Building Character Through Intercultural Education

Our Values-Based Approach to Early Years Development

At Hatching Dragons, character education is woven into everything we do. In a world of growing complexity, we believe it’s vital to help children develop a strong moral foundation, one that helps them understand themselves, others, and the global community they’re part of. We don’t just teach children what to learn, we help them discover how to be..

Raising Ethical Thinkers in a Changing World

From rising social pressures to rapid technological change, children today are growing up in a world that asks more of them than ever before, emotionally, ethically, and socially.

At Hatching Dragons, we recognise that global citizenship education must begin with strong values. Children need a compass to guide their thinking, choices and relationships, one that is rooted in both ancient wisdom and modern empathy.

That’s why we’ve created a unique, intercultural curriculum that blends traditional pedagogy with real-world relevance. Our character development approach is reflective, age-appropriate, and anchored in kindness, justice, and respect.

One Value, One Region, Each Month

The Values We Teach

Each month, our nursery teams introduce a guiding value, an ethical principle we explore together through stories, discussion and everyday actions. These values are chosen to be inclusive and universally meaningful, and each is linked to a region of the world, helping children explore cultural capital through a values-led lens.

We use circle time and classroom discussions to reflect with children and staff alike. These values are embedded in behavior modelling and celebrated throughout our nurseries.

Examples of our monthly values include:

Month	Core Value	Region Focus
January	Courtesy	Arctic Peoples
February	Honesty	East Asia
March	To Be Good	Northern Europe
April	Respect	Southern Europe
May	Harmony & Peace	South Asia
June	Temperance	Central Asia
July	Doing Right	Africa
August	Consideration	Australasia
September	Wisdom	Middle East
October	Benevolence	North America
November	Courage	South America
December	Loyalty	Scandinavia

These monthly themes promote emotional development, social awareness, and ethical thinking, all while nurturing a deeper understanding of global cultures.

Curating Cultural Capital Through Global Exploration

Our curriculum uses these values as gateways to a broader world of ideas, stories and traditions. Every region is explored through arts, literature, music, food, celebrations and languages, so children learn not only about the world, but also what it feels like to be part of it.

By embedding this into our early learning centre model, we give children the opportunity to:

Build early empathy and global awareness
Connect values with real-world behaviours
See difference as a strength
Engage with a wide range of cultural materials
Understand how diverse societies function

It’s what makes our nurseries stand out as centres for multicultural education and personal growth.

Our Education

A Balanced Pedagogy: Child-Led & Adult-Guided

We combine child-led exploration with intentional, adult-guided teaching, because both approaches matter.

Just as we teach phonics and numeracy through structure and play, we introduce values and culture through conversation, guided discussion, and hands-on learning. We support children as they make sense of big ideas in small, meaningful ways.

We believe that critical thinking, kindness, and cooperation can be taught, when they’re modelled and practised daily.

Download Our Wheel of Learning

Annual Global Curriculum: 12 Regions, 12 Journeys

Every month, we explore a new region of the world as part of our global learning pathway:

January: Arctic & Polar Peoples
February: China & East Asia
March: Northern Europe
April: Southern Europe
May: India & the Subcontinent
June: Russia & Eastern Europe
July: Africa
August: Australia & South Pacific
September: Middle East
October: North America
November: South & Central America
December: Scandinavia

This layered approach gives children a strong sense of belonging, both locally and globally.

Multicultural and Intercultural Childcare

Our Nursery Schools

Our nursery schools are based in the heart of London, serving working families in the City, Westminster and Canada Water. Whether you're searching for a nursery near me or a values-led childcare provider, we're here to help.

08:00-18:30

City of London

Ideal for professionals seeking convenient childcare close to the office.

City of London

08:00-18:00

Westminster (Pimlico)

Located on the grounds of St James the Less Church with outdoor play areas.

Westminster

07:30-18:30

Canada Water

Forest school facilities set in Lavender Park Nature Reserve.

Canada Water

Multilingualism & Global Citizenship

Our values-led curriculum is enriched through multilingual education. Specialist language teachers introduce Mandarin and other future-facing languages through immersive learning.

This supports:

Language fluency
Memory and focus
Emotional intelligence
Intercultural competence