Introduced in 2018, the EducationWorld Grand Jury India Preschool Rankings felicitate pre-primaries that have introduced contemporary pedagogies and practices in early childhood care and education (ECCE).

To shortlist and select progressive preschools countrywide, we invited nominations from educationists, individuals and preschools themselves, supported by evidence of best practices in 12 categories — teacher-parent-student engagement, campus design, nature-friendly environment, innovative pedagogy, outstanding leadership, health-nutrition-safety, future-ready preschools, design thinking, best technology integration, social and emotional learning, learning assessment, and most respected early childhood education brands.

Moreover, we also invited nominations from pre-primaries of composite K-12 schools which have integrated and adopted best ECCE practices.

The nominations were duly assessed by a jury comprising eminent educationists Fatema Agarkar, founder of Agarkar Centre for Excellence, Mumbai; Kausar Sayeed, founder Learn2Lead Services & member, National Core Committee, Early Childhood Association of India; Dr. Maalathi K.R, founder and CEO, Aurro Educational Services, Chennai and Sumathi Ravichandran, Coimbatore-based educationist and management consultant to schools.

The Top 10 EW Grand Jury India Preschool Rankings 2025-26 are presented in the pages following.

India’s Most Respected Early Childhood Education Brands

Institutions which have made exceptional contributions to expansion and upgradation of early childhood care and education.

“We are deeply honoured to be adjudged India’s Most Respected Early Childhood Education Brand. This is validation of the trust parents have reposed in us. We believe the purpose of early years education is to nurture happy, confident, curious, and capable children with love of learning. This recognition reassures us that our efforts to build strong foundations for lifelong learning are making a meaningful impact. I attribute our success to our child-centric, developmentally appropriate, future-ready curriculum designed to develop children’s critical thinking, communication, creativity, collaboration, compassion, and confidence — the 6Cs. Our well-trained educators bring this curriculum to life through play and experiential activities, supported by technology that personalises learning, tracks milestones, and ensures consistency, while preserving human connection. Through continuous curriculum evolution, teacher upskilling, and strong parent partnerships, we prepare children to be not merely school-ready, but life-ready” — Meghashri Halder, Head of Academics, FirstCry Intellitots Head Office, Pune (25,000 students, 1,800 teachers)

Teacher-Parent-Student Engagement

Preschools which encourage and facilitate  interaction and exchange of ideas between teachers, parents and children to enable holistic development of students.

“I thank EducationWorld’s grand jury of eminent educationists for ranking us India’s #1 preschool in Teacher-Parent-Student Engagement. I credit my team of dedicated and hardworking teachers and our transparent and open communication systems for this award. Our teachers encourage active parent involvement through regular interaction to ensure children receive joyful early years education. Moreover, parents receive detailed updates through our school app. Over the next few months, we intend to introduce new parent-child activities and involve parents in decision-making through the Parent Teacher Association” — Reema Ganguly, Principal, Amarjyoti Saraswati International School (Pre-primary section), Bhavnagar (500 students, 40 teachers)

Future-Ready Preschools

Pre-primaries which have demonstrated high potential to quickly adopt, upgrade and integrate 21st-century ECCE best practices.

“We are grateful to the EducationWorld Grand Jury for adjudging us India’s #1 Future Ready Preschool. I’m glad that our efforts to provide high-quality, future-focused early childhood education that rewards the collective effort of our dedicated educators, supportive parents, and enthusiastic learners have been appreciated. I attribute our top rank to our experiential curriculum that integrates STREAM, life skills, critical thinking, and 21st-century competencies. Continuous professional development of our teachers ensures they are equipped with modern pedagogies supported by child-friendly infrastructure. Equal emphasis is placed on developing children’s well-being, mindfulness, emotional literacy, and eco-sensitivity through meaningful, hands-on activities. Most important, we have built strong parent partnerships to ensure children’s holistic development” — Rita Bhandari, Coordinator-Early Years Programme, Beansprouts Pre-primary School, Gurugram & Soumya Gulati, Associate Director, Academic Development and Innovation (200 children, 25 teachers)

Campus Design Excellence

Preschools which have built attractive and conducive campuses to enable children to learn joyfully and give their best.

