What age can children start in Early Years?

Children can join our Early Years programme from 9-12 months in Pre-Nursery, beginning their journey in a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment.

How do you support each child’s individual needs?

With small class sizes and experienced teachers, we ensure every child is known, valued and supported. Activities are adapted to each child’s developmental stage and learning pace.

What makes Hamelin‑Laie Early Years unique?

Our combination of the IEYC framework, trilingual learning, small classes and a caring international community creates a warm environment where every child can thrive and feel a true sense of belonging.

How are the Early Years classes structured, and what are the different stages called?

Our Early Years programme is carefully structured to reflect each stage of a child’s development, ensuring a smooth and nurturing progression throughout their early education journey. The Early Year stages correspond to the following age groups and common systems: Pre‑Nursery 1: from 1-2 years old Pre‑Nursery 2: around 2-3 years old Nursery: around 3-4 years old (equivalent to I3) Reception: around 4–5 years old (equivalent to I4) Year 1: around 5–6 years old (equivalent to I5)

How do you help children adapt to starting school?

We understand that starting school is a big step for both children and parents. To support a smooth transition, we offer a gradual adaptation period in Pre-Nursery and Nursery, including an introductory visit with families and a reduced timetable during the first few days. This approach helps children settle into their new environment, build relationships with their teachers and classmates, and begin their school journey with confidence and security.

How do families stay informed and involved?

We believe that a strong partnership between school and home is essential for every child’s success. Families receive regular updates through our school communication platforms and weekly newsletters, keeping them informed about school life, key dates and important announcements. Parents also have ongoing access to their child’s teacher and scheduled parent-teacher meetings throughout the year, ensuring open, transparent and supportive communication at every stage of their child’s learning journey.

What are the Tuition fees?

Annual tuition fees are as follows: Pre‑Nursery 1 & 2: 11,454 EUR Early Years (Nursery, Reception, Year 1): 11,186 EUR For full details on what is included, payment schedules and availability, families are invited to contact our Admissions team.

Looking for more details about transport, uniforms or daily life at school?

For other essential information about school life, uniforms, transport, school meals, the school calendar and other key school procedures, please visit our Parents Essentials important information, resources and updates families need to stay informed and support their child's journey at Hamelin-Laie International School.

1 TO 5 YEARS OLD

EARLY YEARS CURRICULUM

Q: What are the Tuition fees?

Annual tuition fees are as follows: Pre‑Nursery 1 &amp; 2: 11,454 EUR Early Years (Nursery, Reception, Year 1): 11,186 EUR For full details on what is included, payment schedules and availability, families are invited to contact our Admissions team.

At Hamelin-Laie, our international Early Years stage is built on the principles of the International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC), a forward-thinking framework designed to support children’s natural curiosity and early development.

As an international nursery school in Barcelona, our students primarily learn in English, but also have opportunities to learn Spanish and Catalan. In a fully international environment, our youngest learners explore engaging, hands-on experiences that promote language acquisition, social-emotional growth, and foundational academic skills. Through imaginative, thematic learning, we foster a love of discovery and set the stage for confident, independent learners ready to thrive in a global context.

OUR EARLY YEARS EDUCATION

At Hamelin-Laie, our Early Years students embark on a meaningful and joyful learning journey through the International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC) – a play-based, inquiry-led approach that supports their academic, personal, and social development from the very beginning.

Each day is filled with engaging, hands-on experiences that spark curiosity and creativity, empowering our youngest learners to take an active role in their growth. The IEYC’s thematic units are taught across multiple subject areas and begin with dynamic entry points that capture children’s attention, encourage investigation, and build deep understanding over time.

Our students set personal learning goals that inspire and challenge them in a nurturing environment where their identity is valued and celebrated. At the same time, they develop a global mindset, learning to appreciate and respect the diverse cultures and nationalities that make up our vibrant international community.

Early Years Curriculum | Hamelin-Laie International School - Image-50-50

Boosting your child’s growth

Our early years curriculum builds a strong foundation for your child's future academic growth. To create this foundation, we focus on two stages of development.

THE 1ST STAGE

1 TO 3 YEARS OLD

We cater to each child’s learning needs. Through stimulating games and activities, we take a holistic approach to nurturing their abilities, alongside their emotional and physical growth. Half of their learning is in English, and the other half is divided between Spanish and Catalan.

THE 2ND STAGE

3 TO 5 YEARS OLD

We guide our young learners to discover and explore primarily in English, 90% at this stage, with the remaining 10% of instruction in Spanish and Catalan. We give tailored guidance to each child, helping them build their skills and knowledge in the best way for their personal growth.

A LOVE FOR READING FROM AN EARLY AGE

Our early years children begin to learn to read using images, where each new vocabulary word has a corresponding illustration. We also focus on reading phonics and syllables, helping students to ‘sound out’ new words.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

We link physical development with academic growth in our early years programme. Specific physical activities that develop fine motor and coordination skills – such as obstacle courses, crawling, and exercises on monkey bars – stimulate their intellectual capacities. These physical activities also nourish their wellbeing and confidence.

primary

Early Years

A TYPICAL DAY IN EARLY YEARS

Whether they’re expressing creativity, getting active on the sports field, or giving back to our community, our students enjoy a great range of learning experiences.

