Our Philosophy

Rain Trees follows an international topic based curriculum that focuses on the development of the whole child using a multi-sensory approach. Our children learn through hands on, exploration and play. Our highly qualified teachers ensure that all our children reach developmental milestones through a fun and interactive approach to learning. Group and individual activities are blended to provide a balance of skills and experience for your child.

Our approach is to foster a love of learning, problem solving, experimentation and inquisitiveness to provide a solid foundation for your child’s future. The emphasis is on learning through play in an environment planned to stimulate discovery, independence and social interaction. Children are encouraged to help themselves, take initiative and become increasingly independent in order to develop self-esteem and social competence. It is important that children develop a sense of trust and are comfortable in their environment.

The learning and development of the children is not just confined to the internal setting of the kindergarten but is extended to the large and safe outdoor play area. We view the external environment as another classroom. This allows the children to explore their surroundings and exercise their imagination.

The curriculum used at the school is based on the UK Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and has seven learning areas:

  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development
  • Communication
  • Language and Literacy
  • Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
  • Knowledge and Understanding of the World
  • Physical Development
  • Creative Development

Testimonials

Rain Trees is a wonderful, supportive and nurturing environment where children can learn and explore through play. Safeguarding is paramount at the school and all of the staff take great care to ensure that the children thrive in their lovely community.

Rain Trees is a wonderful mix of big little school. The curriculum prepares the children very well for their transition to big school but the school still maintains a warm & cosy environment without overwhelming the children.

I have had the good fortune of already sending 3 of my 5 children to Rain Trees and cannot recommend it highly enough. The creative and nurturing environment is far superior to any other kindergarten that I have found either in Singapore or back home. It helped us enormously in our early days settling into Singapore knowing that our children were so happy and cared for at this beautiful place.

Each day we felt as though we were leaving our children in the hands of a most trusted member of family. The teachers and their assistants are second to none; their enthusiasm, warmth and humor are infectious and you cannot help but be in a good mood stepping through the door. The warm, happy greeting the children receive each morning makes it so easy to say goodbye. The setting of the kindergarten in a beautiful, green and tranquil environment makes it the perfect backdrop to the “natural” education the children receive.

The fun and imaginative activities the children do every day are a fantastic introduction to their education and developing a love of learning. I always look forward to pick up time knowing that my 3 year old will be so eager to share with me the latest great activity she has done or to show me her latest creation. While they are having so much fun, each activity is pertinent in some way to their educational development and the connection between fun and learning never ceases to amaze me. It is a testament to the experience and the dedication of the teachers to encourage each child’s learning in this way.

Each child’s individualism is embraced and difference and acceptance is encouraged. The children all gain both social confidence and thoughtful consideration of each other and each other’s needs.

The quality of learning in the development of skills such as reading, mathematics and language makes for easy transition to “big school”. The Mandarin and English bridging programs are excellent. You feel at the end of your child’s time at Rain Trees that they are well and truly prepared for their primary years, although of course you would like them to stay there for all of their education if it were possible!

Recent changes in management have seen further improvements such as daily and weekly update emails of what the children are doing in class. The daily updates include their activities for the day and photos of the previous day. We look forward to seeing these and often circulate them to relatives who take great joy in seeing a grandchild or niece etc at play. It is a great way of staying in touch with the kindergarten and makes you feel even more part of your child’s day, like a window into the classroom.

I look forward to sending my twin baby boys to Rain Trees when they are ready so as to experience the same delightful introduction to their schooling years that their sisters have all received.

Rain Trees is a fabulous school providing an energetic and caring environment for all the children involved.

The teaching is of the highest standard and all children bounce into school with great enthusiasm and energy.

My daughter has been so very happy in her first proper school environment and I would highly recommend Rain Trees to any parent looking for a small educational but fun school for their children.

The perfect soft entry for toddlers into a drop-off learning environment as you can rest assured the Rain Trees team will do everything to make your child feel safe, loved and both mentally + emotionally understood.

Isabella has had a blast and I’m so glad she I had found this hidden gem just down the road from us.

