At Friendly Early Childhood Centre, children are greeted by robots, and a psychologist helps them acclimate to the new environment. This high-end nursery in Al Safa 2, Dubai, is not your typical childcare facility. Charging an annual fee of Dh80,000, it offers a range of premium services, including daily medical examinations and customised orthopaedic mattresses. For an additional Dh17,000, parents can opt for a personalised meal plan.
Designed for children aged 1.5 to 5 years, Friendly Early Childhood Centre prioritises health and hygiene with premium air purifiers and an extensive, health-conscious food menu. “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 Dubrovskaia, the founder of the centre. Meals are never fried; instead, they are baked, boiled, or steamed, and nutrition is meticulously planned with a three-stage check for proteins, fats, and carbohydrates tailored for each age group.
Angelina, who visited over 200 nurseries worldwide before setting up the facility, ensures bilingual groups are taught in English and Russian, while international groups interact entirely in English. The staff also emphasizes table manners and encourages children to eat independently by age 2, using forks and child-safe knives.
The nursery’s curriculum includes a diverse array of activities such as art and craft, multiple languages, music and singing, gymnastics, yoga, tennis, and football. The teaching staff is a global mix of experts from countries like England, Denmark, Switzerland, Russia, and Canada, offering instruction in English, Russian, Arabic, and Chinese.
Health and safety are paramount at the nursery. Children undergo daily medical examinations, classrooms are disinfected every hour, and toys are sterilised 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, tailored to each age group, are provided for nap time, during which children enjoy a projection of the starry sky on the ceiling.
The nursery is adorned with numerous art pieces, which the manager believes help children engage with creativity and aesthetics from a young age. Parents are kept informed of their child’s progress in real-time through a dedicated app.
The founder explained the fee structure, stating, “We provided (to the regulators) a comprehensive financial model outlining our expenditure and the overall cost structure of the project.”
