About our
Nursery Manager
Ms Louna Van Der Merwe
Nursery Manager
Louna van der Merwe is an Early Years teacher with over 14 years of experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Development from the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Louna moved to Dubai in 2014 to teach Foundation Stage at a British Curriculum School and joined GEMS World Academy in 2020 as Nursery Manager. Her classroom environment encourages students to direct their own learning through play. Louna believes the classroom is a second teacher, fostering learning through open-ended, relationship-driven activities. Her aim is to inspire every child to reach their full potential. Outside of teaching, Louna enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with her family, and working alongside her husband in their falconry business, where they rehabilitate and train birds of prey.
“Play is the highest form of research” - Albert Einstein.
Students engage in self and family-focused projects, promoting personal, social, and emotional growth. In the Pre-K stage, the theme shifts to "Who We Are," where children explore caring choices regarding their bodies, fostering responsibility and understanding in how they interact with the world around them.
In the Nursery, students work on arts-related projects, followed by "How We Express Ourselves" in the Pre-K stage, where children use the arts to share their ideas and thinking, fostering creativity and self-expression.
In the Nursery, students engage in projects about living things. In the Pre-K stage, this learning extends to "Sharing the Planet," where children focus on caring for living things, promoting responsibility and environmental stewardship.
In the Nursery, students focus on literacy skills. In the Pre-K stage, this progresses to "The Adventures of Storytelling," where children retell stories and celebrate World Book Day, enhancing their communication and imagination skills.
Student-driven projects related to construction and design in the Nursery stage followed by projects on How the World Works: Explore how materials work and what they do in the Pre-K stage.
Explore different colours, mixing techniques, textures, and various mark-making tools to ignite creativity and enhance artistic expression in the classroom, fostering hands-on learning and discovery.
Introducing students to exciting new instruments as they explore rhythm and sound: tambourines, shakers, lollipop drums, and bells—all designed to spark musical curiosity and creativity.
Students develop key motor skills through fun activities focused on catching, throwing, and balancing—building coordination, strength, and confidence.
Developing creativity and imagination in young children.
Listening to a variety of stories and learning how to handle books carefully to improve language skills, boost memory, foster imagination, engage creative thinking, encourage reading and writing, and develop cultural understanding.