Like most mothers, I felt a lot of pressure upon returning to work after spending the first two years at home with the little one.

To ease things up, I knew I had to find the best preschool for him and make sure it’s a safe and lovely place where he is going to grow, play and learn, eat healthy and enjoy every minute of the day.

After scouting all preschools around the house, none of which was what I was looking for, I visited BritAcademy, following a friend’s recommendation.

The first thing I loved about the place was the warm and playful atmosphere in the playground, the kids looked happy and confident, some of them greeted us and showed interest in playing with my son. It was the exact kind of atmosphere I was looking for.

I was impressed by the facilities, large outdoor area, security system and video surveillance, clubs and the wide range of teaching methods and materials we became acquainted with during the first visit. The preschool is accredited by COBIS (The Council of British International Schools), which means outstanding quality of education and well trained staff.

I wasn’t necessarily looking for an English speaking environment, but I was thrilled to hear kids talking so fluently. Children have great learning capacity, it’s easy for them to learn a foreign language, it happens naturally in the right environment.

The second thing I really loved was the learning philosophy, which combined playing and learning, while stimulating the children’s curiosity and carefully building their self-esteem and encouraging independent thinking and creativity, all dubbed by a strong sense of community based on developing their social skills.

Plus, as part of the adjustment process, I could accompany my son to preschool daily and spend time there, in order to make the transition easier and help him attach to the key workers.

So I spent my son’s first two weeks at the preschool and it was a great opportunity to get a sense of the community, know the children and befriend the key workers, taste the nutritious and healthy food and take part in all the fun and learning activities.

The first six months I opted for the short schedule and then moved him to the long one. One year later, he speaks really good English, has friends, is healthy and happy, self-confident, curious and strong-willed.