The Purple Elephant 55

The Purple Elephant@55, located at the end of a quiet soi in Thonglor embodies the importance of relationships. The glass connecting the various spaces inside and out pays homage to the connectedness that reinforces the pedagogy of relationships, in turn supporting more meaningful learning for those fortunate to find themselves gracing her environs. Meanwhile, the bamboo play structure enhances the beauty derived from using natural materials and reinforces the blending of old with new, pristine and perfect with recycled and repurposed, creating a lovely ambience in this stunning environment that is designed for children from eighteen months to three years of age.

We respond to the curious nature of young children by providing them with rich experiences that encourage a ‘sense of wonder’. With wondering comes discoveries that the children eagerly share with one other, their teachers, and their families. They come to see themselves as part of an interactive world where they can build a rich and meaningful community with connections between home and school, and the world beyond. We believe that every child is born with the many languages of life, and that these languages are interactive by nature. The children are given many opportunities to investigate their ideas through these languages, making sense of their world, and sharing their perceptions with their friends.

Our environment – a thoughtful, creative and wonder-filled environment – fuels the young child’s learning and imagining. The beautiful and inspiring spaces, both inside and out, are purposefully designed to encourage natural exploration, and heighten the curiosity of those fortunate enough to inhabit these environs. Exploring the variety of materials set out as intentional provocations, the children are given opportunities to investigate their ideas, inviting inquiry, dialogue and co-construction, and allowing the children to deepen and expand their knowledge.

Children who are members of a nurturing, collaborative community of young inquirers develop a sense of belonging, and an understanding of their own identity, voice and feelings that leads to optimal development and learning. This, and the relationships they form with aesthetically pleasing settings, their teachers and families, becomes the foundation for life-long learning that embraces fair-mindedness, inclusion, and the cultural values and practices embedded in every environment they encounter.

Each child brings to the centre unique life experiences that are respected for their diversity, and all are considered to be brimming with potential – potential that is supported by an approach to teaching that takes full advantage of the physical space to develop mental and physical abilities as well as the foundational knowledge required for later literacy and numeracy.