“We are deeply motivated by this award. At Kai Early Years, we believe the environment is a child’s first teacher and have thoughtfully designed learning spaces to achieve this objective. Therefore, our campus is not only aesthetically beautiful but meaningful, purposeful, and deeply child-centric — responsive to how young children think, feel, and learn. Inspired by Montessori and IB principles, our learning spaces feature natural light, flexible layouts, indoor-outdoor learning zones, sensory pathways, and nature-connected environments that encourage inquiry, independence, and collaboration. Our campus, which spans two acres, features over 20 learning environments and offers 2x the indoor and outdoor spaces globally recommended for preschools. The objective of our campus is to support children’s self-directed learning and social-emotional growth” — Sharayu Thampi, Head of School, Kai Early Years, Whitefield, Bangalore (150 children, 25 teachers)

Innovative Pedagogy

Preschools are judged on their success in creating innovative, child-friendly and age-appropriate curriculums and pedagogies.

“We are delighted to be ranked India #1 for Innovative Pedagogy. This recognition after nearly two decades in early years education affirms an initiative rooted in passion, perseverance and purpose. I have always believed that true innovation begins with understanding children and designing joyful, relevant and future-ready learning experiences. This award belongs to my students, parents and dedicated team, whose collaboration and commitment built the foundation of our success. Our curriculum blends global best practices with experiential, play-based and inquiry-led learning, ensuring children learn through exploration and creativity. Equal emphasis is accorded to social, emotional, cognitive, sensory and physical growth. Our focus on creativity, competency-based learning, life skills and strong parent partnerships sets us apart. This award is an inspiration to continue innovating and nurturing confident, empathetic learners” — Shwetha Sumanth (centre right), Co-founder and Principal, Adelie International Preschool, Bengaluru (191 students, 20 teachers)

Design Thinking Leaders

Preschools demonstrating capability to break away from rote learning, and adopt pedagogies which encourage development of students’ creative thinking, collaborative and problem-solving skills.

“Our India #1 rank for Design Thinking is a deeply affirming moment for all of us. It reinforces our belief that design thinking must begin in the earliest years, when curiosity is most alive and learning is most natural. Rooted in the Reggio Emilia philosophy, our pre-primary curriculum is play-based, inquiry-driven and experiential, allowing children to learn through exploration. Teachers are co-learners and facilitators, designing learning experiences that emerge from children’s interests and questions, nurturing their creativity, innovation and independent thinking. This design-thinking approach prepares children to imagine, experiment, reflect and develop problem-solving skills from early age” — Mukesh Sharma, Head of School, Ligo — Prometheus School, Noida (56 children, 7 teachers)

Best Technology Integration

Preschools which have succesfully integrated new-age technologies usage with teachers encouraged to apply digital technology skills to enrich teaching-learning.

“We accept this award with pride and gratitude. It validates our belief that technology, when thoughtfully integrated, is a transformative force in education. I credit our #1 rank to the commitment of our teachers and IT team, who have collaboratively created a dynamic, future-ready learning ecosystem. Our wi-fi-enabled campus features Smart classrooms and an experiential, all-in-one online learning platform to enable the professional development of our teachers who are trained to integrate technology confidently and mindfully. The school’s curriculum has integrated AI literacy, non-screen coding, and data awareness through age-appropriate activities. We will be shortly launching an AI Mentorship Program connecting our teachers with industry experts to enable us to blend technology, innovation and human connection to cultivate a culture of sustainable digital wisdom” — Ankita Patil Lunkad, founder, Crimson Anisha Global School, parent school of Tic Tic Toe, Marunji, Pune (530 children, 38 teachers)

Health, Nutrition and Safety

Preschools which promote policies and systems to enable provision of safe and healthy learning environments and emergency care facilities.

Emerging Preschool of the Year

Emerging preschools under two years old, demonstrating teaching-learning excellence, innovations and high-potential.

