Given the heightened competition across both education and job land scapes today, especially in a bustling city like Pune, we’re witnessing an increased awareness and consciousness among parents about the education of their children in recent times. While this has indeed boosted the demand for preschools country-wide, carefully handling and nurturing the young minds requires niche skills and capabilities. Among the very few handfuls of such preschools that are currently operational in Pune today, one that stands-out through its student-centeredness and unique ability to be a ‘mother away from home’ is Bright Beginners Preschool.

Below are a few key extracts from the exclusive interview with Sonal Behr, Founder, Bright Beginners Preschool.

Tell us about Bright Beginners Preschool and the story behind its inception.

I believe the ideation of a preschool must happen from within the mind, heart and soul, as it involves nurturing very young children. A mother myself and having done a teacher’s training course with hands-on experience of early childhood care, art & craft, curriculum content, teaching and many other aspects, I volunteered at a few preschools and substituted my own kids’ teachers at their preschool during their absence. That’s when I found my calling of ‘being a mother & teacher at home and teacher & mother at school’ and thus established Bright Beginners Preschool in 2013 with children’s comfort and safety as its main cornerstone. Today, catering mainly to kids from 1-year 4-months to 6-years age group, we offer classes for playgroup, nursery, lower KG and upper KG. Additionally, we also conduct numerous holiday clubs, skill enhancement programs, a teacher’s training program, and a daycare as well.

As one of the most premier preschools in Pune, what sets you apart from other preschools in the market?

Unlike other preschools who focus on increasing their student enrolments, we have one of the best teacher-child ratios in the industry today, with each playgroup batch having maximum 15 students & 1:5 teacher-student ratio and nursery batches having around 10-12 students at 1:7 teacher-student ratio. Additionally, every teacher in all our batches is equally qualified and adept at making the students feel loved, comfortable and get them settled in the class. Also, rather than give the kids’ parents a single yearly diary comprising just the entire year’s curriculum, we send monthly newsletters to parents with highlights of that particular month’s curriculum, syllabus and extra curricular activities. We not only follow the least amount of rote learning and emphasize more on playful techniques of learning, but our class durations vary depending on the children’s age group as well.

Throw some light on the syllabus and curriculum being followed at Bright Beginners Preschool.

Based on Montessori and Harvard Garner’s philosophy, our curriculum is an amalgamation of hands-on learning and practical thinking with 10 themes being covered in an academic year, namely pet & farm animals, fruits & vegetables, body parts & sensory organs, transport & communication, wild & marine animals, birds & insects, community helpers, natural resources conservation, flowers, plants and nature and the revision methods. While this concept remains the same for all classes, the syllabus and curriculum expands as per the students’ age groups and will gradually include other subjects such as English, Hindi, math, conversational skills, rhymes & actions, opposites, shapes & colours and many others.

Our prime focus is on helping little ones grow kind, confident and caring, ready to take on the world with both smart brains and hearts

Elaborate further on how your preschool strives for the holistic development of its students.

Our focus has always been on ushering the holistic development and vocabulary enhancement of our students, along with making them street smart, confident and being able to learn through play so that they’re well-trained while applying for the first standard. When teaching abstract concepts such as kindness or problem solving, we make them child-friendly by using puppets, role plays, live demos and huge picture books that are created by own teachers. Further, we not only have professionals visit us and interact with the students on a regular basis, but also organize numerous field trips and celebrate various festivals and special events such as Republic Day, Mother’s Day and many others with related activities to educate students about those particular occasions.

We don't just help kids get smart, but get heart and smart too. Because growing up isn’t just about math or reading. It’s also about making friends, sharing feelings and bouncing back when things get tough. Through fun group games such as parachute play, pick the right colour ball, hand-eye coordination games, rolling pin games, and many more, children get to see one another, have discussions, communicate in their own language. We believe in nurturing little minds and big hearts through integrated curriculum, where academic activities and social & emotional learning come together in perfect harmony. Overall, our prime focus is on helping little ones grow kind, confident and caring, ready to take on the world with both smart brains and hearts.

How do you ensure the overall safety of students at your preschool?

Children’s safety has always been our foundational pillar, wherein as a women-only organization, we conduct thorough background checks of not only our teachers but also the helpers, drivers and watchmen. We also conduct periodic hygiene checks for our support staff and organize regular workshops for them on ways to conduct themselves at home & work, basic spoken English and other aspects. While any maintenance works for our preschool is strictly done only during holidays or weekends, we also have a dedicated team which takes care of every minute aspect of our premises, from the outdoor space and garden to classrooms, washrooms and pantry.

Additionally, we have an automated system in place which sends an automatic message to the parents each time their kids haven’t come to school asking about their wellbeing. Further, be it even the father or mother, any person who comes to pick a kid must present the security identity card that each family is provided with. In any case where an unknown person comes to pick the kid, we not only call the child’s parents immediately but also either ask them to send the person’s image or we ourselves send it to them. Most importantly, each of our class rooms are not only equipped child-friendly furniture with no edges or objects, but are also fully sanitized every morning before the class commences and every evening after class, including all the toys.

Overall, we’re not just a preschool—we’re a cozy little home away from home, where every giggle matters and every milestone is celebrated. Just like a parent, we tune into each child’s unique needs, offering gentle guidance and focused support to help them blossom in their own special way.