About us
We are
an international, English language, private preschool located in the suburb of Gauting,
south of Munich, and we are open to children of all nationalities and cultures.
We run two mixed-age groups (3-6 years old) with a maximum of eighteen children per group.
Each group is led by two full time, trained teachers.
We also have an extra floater to assist in both rooms, this may at times be an intern or volunteer.
Our services are geared to support you and your child in arranging a healthy balance between
work and private life. We offer:
- An all-day preschool program, taught in English by qualified, english speaking teachers
- Opening hours Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 16:00.
- Aftercare from 16:00 to 17:00
- Additional holiday programs throughout the year.
Our Environment:
Busy Bees preschool is well-situated in the suburb of Gauting, 11 kilometers drive from Starnberg, and 20km from Munich. Within a 5 minute walk, we have access to the forest, the river Würm, parks and sports fields. Gauting S-Bahn station is 15 minutes walk from the school, and the U-Bahn at Fürstenried West is also accessible by a short bus or car journey.
The preschool building consists of a cloakroom, bathroom with three children’s toilets and basins, kitchen, dining room, art room, change room with shower, two classrooms, each licensed for 18 children, and a multipurpose room. The two main rooms have under floor heating, double glazed windows and direct access to the outdoor area. All internal doors are fire safety approved. The main door is alarmed and operated by intercom. The preschool also has a large outdoor play area. Features include a large grassed area, a concreted area for bikes and bobby cars, a sandpit, a vegetable garden and a large playground comprising of a slide, log bridge, rope ladder, climbing wall and two towers.
Our Goals:
We are committed to:
- The safety, happiness and developmental skills of each child
- Building strong relationships with our children and their families
- Creating a work environment based on the principles of sound ethics, professionalism, diversity and growth
Our Philosophy
Our Children
Our Program
Our Families and Community
Our Program
Busy Bees offers a varied and interesting program that is tailored to meet the needs of every individual child in our care. Our educational focus is on the following main areas:
Language Development
As an international preschool, we have children entering our groups with varying levels of language ability and English knowledge. We work with children to acquire the English language as quickly as possible, in a relaxed and friendly environment through play and social interactions. We do this through daily language circles, singing, dramatic play, group conversations, reading, storytelling and small group activities.
It is our firm belief that children must feel safe, secure and comfortable within an environment for any learning to occur, and this is our primary concern at Busy Bees. We maintain a positive, supportive and encouraging environment at Busy Bees, regularly employing positive reinforcement to guide the development of the children in our care. We encourage our children to become independent and thoughtful individuals by frequently giving them the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas, make choices, and attempt tasks on their own or with the help of a friend. Our teachers promote conflict resolution and problem solving with children during their daily interactions, and encourage children to take responsibility for their actions, helping them to become well adjusted adults in the future.
Social and Emotional Competence
Investigative Learning
We believe in children taking control of their own learning, and our teachers act as facilitators, rather than active instructors in the classroom. As such, each unit of our project work begins with a brainstorming session involving what the children know about the topic, and what they would like to know. Their answers provide the foundations upon which the teachers structure and plan the entire project. Children work towards finding answers by discussing with their friends and teachers, looking in books and encyclopedias, sharing thoughts and ideas, researching on the internet, completing hands on, practical activities, devising and implementing experiments, and discussing, recording and analyzing their findings.
Busy Bees promotes a healthy balance of structured learning with free play and creative activities. We understand the importance of a varied educational program for the growth and development of children, and our schedule is structured so that children experience a range of activities throughout the day and week. As well as project work, children have the opportunity to participate in arts and crafts, construction, baking, science, dance, drama and sports activities.