Small flags, big discoveries: It’s Flag Time at Avenues São Paulo!

By Dr. Anne Baldisseri, Head of School, and Marcella Toral, Pre-Kindergarten/Reception teacher, Avenues São Paulo

At Avenues São Paulo, learning isn’t just about teaching the curriculum; it’s about sparking curiosity, nurturing independence, and creating joyful moments of discovery. One of the most powerful ways we do this in our Early Years classrooms is called ‘Flag Time’, and it’s now part of Nord Anglia’s global education research.

For us here in São Paulo, Flag Time is a simple yet innovative way to improve student personalisation and agency, and we hope this message inspires you in your own classrooms around the world.

Here's how it works

Every day, small flags with each student’s name are placed in different areas around the classroom. These flags mark a personalised space for learning: a challenge they’re ready for, a skill they’re building, or a group they’ll collaborate with. In this way, the flags aren’t just assigned stations for students for that day, they’re invitations to grow in a particular focus area.

When Flag Time begins, students set off to find their flag, diving into a 20-minute, focused learning experience. Then afterwards, they regroup and reflect: What did I do? How did it feel? What did I discover about myself?

It’s a simple routine with a big impact that develops curiosity, confidence, metacognition (understanding how we learn best), and a strong sense of agency.

Why does it matter?

The impact of Flag Time lies in the small, intentional decisions teachers make each day, placing each flag based on what they know about their students. It’s a reminder that personalised learning happens through everyday experiences that give children meaningful opportunities to grow.

At Avenues São Paulo, we make sure that Flag Time fits our students’ needs, our schedule, and our community. Families learn about Flag Time through SeeSaw posts (our learning experience platform), and during student-led conferences when students share all the ways they have grown by being able to learn through Flag Time.
 

Collaborating with teachers around the world

This year, educators from across Nord Anglia have been coming together monthly to explore the practice of Flag Time by sharing insights, classroom experiences, and new ideas. This collaborative learning has deepened our understanding and helped refine the practice to be even more impactful.

Together, we’ve built a global community of educators focused on personalising learning in thoughtful, joyful ways. We’ve developed a shared vision and practical approaches that have enriched our students' Flag Time experiences and found wonderful thinking partners along the way!

We’re so proud of how metacognitive practices like Flag Time continue to shape teaching across Nord Anglia schools, helping students here in Brazil and around the world develop a deeper awareness of how they learn.

It’s so important that we encourage reflection and self-understanding from an early age, as these approaches are truly helping them grow into confident, independent thinkers.