For parents lacking the luxury of hiring a domestic helper or leaving their child with family members, choosing the right after-school student care centre can become a daunting task. After-school care centres are safe spaces for students to be cared for and guided in their learning. Typically, they come in the form of community-based and school-based centres. But when it is time to find appropriate student care for your little one, there are many considerations to take into account. In this article, we will discuss the most important factors that define an excellent after-school student care centre, such as educational philosophy and curriculum to help parents make an informed decision.
1. Educational Philosophy
A great after-school student care centre is defined by its vision and values. Leading student school care programmes such as MindSpace have a clear vision about the values they would like to nurture in their students. They have a detailed, well-thought-through education framework that equips students with a head start in both their academic and personal development.
Consider, for instance, MindSpace’s educational philosophy. Incorporating the proprietary research evidence-based pedagogy from the creators of the No.1 Preschool and Enrichment Academy, MindChamps – MindSpace is the first and only after school student care centre in Singapore that empowers your child to develop the Champion Mindset.
The groundbreaking pedagogy of the Champion Mindset draws upon the research of award-winning neuroscientist Emeritus Professor Allan Snyder who pioneered the 3-minds approach – to help children have a Champion Mind, Learning Mind and Creative Mind. The Champion Mind encourages students to go beyond conventional wisdom in embracing their unique strengths to overcome adversity. Training them to learn how to understand, recall and synthesise information is The Learning Mind’s Focus. Lastly, The Creative Mind teaches students to be able to make connections between different perspectives and integrate them to be problem-solvers & innovators that generate fresh, creative ideas. The focus on the well-rounded development of your child at MindSpace translates into a greater capacity for effective and lifelong learning.
2. Curriculum
Increasingly, another quality that Singaporean parents use to benchmark a good student care centre is the strength of its curriculum. While parents used to tutor their children after school, they are progressively turning to after school programmes to bolster their child’s learning. There are several reasons why parents have come to the realisation that they might not make the best tutors. Aside from the toll that work and their hectic lifestyles take on them, which often inhibits their ability to teach well, the constantly shifting educational landscape means that parents often do not have their pulse on curriculum changes. A majority of primary schools offer basic after-school student care services but are limited to homework supervision and spelling. These limitations make community-based student care centres even more enticing, with their wide range of tuition, reading and enrichment programmes.
MindSpace has created proprietary learning techniques for its curriculum to accelerate your child’s development. Our Primary 1-2 students are exposed to The Art of Learning with an emphasis on how to analyse, evaluate and apply new concepts where creativity is encouraged through finding alternative solutions to challenges. On top of that, upper primary students are taught using The Optimal Flow Method™ to make sense of what they learn in the form of concepts for increased understanding and recall. When students begin to embody these pedagogies, they will be equipped to excel in not just their academic life but in their personal lives too.
3. Holiday Programmes
The next indicator of an exceptional student care centre is having holistic holiday programmes. With more time on their hands, school holidays are a great way to build a myriad of skills like communication and creativity in children.
In MindSpace’s holiday programmes, they are exposed to 3 additional areas outside of normal classes – Champion Communication, Champion Theatre and Champion Mind & Learning Mind Masterclass. Champion Communication hones your child’s public speaking and performance presentation skills to place them in good standing to become an effective communicator. Nurturing the Creative Mind, The Champion Theatre expands their range of interests and increases their creative resources, allowing your child to explore new ways of problem-solving. The Masterclass develops your child’s Champion Mind and Learning Mind using highly engaging activities, collaborative projects as well as sessions with guest speakers.
4. Location
The convenience of location is another deciding factor for what makes a good student care centre. Juggling work with family, most parents do not have the time to travel far to send or pick up their children. That’s why many parents value ease of accessibility for student care services. Although school-based centres could be closer, their facilities are incomparable to community-based student care providers and leading centres. MindSpace has multiple locations scattered islandwide for parents’ convenience.
Give Your Child A Head Start With MindSpace
Finding a suitable student care centre for your child is vital for their mental, emotional and social development. That is why going with an established operator like MindSpace gives your child the best possible chance to get a head start in their learning journey. Book a visit to our centre to find out more now.