Lilla Bullerbyn’s vision and profile
The kindergarten currently has permission for 28 children (1-6 years). All places are filled and we manage a separate queue for applicants. Demand is greater than our receiving capacity.
We are blessed with beautiful surroundings at Charlottendal’s farm, which is owned privately. There is an agreement between the farm and the kindergarten to use the facilities, garden, and to work with the animals. The special thing about Lilla Bullerbyn is that children get to participate in taking care of the farm’s animals: sheep, chickens and horses, as well as in caring for the garden. We also have an outdoor day every week where we make excursions to the forest or the surrounding area. Some teachers live on the farm, which builds a close community on site and provides opportunities to develop a “local culture” through, for example, seasonal festivals and other celebrations.
Parents look for our activities to give their children the opportunity to participate in work around nature and animal care. Children get to see the succession of seasons and annual cycles in the garden and the farm animals’ life. They can thus develop a circular (rather than linear) understanding of how nature works. Thanks to the farm’s small scale, ideas around farm pedagogy can easily be supported and put into practice between the farm and the kindergarten.
Our organisation is characterized by good handling, competence, and strong participation (parents can reach us easily). As we work on a small scale, we have fast means of communication between staff and parents and reinforced social participation, with development talks once a semester, parent-teacher meetings twice a semester and a parents’ dinner once a year. At parent-teacher meetings, staff divide their courses and trainings, which is followed by reflective conversations with the parents. Parent-teacher meetings are documented and communicated to those who have not been present. We also provide phone lists for all those connected to the kindergarten.