We Make it Easy for You - Franchise Package
Our experienced team has rolled out preschools in 15 countries, complying with regulations too numerous to mention, navigating Ministries of Education, City Councils, Planning Approvals, Recruitment, Construction, Renovation, Procurement and making sure our preschools open on schedule, complete with teachers trained and certified by our partners Häme University, Finland. You'll never be alone or lost with Team Kipinä by your side.
Protection For Your Investment
Kipinä® and 'Start at the Finnish'® are registered, protected trademarks, which means only fully-licensed and approved early childhood facilities can use the Kipinä name and benefit from its reputation.
Together, we agree on a protected territory around your school so you'll be the only one in your catchment with a Kipinä preschool.
Each franchise is for ten years. As you approach the end of the period you can extend your franchise for another ten years, up to four times. This means you are in control of your territory for up to fifty years.
There is no renewal fee when you extend. You just have to be in full compliance with the territory agreement.
Academic Excellence, Robust Support, Teacher Training, Quality Assurance
Your teachers will be certified in Finnish Pedagogy at post-graduate level by completing short online programs especially designed for foreign teachers - delivered by our partners Häme University, Finland. Afterwards, we train your teachers in mastering the Kipinä curriculum, lesson planning, skills tracking and use of our extensive teacher tools and resources. This training takes place at your school shortly before you open, so we will be there with your team.
Our Academic Team continues to work closely with your principal or teacher with weekly catchups for the first 6 months of operation, and monthly thereafter. Our team also monitors your schools performance online through our software management tools and by reviewing materials prepared for classes, as well as activities shared with parents.
Every year we conduct an academic audit of your preschool. We interview select staff and parents and we conduct a survey of all parents.
The Kipinä Curriculum is a "living" program, We update it regularly, taking advantage of the latest scientific research and developments.
Business Support, Financial Models, Procurement, Best Operating Procedures
There's more to your Kipinä preschool than the academic side. We support our partners in opening their schools - helping with many areas including; procurement, marketing, recruitment, budgeting, financial models, location assessments, design and strategy.
After your school is up and running we provide advice on a wide range of administrative issues from managing tours, to communicating with parents and staff, trouble shooting, and efficiency.
Resources Included in Your Franchise
Unique Enhanced Finland Curriculum (in English, French, Russian, Romanian, Azerbaijan, Arabic - or any language you need)
The Kipinä curricula cover six key learning areas (which are mapped to Finland's Transversal Competencies) including: Literature, Communication & Language, Relationships & Character Development, Cultural Awareness & Diversity, Numeracy, Cognitive Development through Play and Exploration, Physical Development & Wellness Awareness.
Using this as a starting point Kipinä adds Focused Instruction, STEAM elements, executive functioning and 21st century skills.
Kipinä is a teacher-led learning framework where all the activities are play-based but learning is intentional, measurable, and scaffolded.
200+ Weekly Lesson Plans. Your Teachers Will Love You
Finland is blessed with largely free or highly subsidised education. Consequently, Finnish teachers are highly educated (usually to Master's degree level) and they are exposed to many disciplines and learning pathways. Kipinä has created more than 200 weekly lesson plans for children aged from birth to 6 years. Teachers can use these lesson plans to deliver expertly crafted activities that guide children on their learning journeys.
University-Certified Teacher Training (in Finnish Pedagogy)
Your opening teachers receive post-graduate level online training in Finnish Pedagogy & Finnish Academic Leadership through our university partners Häme (Finland). We provide 3 different modules that have been specially designed for teachers outside Finland. Average completion time is 6-8 weeks.
Simple Management Software. Cloud-based. Always Secure.
Administrators use the desktop version. It's securely hosted in the cloud and can be accessed from any computer and any browser that has an internet connection. This is where you adjust settings and enter some simple key data such as: open hours, term dates, classes, staff profiles, parent info, and of course child profiles (including medical records and consent forms). Any paper documents can also be scanned and uploaded, keeping all your records in one place.
Information recorded by teachers using their app, such as attendance, activities, daily journal (eating, sleeping etc), as well as photos, videos and messages to parents, are automatically saved to the child's file for administrators to monitor and review.
Real-Time, Live Feed, Parent Apps (iOS + Android)
Parents download their app from Apple or Google Play. It works seamlessly with any modern late model smart phone. They enter their login details and wham! - their screen is automatically populated with their child's information and a daily feed. Here they can see photos, videos, messages, diary notes, and progress reports that have been shared by their child's teacher in real-time. They can see activities their child is doing today and how that relates to the curriculum, lesson plans and learning objectives.
Easy-to-use Teacher Tablet App (Android)
Our teacher app works on any late model android tablet with a screen size of 10 inches. Teachers simply download the app from Google Play, enter their login credentials, and wham! - they can see their classroom, their kids, their lesson plan for the day, and all the skills they are tracking to ensure children are progressing. Using the app they can share text messages, videos, photos, voice notes, journal activities, badges and progress reports, directly with a single parent, or with multiple parents, instantly. Just by touching a few icons. Your teachers will thank you for the time they save and for removing tedium administration they are usually forced to do.
Online Resource Centre
Owning or managing a kindergarten is becoming increasingly difficult and you may be hit with legal claims by parents, or compliance issues with licensing authorities, at any time. Kipinä provides you with world-class document templates for every imaginable use - from Policies & Procedures to Emergency Response, HR, Operations, Consent Forms - we have you covered.
World Class Operations
Owning or managing a kindergarten is becoming increasingly difficult and you may be hit with legal claims by parents, or compliance issues with licensing authorities, at any time. Kipinä provides you with world-class document templates for every imaginable use - from Policies & Procedures to Emergency Response, HR, Operations, Consent Forms - we have you covered.
Always-Free Fast-Track Teacher Training from Kipinä
Our teacher app works on any late model android tablet with a screen size of 10 inches. Teachers simply download the app from Google Play, enter their login credentials, and wham! - they can see their classroom, their kids, their lesson plan for the day, and all the skills they are tracking to ensure children are progressing. Using the app they can share text messages, videos, photos, voice notes, journal activities, badges and progress reports, directly with a single parent, or with multiple parents, instantly. Just by touching a few icons. Your teachers will thank you for the time they save and for removing tedious administration they are usually forced to do.