A warm welcome

As our youngest learners enter the classroom, they can show off their colourful schoolwork on display while parents talk with the class teacher. After settling in, we delve into our emotional education and ask how everyone’s feeling.

A warm welcome

Let’s get moving!

Physical activity is an important part of our everyday programme. Our expert teachers stimulate each child’s motor skills and personal growth through thrilling obstacle courses, crawling, and monkey bar exercises!

Let’s get moving!

Fuelling up

Lunchtime allows our little ones to rest and recharge over fresh and delicious food, prepared by our in-house catering team. Keeping our little ones happy and full of energy helps them get ready for an afternoon of learning ahead.

Fuelling up

Learning through experiences

Hands-on learning stimulates our children’s curiosity! Our teachers foster each child’s skills and confidence to grow and play in their own, personal ways of enjoyment, making learning fun and memorable for the future.

Learning through experiences

Let’s be creative

We give our youngest students the freedom to express themselves, explore new ideas, and see the world in a different light. Early reading activities animate each child’s imagination and encourage them to think and respond.

Let’s be creative

The fun doesn’t stop!

We have endless activities for our students to choose from after school – musical theatre, ballet, football, roller-skating, and so much more. Our little ones begin to discover what they love and can’t wait to do more of tomorrow.

The fun doesn’t stop!

WHAT THEY SAY

“My daughter is in Year 3 and she goes to school every morning with a big smile. We’re really happy with her teachers, they’re warm, attentive, and make the lessons engaging. Her English has improved so much since she started, and we can really see how confident she’s become. We couldn’t be happier with the experience so far!”

Parent Source: International School Database, November 2025

“We’ve been at the school for two years, and our two children are very happy at Hamelin-Laie. The Early Years teachers are warm, caring, and genuinely devoted to the children. Our 4-year-old’s English has improved tremendously and he’s now able to hold a fluent conversation. The school environment is excellent, and the international community is something you can truly feel in the classroom. We are extremely happy and would definitely recommend Hamelin-Laie to future families!”

PARENT Source: International School Database, November 2025

“Our 18-month-old son started his kindergarten study in Hamelin in 6 months.

The groups are small and there are two teachers: one with native English and the other with Spanish and Catalan. Thus, children learn three languages from diapers. The facilities are very new and the floor has heating. For very young people it is important because they spend a lot of time crawling.

At the academic level it is noticeable that children do not come only to play but to learn. Our son already knows how to differentiate colors and distinguish parts of the human body. The teachers are very creative and professional.”

eARLY yEARS Parent, Source: World Schools, 2023

FAQs

What age can children start in Early Years?

Children can join our Early Years programme from 9-12 months in Pre-Nursery, beginning their journey in a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment.
How do you support each child’s individual needs?

With small class sizes and experienced teachers, we ensure every child is known, valued and supported. Activities are adapted to each child’s developmental stage and learning pace.
What makes Hamelin‑Laie Early Years unique?

Our combination of the IEYC framework, trilingual learning, small classes and a caring international community creates a warm environment where every child can thrive and feel a true sense of belonging.
How are the Early Years classes structured, and what are the different stages called?
Our Early Years programme is carefully structured to reflect each stage of a child’s development, ensuring a smooth and nurturing progression throughout their early education journey.

The Early Year stages correspond to the following age groups and common systems:
- Pre‑Nursery 1: from 1-2 years old
- Pre‑Nursery 2: around 2-3 years old
- Nursery: around 3-4 years old (equivalent to I3)
- Reception: around 4–5 years old (equivalent to I4)
- Year 1: around 5–6 years old (equivalent to I5)
How do you help children adapt to starting school?

We understand that starting school is a big step for both children and parents. To support a smooth transition, we offer a gradual adaptation period in Pre-Nursery and Nursery, including an introductory visit with families and a reduced timetable during the first few days. This approach helps children settle into their new environment, build relationships with their teachers and classmates, and begin their school journey with confidence and security.
How do families stay informed and involved?

We believe that a strong partnership between school and home is essential for every child’s success. Families receive regular updates through our school communication platforms and weekly newsletters, keeping them informed about school life, key dates and important announcements. Parents also have ongoing access to their child’s teacher and scheduled parent-teacher meetings throughout the year, ensuring open, transparent and supportive communication at every stage of their child’s learning journey.
What are the Tuition fees?
Annual tuition fees are as follows:
- Pre‑Nursery 1 & 2: 11,454 EUR
- Early Years (Nursery, Reception, Year 1): 11,186 EUR
For full details on what is included, payment schedules and availability, families are invited to contact our Admissions team.
Looking for more details about transport, uniforms or daily life at school?

For other essential information about school life, uniforms, transport, school meals, the school calendar and other key school procedures, please visit our Parents Essentials important information, resources and updates families need to stay informed and support their child's journey at Hamelin-Laie International School.

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