Progressive School

LEAP in my opinion

NAME OF SCHOOL:
LEAP (learning Experiently Through Appropriate Practice) School for young Children
MANAGEMENT

1. Are they accommodating? : Yes, but needs improvement. It's good that they make the teacher talk with the parent but I think they should have a person in charge as their info/concierge, who is very familiar with the school and who will always be available to accommodate parents inquiring or who are just plain present every visit. They do have a concierge but I think it's more of a secretary to them, when I asked her questions she directed me to the teacher and she seemed to have known only a few things.
2. Do they have consultants? :
3. QUALIFICATION OF FACULTY AND STAFF: Yes, please see attached photo below
4. Experience years (from when was this school established): 10 years

SCHOOL FACILITIES

1. How big is the school: Imagine a big bungalow type house with a garden turned into a play ground, a garage turned into a playground/sand box area/nanny room, 3 bed rooms turned into an office, a toddler's classroom and a kinder 1's classroom, an extra guest room turned into a kinder 1 class room, a kitchen turned into the kid's eating area, a dining area turned into a gymboree, living room turned into a waiting area and an extra activity room turned into a kinder 2's class room. I am honestly not satisfied with their facilities, specially that they have a very high tuition fee. Some areas seem not maintained, and it was really obvious how old they are from the inside.
2. Rating of the facility and pictures: 7 out of 10. For a pretty expensive school, the area isn't much maintained, plus it doesn't look much like a school but more of a house. (see photos)
3. List of areas (play. Dining, nap, classroom etc): They have a gym/play area inside filled with matting and soft upholstered pillows, dining/kitchen, 4 classrooms, 2 play areas outside (one sandbox), a waiting area inside for parents and a waiting area outside for nannies.
4. Materials of kids in school (daily basis): Included in tuition
5. Materials of kids in presentations (paid or additional payment or parent provides own materials):
6. Day care available? : no
7. Facilities that cater the sped needs and impaired needs?: They don't have a program for that.

SCHOOL SURROUNDINGS

1. School's social environment: Filled with kids that are included in the social classes A and B. I think most of these kids are spoiled with high end materials, judging from the observation I had in my visit. All of the kids there go by car.
2. Location: Green meadows ave (Google maps isn't giving the correct location of leap so here's a photo of where it really is. Just look where the red star is) You won't actually miss it because it has a big sign "LEAP" in front of the gate. Except of course if there are cars parking outside during class time, they will cover up the sign.

Travel time from Katipunan: 10 minutes without traffic Parking: They don't have one and it's a big problem. The street outside is a no parking zone, a busy street too. Most of the time, they initiate the heavy traffic because of the parents/fetchers picking up or dropping off of kids and the drivers that park in front of the school. Most of the time drivers park there even if it's a no parking zone, then they just leave when there's MMDA coming to approach them.

1. Security, how many and how? : One security guard and another guy to do assisting. They always keep the gates closed. The setting of the area looks like a big house with a very high gate.

FACULTY

1. How many nannies available for help to the teacher: They have someone to help them when needed but only one person.
2. ratio of kid and teacher :7 kids to one teacher in toddler's; 15 kids to two teachers
3. How many students per classroom and all in all (maximum): 9 in toddler, 15 in kinder 1 or 2

TEACHING METHOD

1. Type of teaching method (progressive or traditional or others): Developmental appropriate - a type of progressive method but I think it's more of playing than really studying. (Check the schedule of activities)
2. Do they have a tracker for the kid's development: yep, a checklist
3. PTC (how often and how is it conducted) AND reports : 3x a year: 1st one is a progress chart, second is like reporting of your child's progress and activities, and the third is an evaluation.
4. Do they personally interact with the parents to gain trust/to report/accommodate the needs of the family?: yes in PTC's
5. Do they involve the parent in the evaluation of kids? : Yes in PTC's
6. Socialization (community day evaluation): field trips around areas are their community days.

SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND ACTIVITIES

1. Schedule time (TIME AVAILABILITY OF CLASSES): 8:45-11/9:45-12 for toddlers and just add another hour for kinder1 or 2 and both every day. It actually got me worried in getting my kid in there because she will probably get tired if she goes to school every day as young as a toddler. In their defense, they say they want the kid to be able to adapt to the school setting that is why they have it daily.
2. Schedule of activities (daily activities inside the class): 45 min of play to get used to the environment, circle time then activity (music/arts; depends on that particular day) and then the rest of the day is playing. It actually failed my standards, I was hoping something much more productive. It seemed like you hired a baby sitter for 2-3 hours everyday for a very high price. (not considering the gas going there and the lunch baon)
3. Children's presentations:
4. Extracurricular activities available: cooking, music, art. They have something like kinder music, which is an added program. They have trips to different places like Tiendesitas (for the pets) etc.
5. Up to what level do they offer (preschool, grade-school, hs etc):Only up to kinder 2, but they had this vertical class this year: a combination of 4 and 5 year olds. I kinda don't get what's the difference of it from kinder 2.
6. Difference of each level:

PARENT'S FEEDBACK 1. Testimonials of parents : One parent moved her kid to another school because her kid kept crying every time they pass by the school, which made her really wonder why that's the case because if we think about it, kids are supposed to love school-specially because this is where they have fun (specially if it's a progressive school) and play with their classmates. 2. Biased treatment : None-said by the teacher I was talking to. They don't have religion or cultural preferences for students; in fact they say they had an Australian student last year. 3. Religion wise treatment no biases: none (see above) 4. Cultural biased opinions : none (see above) 5. Security/crime incidents: NO kidnappings or whatsoever SCHOOL RULES AND REGULATIONS 1. Available snacks and food (free?): Nope, only on cooking days. They make the students bring their own food for the child's own security (in case of allergies etc) 2. Sick kid policy : let the kid go home if they start to look fever-ish or have colds. 3. School bus or carpool available? : 4. Student uniform: No 5. Teacher uniform: No OTHERS 1. Affiliations to other companies: CHED accredited. 2. Perks/other special programs included (mock interviews, camping etc. what's so special?): They have a mock interview for kinder 2 students so they will be ready for the big school's interview. 3. Discounts (alumni associations etc): 4. Sped needs catered?: No, they don't have a program for that 5. Can you leave your kid to school?: Yes, very safe environment. They have a security system of keeping photos of those who are allowed to fetch the kid. They also have visitor's passes, keeping ID's of visitors going in and out. Judging from my observations, they will keep the kid busy while the fetcher is still not around, accommodating them in the waiting area. 6. Impaired needs catered?: They don't accept PASSING RATE to big schools: they don't keep track but they say last year everyone got into the school they wanted. TUTION FEE: PHP98, 000!!! (they lowered it from the rumored PHP189, 000) WEBSITE: http://www.leapschoolforyoungchildren.com/

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Mommy D is a single parent, currently raising her adorable 2 year old kid: Kloe.This Blog has only one mission: to share information across Philippines about motherhood, single parenting, opinions on places and products which are kid-friendly and of course, a review and reveal about preschools and day-cares. This site will also share and reveal what its like to be a very young single parent, share experiences and lessons in motherhood, hoping to find parents out there to relate with her.

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