From doctors’ examinations every day to customised orthopaedic mattresses, one of Dubai‘s most expensive early childhood centres is not your usual childcare facility. Featuring premium air purifiers and an extensive food menu, the nursery charges a cool Dh80,000 as annual fee. It will throw in a personalised meal plan for an extra Dh17,000.
Located in Al Safa 2, the nursery called Friendly Early Childhood Centre is for children from 1.5 to 5 years old. Robots greet them, while a psychologist helps them transition to the facility.
Food at the nursery is never fried; meals are prepared via baking, boiling, or steaming. Nutrition is planned with a three-stage check for proteins, fats, and carbohydrates tailored for each age group.
Angelina Dubrovskaia, the founder of the centre said she visited over 200 nurseries worldwide before setting up the facility. For bilingual groups, children are taught in English and Russian. For international ones, interactions are fully in English.
Meal portions are calculated according to the norms of nutrition for each age. The staff also teaches table manners and encourages kids to eat independently by age 2, using forks and child-safe knives with some guidance.
“The development of our menu took nearly a year and a half, involving extensive test sessions with children and their parents to ensure nutritional value and appeal,” said Angelina.
Children in the nursery learn art and craft, multiple languages, music and singing, gymnastics, yoga, tennis, and football.
Talking about the fee structure, the founder said: “We provided (to the regulators) a comprehensive financial model outlining our expenditure and the overall cost structure of the project.”.
The teaching staff includes experts from England, Denmark, Switzerland, Russia, Canada, and beyond, offering instruction in English, Russian, Arabic, and Chinese.
Children are examined by a doctor every day, while air is disinfected in each classroom every hour, and toy sterilisers are used to minimise illness.
Angelina emphasised: “We prioritise impeccable cleanliness and hygiene,” adding that “each child is provided with three sets of individual, freshly laundered and ironed bedding weekly.”
Custom orthopaedic mattresses and cooling effect orthopaedic pillows, designed with age specific height to the needs of each age group, are provided. During nap time, children are treated to a projection of the starry sky on the ceiling. Decorated with many art pieces, the manager says these help children engage with creativity and aesthetics from a young age.
The nursery also keeps parents informed with real-time progress updates via a dedicated app.
© Khaleej Times
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