Term Time Plus: Extending the Year with Care, Continuity and French Immersion
At EMAS we have always held a simple principle at the centre of our work with young children: early childhood deserves stability, warmth and deep respect for developmental needs.
For some time, families have asked whether we might extend provision into the school holidays. Historically, holiday attendance for our youngest children has been modest. There has never been overwhelming demand. However, there has consistently been some demand. And for a number of families, that modest need makes a significant difference. The availability of holiday care can be the deciding factor in whether they are able to choose our school at all.
Rather than simply opening the doors for childcare, we wanted to respond thoughtfully. If we were to extend the year, it had to be done in a way that genuinely benefits children and aligns with our Montessori ethos.
Why Term Time Plus?
Edinburgh offers a wide and vibrant landscape of holiday clubs for older children. Sports camps, creative workshops and specialist activities fill the school breaks. We occasionally host external clubs here at EMAS when groups are looking for space.
But for nursery and Primary 1 aged children, the picture is very different. Provision for the youngest children is limited. Families often find themselves piecing together short-term solutions during longer holidays. For very young children, this can mean multiple unfamiliar environments, different adults, shifting routines and long days in spaces not designed for them.
That is not ideal.
Young children thrive on continuity. They need familiar adults, predictable rhythms and environments carefully prepared for their developmental stage. With this in mind, we developed Term Time Plus.
What Is Term Time Plus?
Term Time Plus allows Nursery and Primary 1 children to attend up to an additional eight weeks of provision across the year.
It is not simply a holiday club. It is an extension of our educational approach, designed with the same attention to environment, relationships and developmental integrity as our term-time programme.
Our aim is twofold:
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To meet the genuine care needs of families.
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To honour the developmental needs of the child.
We are pleased to be able to offer an ongoing home-from-home experience. Children remain with familiar teachers in the same prepared environments, surrounded by materials they know and trust. The downstairs classrooms are extended and opened up, giving access to a rich range of Montessori materials, art resources and practical life activities.
And alongside this, we introduce something special.
French Immersion and Holiday Joy
Term Time Plus includes a gentle French immersion strand woven throughout the day. Language is absorbed most naturally at this age, and short bursts of conversational French, songs, cooking instructions and play-based vocabulary create a joyful and organic experience.
The pilot sessions we ran in February were a delight to observe. The small group quickly established daily routines. There was a beautiful rhythm to the days:
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Art explorations
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Cooking together
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Music and movement
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Montessori work cycles
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Outdoor play
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Free imaginative play
The environment did much of the work. Because it was familiar, children settled quickly. Because the group was small, relationships deepened. Because the adults were known and trusted, children felt secure enough to explore.
French was not taught in a formal sense. It was lived. Through songs, simple instructions, shared meals and conversation, the language became part of the atmosphere rather than an imposed lesson.
A Thoughtful Extension, Not an Extension of Pressure
It is important to say that Term Time Plus is optional. Childhood must not become a twelve-month academic treadmill. Rest matters. Family time matters. Unstructured time matters.
Term Time Plus exists to support those families who need it, and to do so in a way that enhances rather than dilutes early childhood.
For some children, it will provide welcome continuity and social connection. For some families, it will provide essential stability. For all who attend, it will offer warmth, familiarity and meaningful engagement.
We believe early years education should be coherent, intentional and humane. If we extend the year, we do so with care.
Term Time Plus is our way of doing just that.