Welcome to Little Red Schoolhouse!

***IMPORTANT*** Please note that we are FULL for the 2024/2025, 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 school years. Accepting inquiries for the 2027/2028 & onward only.

Nestled in the forest on the ancestral and unceded traditional territory of the Hul'qumi'num and SENĆOŦEN speaking peoples (colonial Saltspring Island, British Columbia), lies the most beautiful Little Red Schoolhouse. This heritage gem was built by pioneer Sam Beddis and his family in 1885 and sits on 40 acres of donated land. It became a school for children ages 3-16 in 1886 - most of which were from Indigenous, Hawaiian and European descent - some traveling over by boat from nearby islands. Little Red became a Preschool in the 1970’s and more recently has been operating as a vibrant Nature Preschool geared toward children ages 3-6.

We acknowledge and give gratitude to the Hul'qumi'num and SENĆOŦEN speaking peoples who honoured and cared for this land. We endeavour to further honour the land through stewardship and education, and we strive to continuously find ways to integrate age appropriate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods such as story telling, fire making, understanding of natural systems, etc. into our curriculum.

What makes Little Red so special?

Our core philosophy: Care for Self, Care for Others, Care for the Earth.

We follow an attachment model:

Parents are welcome to stay for as long as needed for their child to feel safe and secure. We’ve found time and time again that most children will naturally feel ready to separate within a few days, once they’ve established that their new caretakers are trust worthy and safe.

Nature is our primary teacher.

We follow a Seasonal Nature Calendar that aligns with the rhythms and cycles of nature. Every week has a unique nature theme from earth worms to lichen - it always amazes us how much these little humans are able to learn!

We spend most of our time outdoors.

We go on lots of forest adventures!

We have a 3-4 adults to 15 children ratio.

This is very unique for a preschool! This incredible ratio allows for more 1-on-1 care, facilitates unique interests and provides lots of cuddles when needed.

Environmental Stewardship is a top priority!

We use absolutely no micro plastics and use only biodegradable and natural materials for all of our art, craft and cleaning supplies.

In February 2022, we worked with a permaculture specialist to develop a hedgerow plan for us. The main emphasis being ecological benefit, edibility and beauty. On March 18th, with the help of many members of our community, we planted over 25 trees and shrubs. This project was a labour of love and a dedication to many more future generations to come.

We have a compost system and a lovely greenhouse made from mostly reclaimed materials.

We provide an Holistic Learning Environment.

We have a gentle and predictable daily flow to provide an anchor and a sense of stability. In between our gentle flow lies a rich holistic learning environment which consists of storytelling, music, adventure, free play, natural art expression, games, wilderness skills (i.e. carving, bow and arrow making, etc), leadership opportunities, and more.

Love and support.

Little Red struck gold and landed the most dedicated, fun, loving and passionate staff. They love the children deeply, are extremely dedicated to serving their community and have a true passion for nature education and environmental stewardship.

More about Little Red:

• We are open from Monday-Thursday from 9:45am-2:45pm and follow the SD64 school calendar. (Always closed on Fridays)

• We fully embrace diversity and have zero tolerance for discrimination.

• We are a licensed facility making us financially accessible to families from various socioeconomic backgrounds.

• Our program is not for everyone! We spend a lot of time outdoors in all weather conditions and children are guaranteed to get wet and dirty. If your child is uncomfortable with being outdoors then our program might not be the right fit for your family.