Primrose
Through safe, nurturing environments and low student-teacher ratios, Primrose school teachers build strong relationships with each child — discovering their interests, strengths and areas of opportunity to help them reach their fullest potential.
Q&A with Primrose
What makes Primrose unique?
Julie and Bryan Bowman are the proud owners of these 4 Primrose Schools. They started the Primrose School at WestClay back in 2007. Prior to that, Julie had been in education for 15 years both as an educator and as an administrator for Hamilton Southeastern Schools. Not only do Julie and Bryan live in the area and have a daily presence within the schools, they were both born and raised in Indiana. They take pride in their schools and strive to meet each families unique educational and care needs. The goals of all 4 schools is to develop an atmosphere that is healthy, safe, educational, and fun so each child can develop into a successful citizen. The children should leave each day with a smile on their face embracing a life long love for learning. Each of their 4 schools understand the importance of excellent staff and maintain a low teacher turnover. Julie and Bryan only hire the best teachers, they provide onsite and offsite teacher training, and they offer benefits.
What ages and grade levels does Primrose serve?
Infants as young as 6 weeks old through 12 years old. We offer a private kindergarten program and after-school services through our Explorers program.
What is the enrollment process, and are there any key dates families should know?
We are openly enrolling throughout the school year and typically can have up to two classroom transitions a year: one in the fall and then one in the early spring. We always encourage parents to tour our school, take advantage of our complimentary Discovery Day, and then complete the pre-registration form along with the registration fee to ensure we have a spot secured for your child.
What are the standard school day hours, and does Primrose offer flexible schedules or before- and after-school care?
Each school is open from 6:30 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday. We offer full-time and part-time (2-4 day a week) options starting in our Toddler aged room, as well as a School Day Kindergarten program (8:00 am - 3:00 pm), and an afterschool Sunset Explorer program for school aged children.
Does Primrose offer support for children with special needs?
Our schools are inclusive. We have successfully serviced many children with special needs in the past.
What enrichment programs and activities does Primrose offer?
Each of our schools offer ancillary activities throughout the week, starting with children as young as 2 years old. Some of programs focus on sports, yoga, dance, and Tae Kwon Do.
What is Primrose’s educational philosophy?
The Primrose Schools Balanced Learning® approach combines purposeful play and nurturing guidance from teachers to inspire children to think with curiosity, creativity, confidence and compassion. This exclusive, time-tested approach brings together the best early education wisdom with modern research and learning science to encourage a love of learning that will serve children through kindergarten and far beyond.
Research shows that introducing a skill when a child is truly ready leads to mastery instead of frustration. Then, building on that skill to learn the next one comes naturally — and learning becomes so much fun! Before you know it, you have a confident child who loves learning. And what could be more rewarding than that?
How many children are in each class, and how are they grouped?
We follow Indiana State ratios for licensed childcare facilities in all of our classrooms. Children are grouped into classrooms based on their birthday, and the maximum group size is based on the youngest child on the classroom's roster.
What is the teacher-to-child ratio?
Primrose schools in the Indianapolis Metro Area follow Indiana State ratios for licensed child care facilities:
Infants — 4:1 with a max group size of 8
Toddlers and Early Preschool — 5:1 with a max group size of 10
Preschool Pathways — 7:1 with a max group size of 14
Preschool — 10:1 with a max group size of 20
Pre-Kindergarten — 12:1 with a max group size of 24
Kindergarten/Explorers — 15:1 with a max group size of 30
What are the teachers’ credentials?
All of our teachers are First-Aid/CPR certified and have completed our Primrose specific training through our Learning Manager before working in their classroom. Many of our staff members are currently working or have obtained their CDA and/or have taken classes or obtained their bachelor's in a field related to ECE.
Is parent participation required?
There is no level of required participation from parents, but Primrose schools do offer a daily look into your child’s activities through the Procare app, hold parent/teacher conferences for students in Preschool and up, and host a series of events throughout the year for families.
How do teachers communicate with families, and how often do they send updates?
Teachers communicate with parents and send live updates on a daily basis through the Procare app. Parents are able to directly respond to the teachers and staff through the same app.
How much time do children spend outside?
Absolutely! Students typically enjoy at least 1 hour outside per day; 30 minutes in the morning and then 30 minutes in the afternoon. Playground spaces are age-appropriate and thoughtfully designed to encourage exploration, imagination and safety.
Are meals or snacks provided?
Yes, tasty and nutritious meals and snacks are included in the price of tuition. Primrose schools are nut/tree nut-free facilities and offer accommodations to children with food allergies or dietary restrictions.
Does my child need to be potty-trained?
No, Primrose schools do not require children to be potty-trained by a certain age because every child is different.
Who should families contact for more information about Primrose?
Parents can learn more at PrimroseSchools.com/Indianapolis or by contacting their local school listed at the top of this page.
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Beech Tree House Center for Child Development, Inc.
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