We visited Cambridge Development Center in Salcedo Village, Makati today, and I must say - the facilities are quite impressive. The school is large, spacious, and well-maintained, with areas dedicated for play, class, books, audio/visual activities, etc. There are separate bathrooms for girls and boys. And yes, they do have a fire exit. ;)
They have their own mixed curriculum/methodology following Singapore and Montessori methods, among others. The fact that they have an activity time tailored to each child's skill level and time set aside for grooming lessons (putting on clothes, brushing one's teeth, etc.) was a big plus for me as well.
The only drawback for me - and this is more of a personal thing, really - is that I'm only looking for a toddler school this year. Three times a week, a couple of hours of play and learn to introduce my toddler to the school set up and help her interact with kids her age. Unfortunately, Cambridge only offers toddler class for 1.5 - 2.5 years old. At 2.7 years old, my daughter would be part of their Nursery 1 class - 5 times a week, 3 hours a day. Also, they do not allow parents/yayas inside the classroom. I feel that my child is not yet ready for this kind of schedule, nor do I feel the need to force her into it yet.
The school has an open-enrollment system wherein you can enroll anytime during the year. I'm definitely putting my child up for a trial class and will see later in the year if she's ready for actual schooling.
hi, would like to know if the school offers Mandarin as part of their curriculum and how much is the tuition? Out of curiousity, where did you send your daughter? thanks
ReplyDeleteHi! I'm not sure if they offer Mandarin...it didn't come up when I inquired. My daughter went to Gymboree Alabang - I went to a number of branches and found that the teachers, teaching style, and curriculum could be very different depending on the branch! I was not disappointed in my choice. My daughter passed the Assumption entrance exam and if all goes well, she'll be going to school there this coming June.
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