L'Ecole St Julian's

Parents who move to St Julian's from the UK often arrive with a clear picture of nursery life and find that Malta does things a little differently. L'Ecole St Julian's is a good example. It occupies the former parish hall on Triq Lapsi, beside the parish church, and it was fitted out as a thoroughly modern centre with the Nordic style of early years education in mind. Children aged three months to three years spend their days here exploring, learning and playing.

L'Ecole is a family of six childcare centres, and this branch is its newest. It is listed on VisitMalta.co.uk among the nurseries in Malta, where you can compare other settings across the islands.

Who L'Ecole is and how it grew

The first L'Ecole centre opened in Qormi in 2011, inspired by a devotion to caring for children and a growing need in the community for safe, reliable childcare. In 2014 the government introduced the Free Childcare Scheme to help parents enter or return to work, and demand for places rose sharply. A second centre followed in Żebbuġ in 2015 and a third in Siġġiewi in 2017, then Msida in January 2020.

Two flagship centres opened in 2020: Blata l-Bajda first and then St Julian's, the newest of the group. Both were designed with the Nordic approach in mind and equipped with a wide range of learning resources. The group is run by general manager Bettina Vilhjalmsson, with Arnar Vilhjalmsson responsible for management and marketing, and a manager at each centre. Ivana Scerri De Carlo manages the St Julian's centre.

The St Julian's centre

The centre is on Triq Lapsi in St Julian's, in the building known as the Ex Parish Hall, and it opens from 6am to 6pm. Early opening is helpful for parents who work in the busy offices and gaming companies around the bay, and our guide to iGaming in Malta explains why so many professionals have settled in this part of the island.

Inside, the rooms are organised around low furniture, natural materials and open-ended resources. A courtyard play area with artificial grass, a wooden playhouse and a water wall gives children somewhere to be outdoors every day. Role-play corners, a train table, a light table, wooden blocks and a sensory area with a soft tent provide indoor variety. Each of the group's centres has its own character, so ask to see the St Julian's rooms for yourself.

The centre sits close to the bay, with restaurants, galleries and shops nearby. 2B Gallery is only about 200 m away, and Accurit Accountancy is under a kilometre away for parents who need help with accounts.

The Nordic approach to early years

L'Ecole follows the Nordic approach, which treats learning as something that happens through play, relationships and time outdoors. Instead of formal lessons, children take part in social interaction and activities that follow their own curiosity. The approach stresses children's rights, democratic values and a holistic view of development, and it fits well with a child-led philosophy of free play.

Activities are carefully planned but unstructured, so children can interact freely. Themes are planned with each child's interests and needs in mind. The team uses role play and story time to support cognitive, gross motor, sensory, mathematical, social and emotional skills, and also teaches everyday basics that help children when they move up to kindergarten.

For UK readers, the closest comparison is the play-led, child-initiated style of good early years settings in Britain, although the group works within the Maltese national standards for early childhood education.

Values and communication with parents

Five core values guide the centres: safety, entertainment, education, teamwork and communication. Safety comes first, with all carers trained in health and safety. Activities are meant to be enjoyable and shaped by what each child likes. Education means preparing little ones for the next big step, and teamwork is modelled by carers so that children see it in action.

Communication matters to the group, which keeps several lines open with parents and guardians so that you hear about your child's progress. Leaving a baby or toddler for the first time is hard, and the team promises to help with that transition and uses years of experience to ease the change in routine for both child and parent.

A typical day, activities and events

The daily routine includes circle time, crafts, music, dancing, outdoor play, role play, storytelling and messy play, together with meals and nap time. Nappy changing and potty support are provided throughout the day. Each week has a theme, such as science, health, hygiene or growing food, and there are colour weeks too.

Beyond the daily rhythm, the calendar includes parent activity days, parent meetings, an annual celebration day, outings and concerts, and yoga sessions for toddlers. Staff workshops are held frequently, with talks from child psychotherapists, child psychologists, doctors and other specialists, which keeps carers up to date with good practice.

Ages, groups and qualified carers

The centre takes children from three months to three years. Children are grouped by age and each child has an allocated carer. Group ratios are three children to one carer for babies up to a year, five to one for children from 12 to 24 months, and six to one for children from 24 to 36 months, with mixed groups at six to one.

All of the group's teams are fully qualified, with a level 4 diploma in child caring, and they are certified in food handling and paediatric first aid. Carers are trained in health and safety. All centres are certified as licensed and registered with the Department of Education.

The Free Childcare Scheme and fees

L'Ecole takes part in the Free Childcare Scheme, so eligible families pay no fees. The scheme is open to anyone who lives and works in Malta and is employed or studying, subject to its terms and conditions. Parents can also apply by fee where the scheme does not apply. The website has the application form and checklist for the scheme in its resources section, along with an information leaflet.

A one-time, non-refundable enrolment fee secures your child's place. The amount is not published, so ask when you enquire. Places are offered on a first come, first served basis at every centre. The scheme ends automatically when a child starts kindergarten: children born between 1 January and 30 April begin kindergarten in February, and those born between 1 May and 31 December begin in October, though they may keep attending L'Ecole until the end of January or September.

If you are moving from the UK, our guide to relocating to Malta and Malta tax guide for UK nationals set out the wider picture, and CLA Malta offers company, tax and relocation services. For residence paperwork, see the Accredited Agent for the Malta Residence and Visa Programme, about 1.4 km away.

Practical points before you start

Parents provide their child's food and drink from home, since the centre does not supply meals. Pushchairs cannot be left at the centre, for reasons of hygiene and space. The centre is open all year apart from some days at Christmas, a week of summer break in August and public holidays or bridge holidays, and the list of closure days is handed out at enrolment.

Settling in is gradual. A child can start for an hour or two in the first days, with hours increasing over time, and staff keep in touch with parents if a child finds it hard to settle. Forms such as the emergency information record, pick-up permission, activity authorisation and picture and video permission are available through the group's resources section.

Families who want to see the centre can arrange a meeting and a walk-around. At weekends, our Valletta guide describes the capital across the bay, and Adventure Cruises Malta, around 1.7 km away, runs boat trips for a family day on the water.

Contacting L'Ecole St Julian's

The centre is on Triq Lapsi, St Julian's STJ 1260, in the Ex Parish Hall beside the parish church. The group has other centres in Qormi, Żebbuġ, Siġġiewi, Msida and Blata l-Bajda, which is the one that opens on Saturdays. If you want to move or compare, the team can talk through your options.

Use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the L'Ecole team, who will reply to you directly with details of availability and how to enrol.