How is the school organised?

For the 2011-12 academic year, Kate is the only teacher, assisted by her husband, Asenake Eshete. One guard/handiman is employed to protect the school equipment and furniture. (Kate hopes to be in a position to recruit additional teaching staff from September 2012, but this depends on sufficient funding being secured to cover salaries.)

During termtime, the school is open Monday to Friday (except on public holidays). In the mornings the children do activities; in the afternoons they watch children's programmes and films on a 21-inch television. (Kate uses the afternoons to do administration and to prepare activities for the next class.)

All classes follow the same general routine:

- gymnastics (for example, rolling on a straw mattress) followed by outdoor play with equipment (pedal cars, tricycles, rocking horse, skipping ropes, etc)

- wash hands and do English routine to dry hands (see below), eat morning snack

- outdoor play (brief) while tables are cleared and wiped clean

- wash hands again

- yoga exercises (whilst standing) to dry hands (5 minutes)

- play at tables - puzzles, games and toys, picture books, drawing (In addition, Infants do some reading and writing in Amharic and English.)

- water and sand play

Other activities include playing with balloons, relay races, football matches and counting games.

Music, dance, drama, cutting and sticking, watercolour painting, and simple geography (recognising continents and countries) are being introduced to Infants 2 during Semester 2. Apart from experiencing traditional Ethiopian songs and instruments, pupils will learn English nursery songs and recorder-playing.

The emphasis is on learning through play.

For example, a task such as drying hands after washing is an opportunity to learn English. Instead of using towels the children do a short routine:

Sit down - Stand up - Clap your hands - Two arms up - Two arms down - One arm up - One arm down - One leg up - One leg down - Turn around - Wiggle - and Wave

By the time the children have each had a turn at leading their classmates through the routine, their hands are dry. (Kate got the idea for this activity from a Teletubbies programme and the children love it).