School Feature: The Little Tulip School

School Feature: The Little Tulip School

Please introduce yourself and your background?

My name is Yvonne Edozien, and I’m the CEO of The Little Tulip Learning Centre. I have a BA in Business Economics and an MSc in International Business and Economic Development both from the University of Reading, UK. I have approximately Nine (9) Years working experience in Investment Banking, in roles including Research and Corporate Communications.

How did you decide to start a School?

In 2013, I decided the time was right to start The Little Tulip, and thus actualise a long held aspiration to go into child education and provide an international standard learning institution for young children. I have always been passionate about the need to provide quality education for children as well as help their emotional and social development. I had very set ideas of what I wanted to achieve and the sort of team that would require. From the onset, I partnered with TLT’s Manager, who has decades of international experience in Childcare. I have been able to complement this with knowledge of the local environment as well as years of experience in Research, Customer Service, Branding, etc as well as more recent training in Childcare and education.

What is the name of the School and when was it founded?

The Little Tulip was founded in October 2013. It is located at No 6a Ayo Jagun Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos

Please give details of your staff/administration?

The Manager is Lisa Nnodim-Raphael who has studied and worked with children for 20 years in the UK. Her area of expertise is teaching children from birth – 10 years following the Early Years Foundation Stage (UK Curriculum). She is passionate about working with children and giving each child exactly what they deserve, which is a good start in life.

Every member of staff employed at The Little Tulip is trained by the Manager to ensure that they are working to the high standards expected by both Management and our clients. Staff are only recruited after they have successfully completed the training programme to our satisfaction. Each person then remains on probation for a fixed period of time, while on the job training continues.

What is the curriculum/teaching methodology?

At The Little Tulip, we adopt the UK Early Years Foundation Stage

What is the Ratio of Teacher to Students?

3 months – 16 months: 1:2

16 months – 24 months: 1:3

24 months – 36 months: 1:4

What age range are your students?

We offer classes for 3 months – 4 years, split as follows:

Baby Buds: 3 months – 16 months

Little Shoots: 16 months – 24 months

Petals: 24 months – 36/48 months

*Children are able to remain at The Little Tulip until they leave for Nursery School, often between the ages of 3 and 4. The School has a capacity for 35 students and we currently have 28 students.

What are the School Hours and any after school services offered?

Parents are offered one of three plans to fit their work schedules: 7am – 1.30pm, 7am – 4 pm, or 7am – 7pm. Specific After School Clubs for children who do not attend The Little Tulip during the day will be introduced in September.

What is the admission process?

Admission/registration requires that parents fill in the forms in our registration package. Evidence of immunisations, passport photographs of the child and all people authorised to drop off and collect him/her from TLT will also be needed to complete the process. Fees can be paid per month or per term which makes it possible for children to join us during an ongoing term.

How do you assess students’ progress?

At the end of every term, a report is prepared by each child’s Primary Carer and Management – following the guidelines set by the Early Years Foundation Stage. These reports are then discussed with parents at individual sessions which allow for proper interaction between parents, staff and Management.

What are your Discipline methods?

We use the ‘Time Out’ method. We tell a child what they have done wrong and tell them they have to go in ‘Time Out’. They then sit for a specific length of time, and then are asked to say sorry to the person in question. The time they are left to sit for depends on their age i.e 1 minute for each year of their age. So 1 minute for a child who is 1 year old, 2 minutes for a child who is 2 years old etc.

We understand that children are just that, children and will sometimes be naughty. Parents are spoken to at the discretion of Management, when a child’s naughty behaviour is repetitive, escalating, etc.

How can parents contact you for more information? Or to schedule a visit to the school?

Please call us on 0813 801 6012 or 0818 727 8487, or e-mail us at [email protected]. Our visiting hours are 10.30am – 1.00pm Monday to Friday, we will be happy to show you round during those times.

What should parents be looking for to decide if your school would work for them/their children?

The Little Tulip is a safe, warm, loving, happy ‘home away from home’ focused on excellence and devoted to helping young children develop emotionally, intellectually, and physically. We believe that children start learning from a very early age and it is our desire to nurture this by teaching them through play.

The Little Tulip is run by various professionals who complement each other. Personal and professional experience, attention to detail, leadership by doing, teamwork, excellence, integrity, passion, and genuine love for and commitment to what we do are merely some aspects of our management style.

The Little Tulip promise is to provide each child with a secure, nurturing, educational, and fun experience that will lead to a love of learning and a positive self-esteem through our balanced learning approach. Each child will discover their surroundings, their senses, their social skills, and so much more through games, role-play and reading.