Chiltern House

Founded over 20 years ago, Chiltern House was named after Julia Gabriel’s parents’ home in England. Much like a home, Chiltern House is a place of warmth, security and love – but with full childcare services within a comprehensive preschool curriculum. As children’s first school experience away from home, Chiltern aims to nurture their independence, positive self-esteem and instil a love for lifelong learning.

Priming for Primary

The holistic curriculum takes an integrated approach to ensure each child will have a strong foundation that makes a dramatic difference in primary school and beyond.

Dedicated early childhood educators facilitate authentic learning opportunities and engage children in purposeful experiences that allow them to explore, discover and create – key elements of EduDrama®, a proprietary Julia Gabriel methodology that has successfully empowered children’s language development, confidence, social emotional awareness, critical thinking, physical expression, language, voice and speech, organisation skills, imagination and concentration since 1983.

Chiltern House also has one of the smallest teacher-to-child ratios in Singapore – allowing ample opportunity for teachers to follow each child’s progress closely, and adapt activities based on their learning needs.

The Chiltern House Approach

Learning Centres in each classroom are where children explore and learn at their own pace, while reinforcing what they have learned in these subjects:

1) Language and Literacy

The Oxford Reading Tree is at the heart of Chiltern House’s reading scheme, supplemented by a selection of fiction and non-fiction titles. Through conversations, speech and a variety of phonemic and phonics-based activities, children strengthen their literacy skills with proficiency both in reading and writing.

2) Mathematics

The key focus is exploration and problem solving, building on a child’s intuitive insights and prior knowledge. A language-based approach combines a variety of methods to reinforce mathematical concepts.

3) Physical Education

Children learn to work in teams or by themselves. During this time they develop both fine and gross motor skills, whilst having fun in the playground.

4) Computer Discovery

Computer work is integrated throughout the curriculum. Every student learns to think and write naturally with a computer. The Oxford Reading Tree language programme is stored in all computers, enabling students to practise reading from a variety of media.

5) Cookery and Science

Science-based activities become fun with cooking. Children learn about cooperation and healthy attitudes towards eating. Cooking classes provide natural practice for estimating, measuring, dividing and other related maths skills, observation, experimentation, language and number practice.

6) Art and Craft

Art and craft develops creative thought and fine motor skills. Children express their creativity in a variety of materials and techniques appropriate for their age and development.

7) Mandarin

Children are thoroughly prepared for primary school Chinese by specialist language teachers. At the Nursery level, the focus is on developing ear training and an awareness of sounds. Vocabulary is built through song, language games, activities and stories. In Kindergarten, written work begins as vocabulary builds and extends to story writing in Kindergarten 2.

8) Aesthetics

Once a week, Speech and Drama (EduDrama) and Music sessions are taught by specialist teachers from Julia Gabriel Centre.

Young Performers’ Certificate

Kindergarten 1 and Kindergarten 2 students at Chiltern House also work towards completing Trinity College London’s Young Performers’ Certificate. Students class build their performing and communication skills by putting together a group performance for a Trinity College London examiner. This is approximately 10 – 15 minutes long, and incorporates multiple performance skills such as acting, storytelling, presenting poetry or prose, mime, expressive movement and puppetry.