“We are delighted to be ranked India’s #1 Emerging Preschool of the Year. This award reaffirms our belief that children learn best when their intelligence is respected and their natural curiosity is trusted. We thank our parents community for placing trust in us and our teachers for their efforts to nurture thoughtful, confident, and emotionally secure learners. Our carefully designed curriculum prioritises creative thinking over rote learning, nurtures children’s language learning, problem-solving, and expression through play, conversation, storytelling, and hands-on activities. Supported by strong teacher mentoring and meaningful parent partnerships, this award encourages us to keep providing high-quality early learning, strengthening educator capacity, and contributing to a broader dialogue on how high-quality early education shapes lifelong learners” — Meghna Sharma, founder, Doon Toddlers, Amritsar (270 children, 36 teachers)

Sustainability & Nature-Inspired Practices

Preschools which have environment-friendly campuses and promote classes / activities pratices in open, outdoor green spaces.

“We are deeply honoured and grateful for this recognition. It reaffirms our belief that sustainability and nature-inspired teaching-learning practices must begin in the early years. We have embedded sustainability into our curriculum, campus design, daily zero-waste practices, composting and gardening programmes, and community engagement initiatives. Our campus hosts gardens and open areas where children are encouraged to engage with nature through experiential activities. Moreover, we have integrated the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into our curriculum and children are exposed to global issues such as pollution and deforestation through age-appropriate activities. We aim to expand our sustainability projects, strengthen parent and community outreach, and introduce new SDGs-inspired initiatives” — Usha Iyer (centre), Director, The Bangalore School, Dodsworth Layout (170 students, 15 teachers)

Outstanding Leadership

For early childhood education leaders of preschools who have displayed outstanding leadership in upgrading and improving their institutions.

“Our entire school community — educators, children, support staff, and parents — is delighted with this award. At Legacy Early Years, leadership is not defined by position or authority but by capability to create environments where children, teachers, and families feel valued, supported, and inspired. Our early years philosophy is guided by a strong, values-driven vision that places the child at the heart of every decision, while nurturing teachers’ agency, professional growth, and meaningful parent partnerships. Leadership is intentionally distributed with teachers empowered to lead and parents engaged as active partners. This award affirms the intentional leadership culture we have built and will inspire us to continue innovating while honouring joy, play, curiosity, and relationships that define early childhood. Our ultimate goal is to prepare children with the disposition, skills, and adaptability required to thrive in an ever-changing global landscape, guided by strong and ethical educational leadership” — Frank Baccia, Head of School, Legacy Early Years, Bengaluru (122 students, 14 teachers)

Learning Assessment Leaders

Preschools which have innovated non-stressful, holistic learning assessments to evaluate children’s progress and support their overall growth and development.

“We are deeply honoured to be ranked India’s #1 Learning Assessment Leader school. It reflects our commitment to reimagining assessment as a meaningful, inclusive, and child-centric process. At VIS Kids, our assessment system goes beyond traditional boundaries, embracing developmentally appropriate, play-based assessment aligned with how youngest children learn pedagogy. In VIS, youngest children learn through hands-on activities, storytelling, and collaborative play and are encouraged to reflect and express themselves. Teachers continuously observe and provide personalised support to ensure holistic development. Our strong partnership with parents and collaboration with child development experts enables us to continuously evolve and develop learning and assessment practices to ensure that children learn joyfully in a stress-free learning environment” — Ms. Poonam (right), Headmistress Preschool Wing, Venkateswar International School (VIS) Kids, Sector 10, Dwarka, Delhi (465 students, 27 teachers)

Social & Emotional Learning

Preschools which prioritise social-emotional learning by incorporating activities that promote self awareness, empathy, emotional regulation and socialisation skills.

“Our India #1 rank for Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) is humbling and reassuring. It reinforces our belief that emotional intelligence is the foundation of early years learning and validates the care, intent, and consistency with which our educators work to create emotionally safe and nurturing spaces every day. At Children’s Nook, SEL is not a separate programme but a way of life, embedded into our culture and daily practices. We focus on play-based, experiential learning, strong teacher-child relationships rooted in empathy and trust, and strong parent-school partnerships. A key pillar is the CN Attribute Programme, which teaches children life skills such as confidence, compassion, curiosity, joy, balance, and responsibility. Through stories, art, music, movement, and free play guided by teachers who model empathy and positive communication, children explore emotions naturally. We are fully committed to nurturing emotionally resilient, confident learners — prepared not just for school, but for life” — Hemali Dalal, Managing Director, JBCN Education (100 students, 10 teachers)