Children's Groups

Our students are divided into the following groups:

• Siroccos (3-6 years)

• Alisios (5-8 years)

• Zephirs (9-12)

The Zephyrs group is further divided into two groups (Zephyrs I and II). These two groups work together in workshops and projects, but for maths and literacy direct instruction (focused activities) they are divided according to the children’s level of proficiency. Therefore we teach 'stage not age'.

Children are assigned to a group according to an initial assessment by the pedagogical team based on observations by facilitators. This assessment specifically focuses on self-direction skills, language and communication skills, and maths skills. When a child reaches the end of their time in a group (following a recommendation by the pedagogical team and conversations with the child), they move on to the next group.

Our children range from 3 to 12 years of age, but since we encourage age-mixing, the school has only one Early Years classroom (Spiral room) for children approximately 3-5 and one Primary classroom (Fractal room) for children approximately 6-12. This is "approximate" because ultimately it is up to each child to decide which of the classrooms she/he feels most comfortable in.

Whenever one or more of the younger children request to "visit" the Primary classroom, or viceversa, we must always seek permission from the children who are already in the room, and consult with their Facilitator. It is important to consider aspects related to the space available and to how the new arrivals might affect the emotional climate in the room.