Early Years Education
About
Started in 2007 by three teachers working out of a flat, Pırıl is today a single-site preschool in Kadıköy with a 400 m² garden. Staying small was a deliberate choice.
01 — Early Years Education
How it began
Our founders were three teachers at the same preschool. At a time when class sizes were pushing thirty and staff struggled to remember every child's name, they decided to open a school of their own.
The first year we began in a flat in Bahçelievler with eleven children. In year five we moved into the building we occupy today, chosen for its garden. We have never opened a second site; every time the offer came up we asked the same question — could we still know every child's name in a second building?
Today we have four classrooms, a team of twelve and forty-eight children. That number is our ceiling, not our target.
Over the years
- 2007
Three teachers, one flat
We opened in Bahçelievler with eleven children and two classes.
- 2012
A building with a garden
We moved into our current building and its 400 m² garden, which became the centre of the daily timetable.
- 2018
The workshop
We built a wooden workshop at the end of the garden — clay, carpentry and paint now have a room of their own.
- 2024
Summer school
A June-to-August program opened, for our own children and for those joining from outside.
03 — Our team
Our team
Every class has two teachers and an assistant. Average tenure across the team is eight years.
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Sibel Korkmaz
Founder and head teacher
Early years graduate with 22 years in the classroom. One of Pırıl's three founders.
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Ayten Demirel
Education coordinator
MA in child development. Runs classroom programs and staff development.
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Burcu Yalçın
Class teacher
Nine years at Pırıl. Class teacher for the five-year-olds and the founder of our workshop program.
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Hakan Erdoğan
Movement and play
Physical education teacher. Plans garden hours and the movement program.
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Neslihan Aksu
School nurse
Full time. Responsible for daily health checks, medication times and allergy records.
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Meral Şahin
Head of kitchen
Builds the monthly menu with our dietitian. Every meal is cooked on site.
02 — Early Years Education
Our building
A detached two-storey building surrounded by garden. Classrooms are on the ground floor and open directly onto it.
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Four classrooms
Twelve children maximum in each. Every classroom opens onto the garden.
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400 m² garden
Soft ground, fruit trees, a sandpit and a climbing area. We are outside two hours a day.
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Wooden workshop
A separate space for clay, paint and carpentry — the one place where getting messy is the point.
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Our own kitchen
Three meals cooked on site. Parents are welcome to see the kitchen any time.
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Rest room
A separate, darkenable room for the afternoon rest hour.
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Medical room
Staffed by our full-time nurse and equipped for first aid.
04 — Why Pırıl
Peace of mind, every day
- 01
Experienced staff
All of our teachers hold early years teaching degrees. Average tenure is eight years and our turnover is very low.
- 02
Secure entry and exit
Card access at the door, cameras in shared areas, and a notification the moment your child is handed over.
- 03
Health monitoring
A full-time nurse, weekly height and weight checks, and a general medical check once a month.
- 04
Open communication
A short progress note every day, a parent meeting each month, and a teacher you can reach whenever you need to.
08 — Enrolment
Try a day, free of charge
Let your child spend a day with us as our guest, and see the classroom, the garden and the teachers for yourself. Leave your details and we will call you the same day.
or call us right away +90 850 000 00 00