An award-winning preschool offering from Asia is to open its first campus in London, bringing a new global ‘limitless learning’ approach to parents who want their children to be citizens of the world.

Odyssey, which has several campuses in Singapore and Malaysia, is investing over £2m in its first UK nursery and preschool in Marylebone, London, which will offer Reggio Emilia-inspired teaching including foreign languages and a bespoke curriculum for children aged 0-5.

The Odyssey brand name, which means an “eventful or adventurous journey”, is being rolled out in the UK and its first grade two listed site in Marylebone will open in Spring 2025. The site will feature an atelier art room and music studio with dedicated art and music mentors, and an outdoor area with ‘grow your own’ garden and climbing wall to encourage learning through physical movement. The La Cucina cookery station will cater a menu of nutritional and delicious cuisines from countries and cultures from across the world, all prepared by the in-house chef.

Throughout their Odyssey journey, children will be supported by highly qualified ‘Infant Mentors’ with learning programmes split into three stages. Bambino Odyssey, Odyssey Toddlers and finally, Odyssey Preschool. The school will open, staffed by a team of highly qualified and well-experienced early childhood educators from the Odyssey Singapore campuses.

The curriculum will focus on four key principes: Communicating, Collaborating, Critical Thinking and Creativity, with learning based around each child’s own interests and pace. Languages, music, art and cooking all forming part of the curriculum, alongside ‘stretchers’ – a key concept of the curriculum which uses storytelling and real-life experiences to make a child’s world bigger and stretch their imaginations.

Angela Ang, Odyssey London’s Head of School comments: “Our extensive research shows a real desire for a nursery and pre-school brand that focuses on an innovative curriculum to help children be citizens of the world from the very first step of their learning journey. We believe we have a unique and unrivalled offering and cannot wait to open the doors to curious families interested in a truly global learning experience. Judging by the initial level of enquiries for the Marylebone campus, we are expecting Odyssey to be a popular addition in the preschool space.”

The first UK Odyssey nursery and preschool will offer 106 places in London, Marylebone for children aged 0-5 with registrations open now for Spring 2025 enrolment.