Here’s what we know about healthy early childhood development
The first five years of a child’s life are full of moments that shape who they will become.
Security
Research shows that around 65% of infants form secure emotional attachments and that when they do, their brain’s stress-response systems stay calm, allowing for healthy emotional and cognitive growth.
Empathy
By age two, most children are able to recognise distress in others and respond with comfort, which raises levels of the bonding hormone oxytocin that is used to promote trust and empathy, among other things.
Neural Development
By age five, a child’s brain is absorbing and sorting so much that it’s almost as big as an adult’s, with 85% of neural connections—links between brain cells that enable learning—and 90% of brain size occurring during this time.
Readiness
Young children are only ready to learn when they feel emotionally and physically safe, which is why emotional and cognitive growth, trust and empathy, and positive neural connections are vital.
Security
Research shows that around 65% of infants form secure emotional attachments and that when they do, their brain’s stress-response systems stay calm, allowing for healthy emotional and cognitive growth.
Empathy
By age two, most children are able to recognise distress in others and respond with comfort, which raises levels of the bonding hormone oxytocin that is used to promote trust and empathy, among other things.
Neural Development
By age five, a child’s brain is absorbing and sorting so much that it’s almost as big as an adult’s, with 85% of neural connections—links between brain cells that enable learning—and 90% of brain size occurring during this time.
Readiness
Young children are only ready to learn when they feel emotionally and physically safe, which is why emotional and cognitive growth, trust and empathy, and positive neural connections are vital.
An education that’s scientifically proven to help children flourish
The nursery and preschool experiences we offer have been designed with leading global experts in neuroscience, epigenetics, cognitive and social sciences, education, and more.
Why Blossom Nursery & Preschool for Early Years?
Choosing when and where your child starts their education is among the most important decisions a parent will make. Early years are about more than academics; they’re about discovering the world, building friendships, and developing emotional intelligence.
That's why our 32 conveniently located branches are the perfect place for your child's natural curiosity to flourish, while building the social and emotional foundations needed to thrive. Our approach ensures that learning is developmentally appropriate and exciting, with every day bringing new opportunities for growth.
Rich social interactions that foster empathy and friendships
Language-rich environments that build communication through play and storytelling
Nature-based learning that nurtures a connection to the world
Hands-on discovery that develops confidence, independence, and resilience
The British Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum provides the perfect framework for our philosophy. Delivered through the Sustainable Education Approach® and enhanced by global expertise from our partnership with the Babilou Family, we combine world-class standards with innovative practice.
Why Blossom Nursery & Preschool for Early Years?
The expertise behind every first step
Early education is a science that requires trained specialists. Our team of early years educators understand the full scope of child development from birth to five years—neural growth, emotional intelligence, social skills, and how young children learn best.
What sets our team apart:
Specialised training in the science behind early childhood development
Daily observations to tailor learning to each child's unique rhythm
Play-based teaching guided by the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum
A nurturing approach that builds confidence, empathy, and emotional security
Ongoing professional development to stay current with the latest research
As part of the Babilou Family, we blend global best practice with local culture. Our teachers, assistants, nurses, and managers work as one team with one mission: helping children grow into confident, curious, and caring people ready to shape the future.
The expertise behind every first step
Frequently Asked Questions
We are the only early years education provider in the UAE that uses the Sustainable Education Approach® to deliver the British EYFS curriculum. This means your child has the unique opportunity to receive a world-class education in a learning environment that has been created with some of the world’s leading experts in neuroscience (the study of the brain and nervous system), epigenetics (the study of how behaviours and environments can cause changes that affect the way your genes work without changing their underlying DNA), psychology (the study of the mind), and education (the study of how we learn).
In addition to a world-class British education delivered through the modern Sustainable Education Approach®, we benefit from continued access to a global network of expertise in a range of educational and scientific fields through our relationship with one of the largest early education networks in the world, the Babilou Family.
With 32 convenient locations across the UAE, Blossom Nursery & Preschool draws on this relationship in leading the evolution of early years education far beyond legacy methods, such as Montessori and Reggio Emilia, to provide your child with best possible start in life and prepare them for success in tomorrow’s world.
We not only support it, it is one of the 6 Pillars of our Sustainable Education approach. At Blossom, we understand that parents and families are a child’s first educators and that the best learning outcomes occur when parents, caregivers, and educators form a strong partnership. This includes sharing information about new routines your child may have developed at home or at nursery, as well as other updates that can help to build trust and ensure clear and consistent messages on important matters. Neuroscience tells us that children are highly sensitive to relationship dynamics and that if they sense trust and alignment between parents and educators, they feel more secure and ready to learn.
We deliver the world-class British Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS), enriched by our Sustainable Education Approach®. We also recognise and celebrate the cultural richness of the communities we serve, and in some of our nurseries in Abu Dhabi, we proudly offer classrooms that reflect a strong Emirati heritage, helping children connect with local values, language, and traditions from an early age.
This culturally immersive curriculum ensures we’re able to nurture confident and curious learners that are well-prepared for a seamless transition to any school system, whether that’s the International Baccalaureate (IB), British, French, American, or other international pathways.
Absolutely, we warmly welcome children with Special Educational Needs. We recognise that children develop at their own pace, and you will often hear us refer to this as respecting the ‘child’s rhythms’. We believe respecting these individual patterns leads to much healthier development and happier learners.
Our team includes experienced SENCOs, led by dedicated Inclusion Leads, who specialise in taking a graduated approach in early identification, guiding early intervention pathways and working in partnership with families and specialists.
Our inclusion policies are designed to ensure every child receives the right level of support through early identification, early intervention, IEPs, differentiated teaching, in-class support, collaboration with specialists and meaningful partnerships with families. We conduct comprehensive observations and monitor developmentally appropriate ‘indicators for concern’ to identify emerging needs. This helps us tailor support right from the start.
We place high value on our families as partners. We communicate openly, warmly and respectfully with families, sharing observations, listening to concerns and planning next steps together. We have established partnerships with 6 early intervention providers who support both families and our educators. We work together to help guide families with referrals, assessments and therapy options, ensuring support is timely and coordinated. We are committed to ensure every child, regardless of their needs, feel safe, understood and supported to succeed on their early learning journey.
We welcome infants from as young as 45 days and children up to 4 and 5 years old, depending on your chosen location. Across our nurseries, we offer three thoughtfully designed programmes - Infant, Toddler and Preschool - ensuring every child is supported through each stage of their early learning journey.
All our teachers and teaching assistants are fully qualified in line with local regulations in each Emirate and have extensive experience in early childhood education. Our teams consistently undergo regular training and professional development to stay up to date with the latest best practices, including paediatric first aid, safeguarding, and fire safety, particularly through Inspire Me Training. We do not employ unqualified staff such as nannies or babysitters, meaning your child will always be supervised by highly qualified early years professionals.
While English is our core language of instruction, we integrate both French and Arabic into the weekly learning experience across all age groups. These language sessions are thoughtfully woven into our curriculum to support early multilingual development, cultural awareness, and confident communication.
