Early Childhood Centre
The Early Years at ISB's ECC
We are a preschool (barnehage) that focuses on the development of the whole child by promoting and incorporating play-based learning in all age groups each day. We provide a safe, inclusive, warm, and engaging learning environment for each child in our care.
ISB's Early Childhood Center AS (ECC) is a close-knit preschool consisting of small groups of children from the ages of 1 to six years old. With dedicated staff, we are able to offer a unique and loving environment on a shared campus with grades 1 to 10. Being on these premises gives the children weekly access to an in-house library (with a special section dedicated to the ECC!), the spacious school gym for exciting indoor activities, as well as a large cafeteria allowing for special celebrations and events. Being part of educuational environment with a wide age range enriches our ECC and allows collaboration across the school, as well as a participation in a thriving community.
The ECC has its own wing on the premises, custom-built for the early years at ISB. In addition to four individual classrooms, the children have access to a dedicated art room, a gross motor room (complete with a climbing wall), and a performing arts room with a stage, musical instruments, and a puppet theater.
Our corridor allows for play across age-groups with different types of materials to explore, including construction, transportation, role play, fine motor skills, even a quiet reading corner!
We are proud of providing an inclusive and safe learning and play environment, through organising our students in small groups where the individual child has a voice.
Outdoor play also contributes greatly to our students' social and emotional learning. We have two amazing playgrounds that provide a safe, exciting, and varied outdoor learning environment that not only promote a love of nature, but also developing motor skills and spatial awareness. Our playgrounds include forest areas with winding paths and a grill hut. Other popular attractions include bike paths, slides, a swing set, sandboxes, and a vegetable garden, just to mention a few.
The whole area is enclosed to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of our youngest students. Community walks are prioritized each week in all classes, adapted to their age group.
Our language of instruction is English. We use an inquiry-based approach, using teaching methods which build upon individual understandings, knowledge, and interests. Tuned-in staff provide an environment where children have agency in the classroom and have a say in what and how they learn.
As our curriculum blends the Norwegian Framework plan for Kindergartens, and the Primary Years Programme (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate, it allows us to create a unique approach to teaching and learning, specific to ISB's ECC.
Recognizing an international perspective, we welcome the diversity of student experiences and backgrounds. Our objective is to develop internationally minded students in a high quality learning and play environment.
“I love seeing our students grow through inquiry-based play in an inclusive, safe and inspiring learning environment,”
– Alyssa Dyrdal, ECC Principal
Important Information
ECC's opening hours are 7:30 - 16:30. We follow the school calendar.
Pre-school and Kindergarten admissions are made in collaboration with the central database maintained by Bergen Kommune. For this reason, parents applying for admission to our Preschool and Kindergarten programmes are required to complete the ISB application form in addition to the application forms issued by Bergen Kommune. If you have an difficulties filling in the form in Norwegian, there is information available in other languages, otherwise please contact the School Office for assistance.
Fees are aligned with all preschools supported by Bergen Kommune which may be subject to regulation in January if determined by the government's national budget. Students enrolling in the ECC after the start of a month will be charged for the entire month during which they enrol. No tuition refunds will be given to departing students for uncompleted fractions of a month in which they are enrolled.
Families with more than one sibling in the ECC will receive the Bergen Kommune sibling discount. This discount will be refunded to families during the months of January and June.