ES
Beatriz Portero, Head of the Early Years School at SEK-Atlántico, and Ana Iglesias, the school’s Pedagogical Director, have been interviewed by Faro de Vigo as leaders of the 0 to 6 stage at the school. In the conversation, both reflect on the key features and advantages of an educational model that combines pedagogical innovation, holistic well-being, and a strong foundation for learning from the very first months of life.
For Portero and Iglesias, the first six years are decisive. “During this period, the neurological, emotional, and relational foundations that will sustain future learning and life are built. What happens then is not preparatory—it is determining,” they emphasize. The Early Years School, they explain, is not simply a preliminary step toward later stages, but the moment when the foundations of holistic development are established.
They define this stage as a time that “requires specialized preparation, sensitivity, and intentional, respectful support for the child’s autonomy.” In the second cycle, students join the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP), growing academically while developing a profile that is “curious, inquisitive, caring, and critical.”
Spaces, Bilingualism, and Nature
Among the distinctive elements of their educational model, they highlight carefully designed spaces that foster rich and meaningful sensory learning experiences. “Play is the driving force of learning,” they state. This is complemented by bilingualism, which is integrated “into daily routines and everyday interactions from the very first day.”
Well-being is another essential pillar. “We seek to connect with nature through our vegetable garden or during our learning walks,” they explain, convinced that the environment plays an active role in the educational process.
Emotional and Physical Well-being
Emotional learning is addressed through daily coexistence. “Sharing, waiting for turns, or resolving small conflicts are attributes of the IB learner profile that are planted through simple experiences, not through speeches,” they note. In addition, the school implements the RULER method from Yale University, which helps students identify, understand, and regulate their emotions.
In terms of physical well-being and safety, the school provides an on-site nurse, an in-house kitchen with adapted menus, and twelve school bus routes equipped with certified restraint systems and accompanied by teachers.
Enriched Learning and Community
From ages 3 to 6, learning is further enriched through art, drama, and music with teachers from the Mayéusis Conservatory, as well as weekly visits to the laboratory that nurture students’ innate curiosity.
Families, they conclude, play an essential role. “Without them, there is no community.” Shared responsibility and ongoing communication are supported through the MySEK App, tutoring sessions, family classrooms, and experiential workshops for parents in the classroom, reinforcing an educational project built together from the very beginning.
