KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse ushers in a sustainable era with a new look

KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse has been in the preschool education game for over 20 years. The organisation has earned its stripes for leading the way in purposeful play and inquiry-based learning.

Despite being known for its carefully curated curriculum tapping on purposeful play during the early years, and guided inquiry-based learning for older children, in recent years the preschool has seen a wave of rising competition.

Staying ahead of the game, Babilou Family Singapore, the parent company of KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse, knew the brand needed to stay relevant to the current market trends, and represent the full scope of its offerings which sets it apart. Keeping this in mind, the team decided it needed to revitalise and redefine KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse’s market positioning with a brand revamp.

As part of the revamp, the KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse brand identity was refreshed with a new vision, visual identity, logo and an overall new look that represents the future of children. The refresh was done keeping in mind its target audience’s perception of the brand and to build a loyal customer base.

Explaining the revamp further, Lena Soh, digital marketing and sales director of Babilou Family Singapore, said at the end of the day, its aim is to take the lead in the preschool education landscape and set itself apart.

As part of the rebranding, the school also infused a new mission pillar “Winning Planet” to emphasise sustainable education. Soh explained that with the world facing numerous environmental challenges, from climate change to resource depletion, teaching children to care for the environment can contribute to a more sustainable future.

“We believe that by instilling habits and values during the early years, this will highly likely stick with the preschoolers throughout their lives as they grow up. By exposing our children to sustainable education early on, we set the foundation for the next generation to be conscious of the impact on the planet,” Soh said.

Walking the talk, KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse’s newest centre in Jurong Gateway is currently seen as the number one most innovative and sustainable preschool in Singapore, and the centre is working towards a net zero energy preschool. It is also BCA Green mark certified.

Some of the interesting sustainable aspects the school embraces include solar panels that convert light to electricity, integrated energy and control systems such as smart switches, use of heat-reflecting paint (to lower indoor temperatures), and even an eco garden for a farm-to-plate experience.

Along with “Winning Planet”, two other key principles KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse focuses on include a “winning mindset” and a “winning experience”. The former aims to build confidence in every child, while the latter aims to cultivate a child’s confidence through a creative and exploratory environment.

With these three key pillars, KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse wants its students to be provided with an all-rounded learning experience in the areas of character development, creative exploration, linguistic literacy, sustainability, and global diversity.

“With this belief, we cultivate each child with the love for learning and inspire a winning mindset and attitude to prepare them for a good head start,” Soh said.

The new logo is designed to encapsulate all of this and can be seen through the individual elements and how they all come together in unison.

Decoding the new look

The new KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse logo incorporates a range of elements to showcase its belief that every child is a winner.

The figure on the left represents children and educators – the main focus of the organisation. The figure aims to remind educators and students that every child is unique in their own way and educators need to stay committed to bringing out the best in every child.

Meanwhile, the wings at the top tie back to the letter “W” in the brand which represents the notion of freedom to express creativity, and empower children to soar with confidence towards success. The pillar at the bottom right holds everything together.

Through collective efforts, KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse believes its educators set a strong foundation through the curriculum and programmes to support the growth and development of every child throughout their learning journey with it.

Lastly, the hidden star in the middle represents the organisation’s belief that there is a winner in every child and it is its mission to unleash their potential and help them shine in their own right.

A sense of community and collaboration

KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse also believes in fostering a sense of community and collaboration among students, parents, and teachers to create a nurturing and supportive learning ecosystem. There are numerous factors that contribute to this, including the relationship in the classroom to the relationship with the families.

“As children thrive in positive learning environments, we empower our children by focusing on their social and emotional development and building their confidence and resilience,” said Rowena Ramos, head of curriculum at Babilou Family Singapore.

Collaborative relationships are strengthened through inquiry opportunities, where children and educators work together on a learning journey of discovery. Meanwhile, establishing strong and trusting home-school relationships can also greatly make a difference in the lives of children and their families as the institution embraces a culture of open communication.

“We believe that regular sharing and conversations with families will allow both educators and families to align expectations, providing consistent support for the children,” Ramos said.

Going beyond the immediate, the organisation integrates community resources into its curriculum as it believes learning journeys beyond the classroom can lead to a deeper understanding of challenging concepts and help children to see things from different perspectives.

“Within this learning ecosystem, where children, educators, families, and the community come together, the interdependency strengthens the learning and development of the children and everyone involved. Growing in such a cohesive community and environment is what we believe is key in nurturing the lives of the children,” Ramos said.

This article was written in collaboration with Babilou Family Singapore, the parent company of KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse.