Kaarli School (Kaarli Congregation Kindergarten and Basic School) is a private school based on a Christian outlook, oriented primarily to families who consider the Christian worldview to be important and base their principles of education on the Christian value system, regardless of congregation.
Our mission is to help and support the development of a child based on his or her age-specific characteristics and taking into account his or her individuality. A growing child’s conviction of the value of life and the meaning of existence is created through the experience of one’s own existence as a valuable being. Creating such an experience is the most important task of education.
The uniqueness of a child can only be sustained in a climate of love, respect and trust, and therefore our education is based on the principles that take into account the persons next to us. The school is like an apple tree, doing everything to grow a full-fledged fruit. That is why our motto is: a tree that grows a good fruit.
Kaarli School is based on three pillars: environment, experience and knowledge, and we consider a person’ physical, mental and intellectual development equally important.
Our history goes back to the 19th century, when the organisation, led by Johann Heinrich Brasche, acquired a house at Liivalaia Street, where in 1880 the Little Children’s Care was opened. For the older ones, the establishment also provided school lessons: biblical, mathematical, German, Russian, craft, music. The organisation worked for 60 years until it was closed by the so-called liberators.
In 1918, the Kaarli Private Gymnasium, where Christian education and general humanitarian principles were valued, was created. This school was also only able to operate until 1936.
The activity of Kaarli Congregation’s Kindergarten dates back to 1995, when the congregation established a children’s group that met three times a week and focussed on the preparation of the children for school; later, the group evolved into a kindergarten. Since 1998, the kindergarten has an education license issued by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research.
However, as the number of parents who appreciate Christian education always outweighs the vacancies available at the kindergarten, the enthusiasm and great contribution of our activists resulted in the blessing of new kindergarten quarters at Koidu Street in August 2008. In the autumn of 2009, a crèche was opened at the kindergarten.
In the backdrop of the kindergarten, for many years, there was a continuous discussion over continuation of a similar environment in the school stage. Particularly, this interest originated from our parents, who wanted to continue their children’s education in the same framework with the church and kindergarten. In June 2013, the Ministry of Education and Research issued an education license to Kaarli School, which, from that moment, includes both kindergarten and basic school. On 1 September 2013, our school started its first year of classes, and from here on new pupils are accepted into the school’s first year until the institution grows into a full-scale basic school. The school runs one form in each age group and has an average of 20 students per form. The school’s daily life and work organisation are based on Christian philosophy and values.
Kaarli School Gymnasium has been operating since 2022. Each academic year, we admit one 10th grade class with up to 25 students.
At Kaarli School Gymnasium, students benefit from:
– a diverse curriculum and varied learning activities;
– a personalized and growth-oriented mentoring program;
– self-awareness and recognition of strengths through experiential learning;
– weekly field trips, exciting projects, and engaging guest speakers;
– a supportive and caring school community.
What makes our school special is the Christian environment, our process of learning with all the senses, and our common spirit, making the school a fully integrated whole on every possible level. The learning activities are organised in accordance with the principles of general education, and we value practical activities and study tours.
According to the study system, Kaarli School is divided as follows:
- Kindergarten (children from 1.5 to 7 years old)
- I school stage (grades 1 to 3),
- II school stage (grades 4 to 6),
- III school stage (grades 5 to 9),
- Gymnasium (10th-12th grade).