Espai Aigua is an early years and primary school.
- Officially recognised school
- From early years (age 3) to Year 6 of primary
- Ratios of 8 to 13 children per reference adult
- Continuous school day, 9 am to 3 pm
How we learn
School is not a place of preparation for later life; it is in itself a place of life (J. Dewey). A present, in a specific context that shapes our daily activity and our perspectives.
No exclusion
We are all included from the moment we are born. Diversity is not accepted: it simply is.
Ecology and feminism
Every form of expression is equally valid and recognised. At school, care is at the centre of our human and non-human relationships.
Undisciplined projects
Our proposal is a new methodology for approaching the school curriculum through, among other things, interdisciplinarity.
Timetable
The school runs a continuous day from 9 am to 3 pm. From 3 pm we offer an extended-hours service and after-school activities to help families balance work and family life.
Throughout the day, children take part in various proposals, which take place in settings designed and prepared to encourage each kind of learning and experience. We are committed to slow education, which respects different rhythms and allows the time needed to go deeper into processes, without an overly fragmented structure.
A day at school
We practise respect, limits, uncertainty, intuition, error, classifications, listening, detail, the body and the commons.
Early years · ages 3 to 6
In early years we focus on specialised support for each child’s emotional processes and self-regulation.
Early years
Primary · ages 6 to 12
Our pedagogical approach draws on experimentation, learning by doing, the arts, the maker and tinkering movements…
Primary
Families
Families are an active part of the educational community and can take part in the life of the school in different ways, according to their interests, possibilities and availability. Their participation takes shape both in everyday activities and celebrations and in working committees, which drive projects forward and respond to needs as they arise. We also have a school management working group, in which families, teachers and the school’s leadership take part. In addition, families take part in the upkeep and running of the school through a task system, which allows everyone to contribute to sustaining the space and the community.
Being a family at Espai AiguaPedagogical Lab
The Pedagogical Lab is a space designed for learning to create projects through experience. A creative space to explore other ways of building knowledge, opening perspectives and trying out different paths. A space for learning by doing.
Espai Aigua’s Pedagogical Lab is a space the groups use regularly in everyday school life, making it possible to carry out activities and proposals in a setting different from the school itself.
In the afternoons and on some weekends, the Lab also hosts training for educators, families and anyone interested, with an approach centred on learning by doing.
Questions we are often asked
Is the school officially recognised?
Espai Aigua is an officially recognised early years and primary school. Recognition, obtained after the building was adapted, gives official status to the children’s schooling at the project without giving up our way of doing things.
What is settling in like?
We know that starting out at school is not the same for everyone. Each child and each family needs their own time to settle into school, get to know the accompanying adults and the other children, and feel safe in the spaces and everyday dynamics. That is why the project gives children the possibility of settling in over whatever period of time is needed, according to each family’s circumstances. The teaching team places special emphasis on accompanying this stage, to help the child open up to the new reality.
How much does it cost?
€504 × 12 payments. Paid all year round, July and August included. The July fee includes the three weeks of summer camp. Siblings: €352 per month.
Do families have to take part?
In this conception of school, the presence of families is very important, as is their involvement and collaboration to the extent that each feels comfortable. Families can take part in proposals, tell stories, contribute ideas, suggest changes, always respecting the rules of the space and the project’s pedagogical line. We recommend getting involved and taking part, as far as possible, in family meetings and pedagogical meetings, and keeping communication with the teaching team fluid and up to date. It is essential, however, that there be a commitment to the educational project and its principles, so that children are accompanied coherently, giving great weight to the bonds created both with the children and with the families. These close bonds make far more precise, systemic and holistic work possible.
What is the ratio?
The school’s overall ratio is roughly one reference adult for every 10–12 children. In the early years it comes down to a maximum of 8 to 10 children per reference adult, while in primary it rises to 12–13, depending on the characteristics of each group. These ratios may vary slightly in primary according to the group’s needs, but we always aim for them to be small enough to guarantee close follow-up consistent with our pedagogical principles and to attentively accompany the different learning, emotional and personal processes that take place throughout the stage.
Can I visit before deciding?
Yes, during school hours in term time. Enrolment is open all year round. If you would like to get to know the project, you can contact us to arrange a visit.
Come and visit
Enrolment is open all year round. If you would like to get to know the project, you can contact us to arrange a visit.