WBJ: What led you to open first a preschool and then a primary school?

Edyta Frejek: Travel played a major role in shaping both my life and business path. I spent a lot of time in the United States, especially in New York, where I attended international training programs and observed different education models. What stood out to me was how much independence children were given and how they were treated as partners. Students were respected, had a voice, and were seen as capable individuals with real agency.

I saw prestigious schools where this approach was simply the norm. That’s when I thought, "I want to build something like this in Poland.".

Warsaw felt like a natural choice. In many ways, it reminds me of New York, with its energy, openness, and opportunities. I knew this was the place where I could grow and create something of my own.

How did the development of your schools unfold? What were the early years like, and what did you learn about the market?

From the beginning, I didn’t think about this purely as a business. I’ve always had a passion for working with children.

I started with a preschool of 30 children. Thanks to positive feedback from both children and parents, we expanded to 59, then 99. After a few years, parents began asking, "What's next?" They didn’t want their children to leave, so opening a primary school became the natural next step.

In the first year, in 2021, we had just seven students. Today, across both the preschool and the school, we have over 300. The beginnings were demanding. 

You launched the school in 2021, right in the middle of the pandemic. That’s quite a leap.

Exactly. It required rapid adaptation. At one point, we even created an online preschool. It was a challenging time, but what carried us through was passion, determination, and, most importantly, people. 

I’ve been working with some of my team members since before the preschool even opened. We’ve built long-term relationships, and I truly see them as partners in shaping our vision.

Let’s talk about that partnership. How does it work in practice? What is your management style?

I’m present every day, both in the preschool and the school. I meet with students, teachers, and parents regularly.

My team has space to make decisions, share ideas, and contribute actively. I want people to feel they are part of something meaningful, not just executing tasks.

Of course, there are moments when I make the final decisions and take responsibility for them. But it’s important to me that people feel ownership and are comfortable in their roles.

We maintain close, respectful relationships, but with clear professional boundaries. That balance helps preserve both trust and clarity.

Education is still a female-dominated field. How do you see collaboration versus competition in this environment?

While education is largely dominated by women, I see this slowly changing. In my team, I also have excellent male teachers, trainers, and specialists.

But in my view, it’s not about gender. Collaboration or competition depends on the individuals themselves. In my career, I’ve experienced both strong support and more difficult dynamics. That’s simply part of working with people.

How do you approach technology, AI, and the impact of digital devices on children?

No doubt, it is one of the biggest challenges today. From the very beginning, we introduced a rule that students do not use phones during the school day. They leave them in a designated place when they arrive and collect them when they leave.

It works very well. Children are used to it, and as a result, they interact with each other, build relationships, talk, and play.

For me, technology is a tool, not a goal. It can support education, but it cannot replace what matters most, which is human connection. The most important things in education happen between people.

At the same time, I see how complex the digital world is. That’s why we focus strongly on values, awareness, and digital hygiene. We even have a dedicated subject focused on this. We teach children how to use technology consciously and understand its impact.

We are also developing our own program to teach logical thinking and the principles of programming without using computers. We want children to understand how things work at a deeper level. We also work closely with parents, offering workshops to help them understand the role technology plays in their children’s lives.

How do your schools prepare future leaders?

For me, a leader is not someone who manages others, but someone who understands themselves, can collaborate, and takes responsibility. A leader inspires others through their actions.

We build these qualities every day. I believe leadership is not taught through theory, but through experience and relationships.

Students in our school manage their own budgets, make decisions, and face the consequences. From an early age, we teach independent thinking, emotional awareness, communication, and self-confidence.

We give children space to ask questions, make mistakes, and find their own solutions. That’s how real leadership develops. 

ABOUT:

Edyta Frejek is an education leader with 13 years of experience and the founder and director of Przedszkole Numer Jeden and the Benjamin Franklin School No. 1 (Szkoła Podstawowa Numer Jeden im. Benjamina Franklina) in Warsaw. Inspired by international education models, she built her schools around student agency, respect, and strong relationships. Starting with a small preschool in 2016, she has grown her institutions to serve over 300 students. Her work has been recognized with multiple awards, including “School of the Year” in Warsaw, while her focus remains on listening to students and supporting their development.