Parent involvement is so welcome and the smiles and chatters during pick-ups and drop-offs is truly because Rain Trees has managed to build a strong community within the school with things like bake sales, fundraisers, parent volunteers etc who really do give great helping hands to the children.

We would happily recommend Rain Trees to anyone looking for a happy, caring and professionally run kindergarten.

“I could not recommend Rain Trees highly enough. It is a fantastic school, with amazing teachers and support staff. My daughter has thrived in the caring and fun environment and her confidence has grown and grown. We will be very sad when she has to leave to move on to big school but cannot wait for our next daughter to start!”

Rain Trees welcomed Freddie with open arms and he has adored going. The vacation of the topics covered, the art work produced and the fun they have at school are all testament to what a wonderful team of teachers Rain Trees has.

My eldest son had a wonderful 3 years at Rain Trees Kindergarten – one year with the ever-bubbly Karen and 2 years under the gentle care of Tina. During this time, we saw him grow from a shy little toddler into a confident, fun-loving boy who was well-equipped to take on Grade 1 at international school – both academically and socially. Now, my youngest son is about to start his third year at Rain Trees, and we really feel part of the Rain Tres “family”. The warm and friendly atmosphere here at the kindergarten just shines through! The teachers are caring and approachable, and parents have many opportunities to be involved, both in and out of the classroom. The kindergarten has a real multicultural feel, with teachers and students from all over the world, and with cultural celebrations throughout the year. Simply put, Rain Trees just gets the balance right. Each day, the kids experience nature, music, art, and culture. At the same time, the kids get a great start with their reading, writing and maths skills, all mixed in with a good measure of fun! We really feel that Rain Trees Kindergarten has been the perfect start to our children’s education and we look forward to many more happy years in the Rain Trees family.

Rain Trees is a home away from home. It has a real sense of family. The children seem to be happy and settle in quickly. There seems to be the right balance between playing and discipline.

Family Focused

At Rain Trees we value the close involvement of parents in school life. We work hard to develop strong relationships with our families and believe communication between home and school is the key to achieving this.

Parents are welcome to gather in class before the bell rings each morning. This offers an informal opportunity to chat with teachers and get to know not only other parents, but also your child’s peers. Throughout the course of the year, usually at the end of terms one and three, we hold parent–teacher conferences for more formal updates on each child’s progress and general well-being. An extensive written report will be sent home at the end of the year.
 
There are many well-documented advantages to parents playing an active role in the educational process of their children. So, if parents are able and have the time, we strongly urge them to get involved in any way they can; reading to the children, organising a craft activity, accompany a class trip, baking for a charity cake sale, or making costumes for a play or concert. There is always plenty going on, so keep an eye on class notice boards for updates. This should be fun and beneficial not only for the pupils, but also their parents!

School Life - A typical day for our butterflies

9.00 – 9.10Arrival of ChildrenFree play at various stations e.g. sand tray, water tray, playdough table, painting, large/small scale
construction toys and imaginative play in the home/shop corner.
9.10 – 9.20Circle time, welcome children and discuss activities of the day 
9.20 – 10.20The children work in small groups at adult directed activitiesDirected activities will vary according to current Themes but will include maths,
pre-reading/writing, science, art and craft and/or cooking.
10.20 – 10.30Tidy up timeChildren are encouraged to help with the general tidying away of toys and materials.
10.30 – 10.45Toilet and Snack. Children use the toilet and wash their hands.Two children a day will take it in turns to set the tables and serve the snack which offers opportunities for language development, maths, social interaction etc. Sometimes the children will eat a snack they have prepared earlier.
10.45 – 11.15Mandarin/ Activity CirclesWhilst the children are engaging in activities our mandarin teacher will in the classroom for 30 minutes exposing the children to Mandarin “in situ” in a fun and engaging manner
11.15 – 11.30Outside PlayThe children may choose from climbing frames, sand pit, ride-on toys, balls, hoops, stilts etc.
11.30 – 11.45Library TimeChildren choose a book to take home.
11.45 – 12.00Story / DramaStory and good-bye song.