The Riselva School
Located in Castel Giorgio, just above Orvieto, the educational environment sits within a landscape of meadows, forests and wide open skies. Children spend substantial time outdoors throughout the year, with birds, plants, weather and seasonal change becoming part of everyday learning. Indoor and outdoor spaces form one educational environment, with nature woven naturally into the children’s daily experience.
Our early years approach brings together Montessori principles, Outdoor Education and creative expression in a blend we call Curriculum Naturae. Children work independently with carefully designed Montessori materials, while also spending meaningful time outdoors observing seasonal change, tending the garden, exploring soil and water and engaging directly with the natural world.
Learning is practical and purposeful. Children prepare food, care for plants and their surroundings, create with natural and artistic materials and take part in meaningful everyday tasks. Montessori Language and Mathematics activities develop early literacy and numeracy, while art, music, movement and child-led projects support creativity, concentration, problem-solving and collaboration.
Italian and English are used naturally throughout the day through conversation, stories, songs and everyday interaction. The aim is to help children develop independence, curiosity, practical competence and confidence while building a strong and respectful relationship with the natural world.
“Growing capable, curious, and confident.”
Riselva School
Our Educational Approach
Independence
We design the environment so children can do as much as possible by themselves. Low shelves, carefully chosen materials, child-sized tools and clear routines allow children to choose activities, care for their space and complete real tasks from start to finish. Through dressing, pouring, cutting, tidying, gardening and simple problem-solving, they build concentration, coordination and genuine self-confidence. Educators guide with calm, precise support, stepping back whenever the child can act independently.
Creativity & Imagination
We protect time and space for open-ended play, storytelling, art and movement. Natural materials - wood, wool, fabric, clay, water and sand - invite children to invent, transform and express their ideas. Stories, songs and seasonal experiences encourage imagination, creative thinking and self-expression. This approach nurtures creativity as a lasting life skill and gives children the freedom to explore and express their ideas with confidence.
Learning Through Nature
Children spend substantial time outdoors throughout the year, in fields, forest and garden. They experience weather, seasons, plants, soil, insects and animals directly, engaging all their senses and developing a deep familiarity with the natural world. Walking, climbing, balancing, carrying, digging and building develop physical coordination, strength, confidence and spatial awareness.
Real Skills, Literacy & Numeracy
Nature experiences create meaningful opportunities for early scientific and mathematical thinking — counting seeds, comparing shapes, measuring water, observing changes and recording simple observations. Caring for the environment through daily tasks such as watering, composting and tending the garden makes sustainability part of everyday life. Alongside Montessori language and mathematics activities, these real experiences help children connect early literacy and numeracy to the world around them, grounding learning in curiosity and meaningful practice.
Languages in Daily Life
Italian and English are part of daily life at Riselva. Educators use both languages naturally through songs, stories, greetings, conversation and everyday routines. As children work, play, garden and spend time together, language develops through real contexts and relationships. Regular, meaningful exposure allows children to become familiar and confident with both languages in a natural way.
Relationships & Emotional Life
A calm and predictable environment helps children feel secure and supported. Small groups and consistent routines create space for children to express emotions, build relationships and develop confidence in social situations. Educators acknowledge emotions and support children through moments of disagreement, helping them practise listening, expressing their needs and finding shared solutions. Through these everyday experiences, children develop emotional awareness, empathy and strong social skills that support both relationships and learning.
Enrolment
Riselva School is a nature-rooted educational project beginning with an Early Years programme for children aged 3–6, with an Elementary programme planned as the next stage of development. Our aim is to create a coherent educational path from early childhood into the school-age years.
We offer a calm, small-group environment that supports emotional, relational and cognitive development in close connection with the natural world. For children of compulsory school age, the future Elementary programme will support families choosing istruzione parentale (home education).
Riselva Early Years
Enrolment open - 2026/2027 programme
Riselva Early Years welcomes children aged 3–6 into a small, mixed-age educational environment combining Montessori principles, Outdoor Education, creative expression and meaningful everyday experiences.
The programme runs from September to June, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, within a natural, multilingual environment that supports each child’s individual rhythm, independence and development.
Riselva Elementary
Ages 6–12 · planned start September 2027
Riselva Elementary is being developed as the next stage of the Riselva educational path, beginning with Lower Elementary ages 6–9 and expanding with the community. It supports families choosing istruzione parentale (home education).
The programme combines Montessori principles, Outdoor Education and creative work in a small mixed-age environment, fostering independence, curiosity, collaboration and a strong connection with nature.
Families interested in learning more, visiting the environment, or beginning the enrolment process are warmly invited to contact us via the form below or using the details provided here.
Email: info@riselvaschool.com
Phone / WhatsApp: +39 328 913 9312
