Ages 3 months to 18
Enrol with ease
Discover us & the campus
Where confidence grows
What's happening
Student between 3 and 5 years, join our Preschool full of desire to discover the world around them and have fun together. Through a child-centred and play-based approach, children grow up exploring, creating and enjoying active learning activities.
Learning through play
Start strong through purposeful play, exploring Portugal's OCEPE’s three core areas: Personal and Social Development, Expression and Communication, and Discovering the World.
Life skills
Develop future-ready skills through the ISP Life Competencies Framework, a life skills framework supported by Camtree, part of Hughes Hall at the University of Cambridge.
Bilingual exploration
Continue a bilingual journey into Portuguese and English through playful activities, song and games that strengthen oral confidence.
Individualised attention
Benefit from personalised support thanks to small class sizes and low teacher-student ratios, creating close relationships with both students and families.
Purpose-built spaces
Learn, explore and grow up in dedicated spaces, including six activity and play rooms, kid-sized classrooms, sports spaces and outdoor terraces and gardens.
Partnership with parents
Teachers partner up with parents by sharing constant updates on daily activities, classroom observations, portfolios of activities and progress.
Extended care
An extended care service is available from 7.30am to 7.30pm, included in the school fees. In the afternoon, children participate in extra-curricular activities, including dance, judo and swimming.
Friendly admissions process
Enrolments to our Preschool remain open year-round. Contact our Admissions team for personalised support.
Guided by the Orientações Curriculares para a Educação Pré-Escolar (OCEPE), children explore Personal and Social Development, Expression and Communication, and Discovering the World.
Developing oral and written expression
Children develop essential reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. With structured instruction, they acquire phonemic awareness and decoding skills, being able to read simple texts with increasing fluency.
They also develop comprehension through guided reading and debates, while writing focuses on sentence construction, correct spelling and grammar basics, promoting autonomy and confidence in communication.
Enhancing logical reasoning
From an early age, students develop the number sense through counting and number recognition, exploring quantities in everyday situations. They learn basic measurement concepts, such as size, weight and time, using everyday language.
These activities promote the development of reasoning skills, problem-solving, autonomy and confidence in mathematical exploration.
Interacting with the world
Students develop communication skills through oral language, storytelling, dramatic play and symbolic play.
They learn to express thoughts, needs, and emotions clearly, while expanding vocabulary, developing listening skills, and reinforcing confidence in verbal and nonverbal communication.
Meeting communities
Students explore their environment through observation, questioning and hands-on experiences. They develop awareness about people, places, technology and the natural world, laying the foundation for scientific thinking and cultural understanding.
By investigating, comparing and recording what they discover, they gain curiosity, respect for diversity, and the ability to think logically, preparing themselves to better understand the world and their role in it.
Freeing the inner self
Children express ideas and emotions through drawing, painting, modeling, and crafts. They experiment with different materials and techniques, such as paints, putties and fabrics, discovering textures and colors.
By creating with their hands, they develop fine motor skills, creativity and confidence in visual communication, while learning to solve small challenges and share what they feel and imagine with pride and joy.
Collaborating together
Students learn to manage emotions, build relationships and develop autonomy. Through guided games and routines, they acquire skills of cooperation, self-regulation, empathy and respect for others.
On a daily basis, they practice sharing, active listening and conflict resolution, gaining confidence to make choices autonomously. Thus, they grow more secure, understand their own and others' feelings, and strengthen positive bonds with everyone around them.
Playing with sounds
Children explore rhythm, intonation and sounds through singing, movement and simple instruments. Musical activities promote listening skills, self-expression, and initial understanding of musical patterns. By experimenting with melodies, beats and silences, they develop motor coordination, auditory memory and language.
Sharing music as a group reinforces confidence, creativity and the joy of communicating what they feel in a fun and natural way.
Growing strong and healthy
Up to the age of 5, our students develop gross motor skills, coordination, balance and spatial awareness. Through movement games and physical activities, they strengthen body confidence, teamwork and healthy lifestyle habits.
By running, jumping, climbing and dancing, they learn to know the limits of their bodies and respect their colleagues.
These fun experiences stimulate energy, resilience and a taste for exercise, creating solid foundations for physical and emotional well-being.
In Preschool, children learn safely, with close support from family and teachers, and develop social and emotional skills to succed inside and outside the classroom.
Academic achievement
Enjoy personalised learning that continuously enhances knowledge, skills and understanding.
Life competencies
Gain essential life skills to thrive inside and outside the classroom.
Multilingualism
Foster language skills and build confidence through playful exploration of English and Portuguese.
Children's progress is celebrated on a daily basis, valuing every achievement, from small discoveries to major social, emotional and cognitive advances. With group sharing, positive feedback, visual records and involved families, we highlight the learning process, promoting self-esteem, curiosity and a taste for learning.
Assessment is continuous, formative and child-centred, based on observation, portfolios and reflection. Learning is personalised so to respect individual rhythms and interests, with flexible environments, small groups and adjusted support.
Through guided play, active interactions, collaborative projects and creative activities, students develop essential skills, including communication, autonomy and independence, social interaction, emotional intelligence and teamwork.
Strong importance is placed on developing ethical awareness from an early age, as children apply respect, fairness and empathy in all activities.
In preschool, the discovery of a new language happens through play, music, movement and activities designed to arouse the curiosity of each child.
English is introduced in a playful and stimulating way, creating a positive and enthusiastic first contact with this new language. Songs, games, stories and moments of oral expression transform each session into an adventure, planting the seeds of a fluent and trusting relationship with the English language.
In our Preschool setting, every moment of the day is designed to help children grow happy, safe and full of curiosity about the world around them.
Extended hours
7.30am – 9.00am
Children are welcomed in the reception room.
Arrival
9am – 9.30am
Our children are welcomed with warmth and care, creating a safe and happy classroom environment.
Morning activities
9.30am – 11.30am
Pedagogical activities begin, stimulating the different areas of development.
Lunch
11.30am – 1pm
A moment of care and comfort, with age-appropriate meals that respect each child’s rhythm, in a calm and nurturing environment.
Nap and free time
1pm – 2.30pm
Children rest during nap time, except for the 5-year-old group, and enjoy free time — essential moments for their wellbeing and development.
Afternoon activities
2.30pm – 3.30pm
Guided play-based activities in a relaxed environment, where fun and learning continue hand in hand.
Snack
3.30pm – 4pm
A break for a balanced snack, promoting independence, social interaction and healthy eating habits.
School ends
4pm
Children leave school ready to tell all about their exciting days and share stories with parents.
4pm – 7.30pm
Families who need it can benefit from extended hours. Children may also take part in a range of extracurricular activities.
At Colégio Monte Maior, we offer flexible enrollment for Preschool throughout the year. Our Admissions team is available to answer your questions and help you choose the most suitable start date for your child.
Clubs, sports and opportunities
Our team
1st Cycle
Enquire now
Grow a lifelong love for learning from an early age in our Preschool at Colégio Monte Maior.
Partners
