietkinderen Kinderopvang work together within the child center in the field of care and primary education. As a result, the children can spend the whole day in a familiar environment with familiar faces working on both education and play.

We offer a familiar, safe and challenging environment to children from 0 to 13 throughout the day (from 07.30-18.30). By working together from the different expertises, backgrounds and talents of our employees, we create this environment from one shared vision. Together we work hard to create an open and peaceful atmosphere where everyone can thrive and develop their talents.

In the child center there is room for dialogue and everyone is welcome. The exchange of ideas, values and beliefs creates a rich learning environment where everyone learns from each other and belongs. The child center is a place where children learn skills they need to grow and develop towards their future. So that every child thrives and can contribute to a more beautiful world.

With us, a child has an active role in its own learning process. In addition to plenty of room for input from the child by making choices, lessons and activities are offered during the day in varying grouping strategies. Children are encouraged to take initiative. For young children, this is mainly done by offering a rich learning environment where the child can play. Play is a process of discovery, exploration and creation and is an optimal way to learn skills such as sharing, communication, organization and concentration. These are important skills for optimal further learning.

Discover Inquire Create

Our child center is located in De Binckhorst, the neighborhood where people work in different ways and from various disciplines on discovery, inquiry and making.

We are therefore in line with the dynamics in the neighbourhood. Our child centre, just like De Binckhorst itself, is characterized by the key words ‘Discover, inquire, make’. This is reflected in the cooperation between education and care, the physical layout of our accommodation, the attitude of our employees and our range of activities and education within the child centre. Children get the chance to make all kinds of things (together), ask questions and look for answers. In this way they learn what it means to actively participate and be proactive.

Open plan concept

There’s a lot going on in the child center. Everyone is busy, children are playing or working on questions they have asked themselves or have been asked by employees. Working in the open plan concept creates more opportunities to provide each child with the right provision.

An open plan concept has many advantages. It is a vision of learning that is supported by the spaces in the child center. By working in an open plan concept there is less waiting time and it is possible to work together in different ways and with varying groups of children and employees. This way there is more opportunity for individual attention and to work on matters that are meaningful to children at that time.

Although children clearly have room to choose their own learning path, this does not mean that they are without obligation. On the contrary, the expectations and requirements are high and made clear to the children. Compulsory and non-compulsory components are included in the rhythm of the day. In addition to the compulsory components, children can also choose their own activities. This increases the sense of ownership over their learning process.

Staff confer during the day and after 2 pm (when the official educational time is over) to further discuss the rhythm and content of learning. This is how we respond to the needs of the children and what is going on during the units.

Learning environment and learning spacess.
Within the dynamic learning environment many interactions are possible. The physical learning spaces are designed in such a way that children can work both independently and in groups. The open plans contain interesting books and materials with which children can discover, inquire and create. Employees challenge the children by offering various activities.

Layout open plan concept
The open plan concept in the child center has the following layout:

Domain 1: 0-4 year old (daycare)
Domain 2: 4-6 year old
Domain 3: 7-8 year old
Domain 4: 9-10 year old
Domain 5: 11-12 year old

IB PYP (candidacy)

KC de Binck has been a candidate school* for the IB PYP since November 2022. The school strives for accreditation as an IB Worldschool. These are schools that share a common philosophy: a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that KC de Binck considers important for our students.

IB education has been developed by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). This organization offers programs for schools with the aim of creating students who contribute to a better and more peaceful world (IB mission).

International mindedness

Within the child centre, all children develop skills that are crucial for their development and active participation in society. Society stands for the whole world, with children developing international mindedness. International mindedness is an attitude in which an investigative, open, respectful attitude is central in order to enter into a dialogue with others.

Ownership
Children in the child center show initiative and decisiveness by, for example, asking questions and sharing proposals. Ze nemen verantwoordelijkheid voor hun leerproces, doordat ze zich bewust zijn van hun leerdoelen en handelen naar aanleiding van feedback. They play, make choices and collaborate with others.

Inquiry based learning
Children are curious by nature. We encourage this curiousity by giving all children in the child center space to play and develop and let them work with authentic and complex materials, issues, experts and challenges. The world is thus brought into the child center and children enter the world through excursions in the neighborhood and city.

Units: thinking in concepts
Children experience the world as a whole. We therefore work with units (modules) that provide an authentic framework for learning core objectives and developing skills. Each unit works with ideas and insights that children can explore. For example, children learn about cycles and patterns that have an impact on life or the choices people make that affect their well-being.

Learning transdisciplinairy skills
Transdisciplinary skills are skills that are important in all subjects. ‘Learning to learn’ is fundamental for every child. Five interrelated skills (thinking, exploring, communicating, socializing, organizing yourself) are designed to support children of all ages to:

  • to be self-managing,
  • to ask good questions,
  • create effective goals and
  • pursue ambitions.

Action
Action is doing something with what you have learned. Taking action in the child center and beyond helps children understand the responsibilities that come with citizenship. Taking action in the child center and beyond helps children understand the responsibilities that come with citizenship. For example, children can ask to use less plastic or write a letter to the mayor after a conversation about street litter.

*Only schools authorized by the IB organization can offer one of four academic programs: the Elementary Education Years Program (PYP), the Middle Years Program (MYP), the Diploma Program or the Career Related Program (CP). Candidate status does not guarantee that the authorization will be granted. For further information on the IB and its programs, visit www.ibo.org