The first White Lodge Kindergarten opened its doors at 39 Linden Drive on 15th July 1999 with three students, two teachers and a determination to improve the standard of kindergarten education here in Singapore.
White Lodge’s founding director, Jayne Nadarajoo was also a parent, and she realised that childhood education tends to focus on academic excellence, with little emphasis on longer-term intellectual and emotional growth. Not satisfied with how children were being nurtured in schools and armed with ten years of experience in early childhood care, Jayne decided to start her own kindergarten for her children, Saktish and Kenisha.
At this time White Lodge incorporated the theories of High Scope, Reggio Emilia and Howard Gardner and is still guided by a list of learning objectives. White Lodge was one of the very first schools in Singapore to acknowledge the value that creative education brings to preschool aged children.
The second school opened in 2001 on Jalan Siap, Upper Bukit Timah. Expanding rapidly to meet demand from parents, we opened our third school in 2002 in the West Coast, and in 2005 opened our doors at White Lodge East Coast. Recognising the growing demand for infant enrichment, White Lodge opened in 2006 at Loewen Gardens with an expanded scope to include a parent & child class for children six to eighteen months of age.
In 2009 we celebrated our ten year anniversary, looking to the future and planning for our first international venture. We engaged a brand consultancy to help us refresh our identity and to work with us on bringing our brand to life through both parent and child communications.
In 2011, a school was made available for acquisition and White Lodge was approached for this acquisition, which proved to be sucessful and brought the number of White Lodge schools to seven. In January 2012, we saw the opening of our eighth school at Phoenix Park. Blessed with lush green surroundings, we decided to incorporate green initiatives in the setting up of this school. The school’s surrounding terrian was incorporated as part of the learning and play activities used in the curriculum. Herb and vegetable patches are made accessible to our children to tend to and explore the growing process of these plants.
Since the first humble beginnings, White Lodge has not only grown in terms of the locations (it now boasts six kindergartens and two activity centres in Singapore and one kindergarten in Hanoi, Vietnam), but has also evolved in the services and programmes it provides.
White Lodge is committed to maintaining a high teacher-child ratio. White Lodge is also committed to being recognised as an employer of choice as well as having well trained local and expatriate teachers. Lastly White Lodge is committed to maintaining open communication and parent involvement.
“We inspire children to have dreams here at White Lodge. We tell the children to go for it, that nothing is impossible.” - Jayne Nadarajoo, Director
Time Line
1999 Bukit Timah Kindergarten
2001 Upper Bukit Timah Kindergarten
2002 West Coast Kindergarten
2005 East Coast Kindergarten
2006 Loewen Gardens School of the Arts
2011 Central North School of the Arts
2011 Hanoi Kindergarten
2011 Upper East Coast Kindergarten
2012 Phoenix Park Kindergarten
