Mission and vision
"A strong foundation with an extra focus on art, in thought and action, for every child.
Our Mission:
KBS De JazzSingel is a safe space where children aged 4-13 are seen and heard. We achieve this by providing quality education and talent development, while prioritizing alignment with children's educational needs and experiences. We tailor our offerings to the abilities and needs of the children, setting high expectations.
Our Vision:
Societal Aspect:
Children at KBS De JazzSingel are prepared for the future by incorporating contemporary skills such as collaboration, ICT skills, communication skills, and problem-solving into their education. These skills and talents are taught within our regular curriculum. Additionally, there is ample focus on creativity.
The team at KBS De JazzSingel values transparent communication and collaboration with children, parents, and institutions for childcare, education, health, and leisure. Our communication with parents is open, viewing them as partners since they are experienced individuals. From a school perspective, we are the professionals. Prioritizing the well-being of children, staff, and parents is paramount, with the aim of fostering a positive outlook on society.
The school follows the principles of the Peaceful School approach. It's important that parents and children see the school as a mini-society, a community where we strive to get along well. To achieve this, we make agreements together to create a positive educational climate. Lessons derived from the Peaceful School approach support us in this endeavor.
KBS De JazzSingel collaborates closely with Kind & Co's childcare and Spelenderwijs' toddler care, with the goal of creating a seamless continuum for children aged 4 to 13.
Pedagogical Aspect:
We offer a physically and socially safe environment using the principles of the Peaceful School, with a focus on children's well-being. Across all classes, the same interactions, values, and norms are emphasized. This approach helps children learn to respect each other's individuality and adhere to school rules. In addition, agreements are made with children in each class on how they want to function as a group. This approach gives children responsibility in both educational and societal contexts. They learn to act independently, and their resilience and autonomy are enhanced. To heed the ideas, feelings, and opinions of the students, we have a student council in school. These children represent the voice of the school.
Team members approach children positively, offering encouragement, stimulation, and teaching them social skills as well as cooperation and communal living.
Educational Aspect:
At KBS De JazzSingel, we provide each child with a 'solid foundation' by structuring our lessons in a way that caters to each child's instructional needs. To assess what a child requires, we work with outcomes and action plans. We systematically monitor children and pay attention to their developmental progress. This starts with the youngest children through 'playful learning and learning through play'. The concept of 'playful learning and learning through play' focuses on children developing through purposeful play.
Within each class, children are provided with structure and clarity through independent and collaborative work methods. This allows the teacher more time to guide children who need extra attention.
We emphasize Art & Culture. We dedicate educational time to creative subjects and have an above-average focus on culture. To shape our art and culture profile, we collaborate with KOPA, an organization for arts and culture education in Utrecht. KOPA develops themed lesson material, with the emphasis on the process rather than the end product. Using well-thought-out lesson kits developed by KOPA, we offer challenging and creative lessons. The PIONIER! (visual arts) curriculum serves as a guide. KOPA also coaches teachers in delivering lessons based on these kits.
Professionalism:
Teachers develop through peer consultation and feedback. We focus on collaborative learning and utilizing and developing competencies, while leveraging each teacher's personal strengths. Teachers have ample opportunities for professional growth by harnessing both internal and external expertise.
Our education is strengthened in multiple developmental areas through the use of development teams. This involves working in phases to implement, evaluate, and solidify policies.
We enhance our professionalism by following the methodology of De Betere Basisschool (The Better Elementary School). This approach provides an internal organizational structure focused on professionalism and quality.