The Blossom Nursery has been awarded as WINNER of the prestigious Arabian Child Award in the category of Early Childhood Service Provider of the Year. This was given by Her Excellency Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi at an awards gala on November 16, 2011.
There were over 120 nurseries nominated and many who were shortlisted but Blossom was chosen for it’s commitment to high safety standards, a curriculum that is linked to the British Early Years Foundation Stage and a space that truly impacts learning.
Blossom continues to work on a number of initiatives to increase safety standards in nurseries in the UAE. Some key factors are ensuring stairs are lined, slipproof, have low level rails for children and magnetic gates that do not “trap” children in spaces as well as ensuring windows are safety lined and shatterproof. In outside areas, children should be in shaded spaces, pools must be gated and locked, floors lined (no concrete!) and equipment should be of an international safety standard. Zahra Hamirani, Esq., founder of Blossom continues to advocate for these safety standards through her work at The University of Dubai where she is a Law professor and in the many organizations she works with, including the International Montessori Foundation and the National Association for Early Years Practitioners (www.naeyc.org).
Zahra also participated in The Future of Learning institute in 2011 at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Boston, Massachusetts where she discussed knowledge destinies and new ways of learning in the early years. These together with Blossom’s green focus and commitment to ensure children learn key skills through their proprietary skygarden curriculum mean that the nursery experience in Dubai is rapidly setting standards of international excellence.
In October 2011, Blossom hosted a halloween festival which raised over 12,500 DHS for WWF and Poshpaws charities and events like these are planned throughout the year to ensure that children’s first educational experiences are both exciting and engaging. Advocating high standards and creating viable learning experiences ensures children have a safe and stimulating nursery experience and that families can rest assured that their children are getting the best early years start.
Many of the Blossom initiatives have been highlighted in a video that The Ministry of Social Affairs in Dubai (the nursery licensing body) published on UAE National Day 2011 and it can be seen on a regular basis whenever they do a presentation, event or promotion.