In the EW Noida’s best preschools 2014-15,  24 preschools have been rated and ranked by 556 parents and 64 teachers/principals polled by field researchers of Delhi-based market research agency C fore 

Although the new township of Noida (pop. 600,000) is sited in and falls under the administrative jurisdiction of Uttar Pradesh — India’s most populated (200 million) and arguably most backward and lawless state — its proximity to the national capital has helped it transform into a hub of industry and business. Included in the National Capital Region (NCR) for academic and business purposes,  Noida has emerged as a hotspot of the IT and IT-enabled services industry with many blue-chip domestic and foreign companies such as TCS, HCL, IBM, Dell, and Accenture setting up massive operations in it. Rapid industrial growth and urbanisation has led to huge demand for high-quality education across the spectrum from preschool to higher education.

In the EW Noida Preschool Rankings 2015,  24 preschools have been rated and ranked by 556 parents and 64 teachers/principals polled by field researchers of Delhi-based market research agency C fore under the three new categories of owned/proprietary, franchised and pre-primaries of K-10/12 schools.

Proprietary/owned preschools

The new taxonomy adopted by EducationWorld this year has not impacted the rankings of Windows Playgroup & Nursery, Sector 50 and Gaia Playschool, Sector 93, both of whom have retained their last year’s first and second ranks in 2015. Promoted in 1995 by Monica Baluja, an alumna of Delhi University, Windows Playgroup has been top-ranked by the sample respondents on all ten parameters of preschool education. “Though I’m not comfortable about pre-primaries of composite schools being included in your preschools survey because they aren’t specialist ECCE centres, I have no quarrel with Windows Playgroup being top-ranked in the proprietary category. Our #1 ratings on ten parameters is great and encouraging news for our dedicated and hardworking teachers. The EW ranking endorses the feedback we get from parents praising us for the excellent foundational education we provide. Our children are welcomed in top-ranked schools in Delhi NCR such as Delhi Public School, Step by Step, etc,” says Baluja, founder-principal of Windows Playgroup which has an enrolment of 300 children and 25 teachers.

Likewise Aditi Jain, founder-chairperson of Gaia Playschool, believes the new EW Preschool Rankings exercise should not have included pre-primaries of composite schools. “The objective of preschool education is not merely to prepare children for primary school. Early childhood care and education needs specialised curriculums, teachers and learning environments. That apart, Gaia’s top ranking is a reaffirmation of the positive feedback we get from our parents, visitors and best primary-secondary schools in Delhi NCR. Our high ratings on teacher competence, infrastructure and innovative teaching show that parents value the facilities offered and appreciate our teachers and staff who work with passion to develop the social, emotional and cognitive competencies of youngest children. Our high ranking will encourage us to continue doing our work with enthusiasm and commitment,” says Jain.

With the introduction of the new taxonomy, the previously #9 ranked Stimulus Preschool, Sector 39 has advanced to #3 position as has Gennext, Sector 62 from #10 in 2014 to #4 and Little Pearls Play School, Sector 29 from #6 to #5.

Franchised preschools

The disaggregation of last year’s composite league table has benefited Noida’s franchised preschools to a greater extent. Ranked #4 last year, Kangaroo Kids, Sector 34 has been promoted to #1 in the newly introduced category of franchised preschools, and is top-rated on all ten parameters of ECCE excellence.

“We are elated and honoured that well-informed parents and teachers in Noida have voted us the city’s #1 franchised preschool this year. As our top rank on all ten parameters shows, we believe in giving a holistic education experience to our children through an engaging curriculum in state-of-the art learning spaces. We understand that early years’ experiences have a powerful and significant impact on the ability of infants to become lifelong learners. Therefore we customise teaching-learning to suit the needs and abilities of all children,” says Sharmila Chatterjee, an alumna of Delhi University who was appointed principal, Kangaroo Kids, Sector 34 (estb. 2004), which has 305 children mentored by 25 teachers.

Following Kangaroo Kids is the previously unranked EuroKids, Sector 93 at #2; Little Millennium, Sector 45 (3) and Kidzee, Sector 62 (4). A franchisee of the Delhi-based Little Millennium chain of 260 preschools promoted by the publicly-listed education major Educomp Solutions Ltd, Little Millennium, Sector 45 admitted its first batch of 14 children in July this year.

“I think it would be a better idea to club all preschools together for ranking purposes since their objective is common — provision of high-quality early childhood education. Nevertheless, the high #3 rank awarded to us in our very first year shows that your survey respondent parents appreciate our ‘Seven-Petal’ curriculum specially developed for two-six-year-olds which ensures wholesome development of every child. That’s why I’m truly happy that we have also been ranked among Noida’s Top 3 on the parameters of innovative teaching and individual attention to students,” says Manisha Gupta, principal of Little Millennium, Sector 45.

The seven-strong league table of franchised preschools is completed by Maple Bear, Sector 48, which has retained its last year’s #5 rank and the previously unranked Kidzee, Sector 27 and Maple Bear, Sector 62.

Pre-primaries of K-10/12 schools

Topping the category of pre-primaries of composite schools is the pre-primary of Step by Step which is also ranked among the country’s Top 10 co-ed day schools and #1 in Noida in the EW India School Rankings 2015. Following Step by Step is the Amiown Preschool, established by Amiown Amity Caring Preschools (AACP) promoted by the heavyweight Amity education group which includes nine pre-primaries and  14 K-12 schools in Delhi NCR. The group’s Amity International, Noida is ranked #2 in Noida in the EW India School Rankings 2015.

“The inclusion of pre-primaries of K-12 schools which provides a holistic picture of pre-primaries in the country is welcome. Amiown’s #2 rank is a big motivation and morale booster for us. I am particularly pleased that we are ranked high on the parameters of teacher competence and teacher development because we spare no effort in nurturing a team of highly qualified, talented and dedicated teachers who work with care, love and compassion. Our innovative teachers and an active and supportive parent community work together to provide positive and enriching experiences to children,” says Sapna Chauhan, a graduate of the Wharton Business School and  chairperson of AACP who promoted the first Amiown Preschool in Pushp Vihar, Delhi on her return to India in 2005.

Unsurprisingly, the 12-strong league table of pre-primaries of K-10/12 schools mirrors the EW India School Rankings 2015 Top 10 league tables. For instance the pre-primary of Lotus Valley International School (LVIS), ranked #3 in Noida in the EW India School Rankings 2015 published in September, is ranked #3 in this league table. Likewise, the pre-primaries of Genesis Global School (#5), DPS, Noida (6), Shriram Millennium School (7), Khaitan Prenursery (8), Somerville (9), and Gyan Shree School (10) are all ranked in the Top 10 in this newly introduced category.

Ruchi Seth, principal of the CBSE-affiliated LVIS, approves of EducationWorld’s new taxonomy. “By including more pre-primaries, EducationWorld has created space for a greater number of preschools to shine and receive recognition. This will encourage them to further improve standards. That said, I am delighted that LVIS’ pre-primary has been voted #3 by parents and teachers. The distinctive feature of our school is the emphasis we place on developing self-expression and communication skills of children. The top score awarded to us on infrastructure and safety and hygiene is aligned with reality as we offer the best facilities and learning spaces for young children in Noida,” says Seth, an alumna of Delhi University and IIT-Delhi and former principal of Delhi Police Public School and DPS, Sushant Lok. Currently, the pre-primary section of LVIS has 654 children mentored by 55 teachers.

Also read: Noida’s best preschools 2019-20