Early Years at SCAIS
Our Early Years delivers an inquiry-based learning environment for children aged 3 to 5, cultivating curiosity both within our dedicated classrooms and across our outdoor campus.
Early childhood shapes how a person learns, adapts, and connects with the world for the rest of their life. At SCAIS, we build on this natural window of development by introducing the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework right from the start, turning children's spontaneous curiosity into structured exploration and real problem-solving. Every space on our nature-connected campus is used intentionally, meaning that daily play, outdoor discovery, and classroom time work together to naturally develop multilingual fluency, emotional confidence, and sharp cognitive skills.
The Core Pillars of Our Early Learning Model
An IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) Candidate School
Our curriculum will follow the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework from age 3. Through inquiry-based learning, children explore global themes that connect different subjects, helping them develop critical thinking early on and building a solid foundation for their future academic path.
Immersive Multilingual Fluency
Children absorb languages best when they are young and using them in real contexts. Our early learning environment introduces English, Portuguese, and French naturally through daily routines, collaborative projects, and peer interaction.
Nature-Based Learning & Outdoor Education
We make full use of our campus surroundings by integrating outdoor education and forest school practices into daily learning. Instead of just reading about the world, children develop practical skills through direct contact with nature and the local ecosystems of Alcochete.
The Power of Purposeful Play
Play is central to how young children understand the world. Our teachers structure play-based and experiential activities with specific cognitive and social goals in mind, ensuring that every task challenges a child's mind while respecting their natural pace.
Will your child learn subjects, or learn how to think?
In the real world, problems don't come labeled as "math" or "literacy".
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Watch this short, 3-minute official IB video to see how we will teach children to connect the dots from day one.