We have spent the last few months visiting preschools near our home in Rajajinagar, Bengaluru.
Overview
For example, if your child turns two in 2026, start school visits in Feb/March 2026. This ensures timely enrollment and allows your child to join the settling-in phase.
Most preschools offer:
Playgroup / Pre-Nursery / Montessori 1 — for children aged 2+
Pre-KG / Nursery / Montessori 2 — for 3+
Lower KG (LKG) — for 4+
Upper KG (UKG) — for 5+
Some also have Infant and Toddler (1–2 yrs) or split junior/senior toddler programs. Montessori schools may combine ages 2½–6 in one Casa classroom rather than splitting year-wise.
Because preschools act as a bridge to “big schools” (K-12), it helps to know your target big schools’ admission rules.
The NEP 2020 guideline requires a child to be 6 years old by May 31 of the year they enter Grade 1. Karnataka gave temporary exemptions in 2025, but these may not continue.
We have a July 2023-born child. Based on NEP rules, starting at age two could mean repeating a year later (often UKG). So, preschools ask parents to sign a waiver. Many recommend repeating UKG rather than Playgroup because UKG introduces CVC words and phonics.
Another option is to begin at age three (Playgroup) and then move to a big school for Pre-KG, avoiding a repeat year. We chose to start earlier so that our child could socialize and learn with peers.
Prep before your preschool search
Checklist to use while visiting a preschool
Curriculum, Settling period and Infrastructure
When was the preschool established?
Are classrooms spacious, well-lit and well-ventilated? Is the furniture child-friendly (rounded edges, safe materials)?
Note: Montessori classrooms often have little or no furniture — children sit and work on individual mats on the floor.What’s the teacher-student ratio? Does this number include helpers/assistants? Are teachers formally trained? Is staff turnover high or is the team stable? Are staff trained in child safety?
Note: Lower ratios usually mean higher fees. Many preschools operate with ~1 adult per 10 children (including helpers).What are the school hours? What does a typical day look like for each age group?
Note: Most programs run ~4 hours; some offer 2–3 hour options for younger children.Which curriculum or approach is followed? (Montessori, Reggio Emilia, play-way, Finnish, etc.)
How is time balanced between free play and structured activities? Are there independent play corners (reading, puzzles, art, etc.)? Are toys made of mostly natural/real materials or plastic? How safe is the indoor and outdoor play equipment?
Are snacks or meals provided? Is there a dedicated eating space? How are allergies handled? Do staff help children who aren’t eating independently yet?
How is potty training handled? How often are children taken to the restroom? Are toilets child-sized, clean, and near classrooms?
How often are classrooms and materials cleaned and sanitized?
Is there live streaming or CCTV of the premises for parents? If not, how do they communicate daily updates? How often do parents receive updates (daily app, weekly report, photos)?
Are cultural celebrations, yoga, or shloka recitation included in preschool activities?
Note: Some schools remain culturally neutral; others integrate yoga and festivals.Do teachers/helpers speak your child’s mother tongue in addition to English?
What is the settling-in plan? How many days can parents stay, and how is separation anxiety handled? How flexible are they about transition if the child takes time to settle?
Is there outdoor space for play under the sun? Sand pits, water play, or grassy areas?
Cost of Preschool and Day Care
What are the total fees? (Tuition + admission + deposits) What’s included?
Are uniforms or school bags mandatory? Are these charged separately?
Are field trips organized? How often and at what cost?
Are there extra charges for annual day, sports day, or other events?
Is transportation available? Cost? Can it be taken temporarily if needed?
Is on-site day care offered? Hours and cost?
Other key questions
Which big schools do most children move to afterward?
How flexible is pickup if you’re late due to traffic?
Tip: Proximity matters — many parents prefer schools very close to home.Can you speak with current parents? (Through your network or via the school.)
If it’s Montessori, how are mixed-age classrooms managed? Is mixing only for certain activities like circle time, or full-day?
Is there a first aid trained staff? How are minor injuries handled and communicated?
Are there parent orientations or regular PTMs (parent-teacher meetings)? Are there any open house days and observation days?
Are videos or digital devices used in school? How often and for what purpose?
What’s the annual calendar? How many breaks or long closures?
Cost tip: In Bengaluru, “regular” preschools often start ~₹60,000+ per year for 3–4 hour programs. Premium ones with large outdoor spaces, low ratios, and in-house food easily cross ₹1.5 lakh. Post-COVID, many have removed outdoor sand pits and use indoor kinetic sand — ask them if sand play matters to you. Livestream of classroom seemed like a unique feature in very few schools.
Overview of the Preschools we visited
Preschools we visited in Sadashivnagar, Bangalore
- ₹1.5 lakh+ in annual and admission fees.
- Blended curriculum with best practices from Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Waldorf Steiner.
- Clean, well-lit classrooms with wooden furniture in a multi-storey space - indoor space for playpen, outdoor spaces have sand play and artificially grassed areas.
- Food is not provided.
- Day care facility post school hours is available.
- No livestream of classes is available but entire space is CCTV covered and they likely post updates for parents during the day.
- They have infant to Upper KG programs.
- Teacher-Student ratio is 1:12 (this doesn't include the helper who would be present along with Teacher). 13th kid would result in adding another staff.
- Settling in days - 3 days with parent present.
- Teaches kids - yoga, music, Spanish.
- 3 hours a day until the kid is 3 years old.
- Allowed walk-ins to tour the space but better to call before you visit.
- Didn't insist on kids being potty trained but will learn from seeing other kids going to the restroom with the helper - one after another.
- Culturally neutral school.
- ₹1.5 lakh+ in annual and admission fees.
- Blended curriculum. Follows play-way method with best practices from Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Waldorf Steiner.
- Clean and well-lit spaces with wooden furniture in a 3 floor air-conditioned space. Felt like a vibrant coworking space with preschool and after school programs - there were spaces for a playpen, sand play and water play.
- Vegetarian food is provided at the school - which is also nut free.
- Day care facility post school hours is available.
- No livestream of classes but they likely post updates for parents during the day.
- They have Toddler, Pre-Nursery and Nursery programs.
- Teacher-Student ratio is 1:8 for pre-nursery while its 1:5 for Toddler program.
- Toilets built for toddlers with an attached shower space.
- They are open to a prolonged settling period (if needed - with parents in the premises during that time frame) and have an initial paid trial period of 3 days when the parent and kid can attend the classes for about 2 hours.
- They also host play dates every Saturday - which could be used to introduce the kid to the environment.
- Teaches kids - music, dance.
- Relatively new preschool program even though its their oldest center in Bangalore.
- Schedule appointment to tour the space.
Preschools we visited in Malleswaram, Bangalore
- ₹60,000+ in annual fees
- Blended curriculum
- Well-lit, ventilated multi-storey space. Felt like a nice neighborhood playschool in a calm location. Has an open space for outdoor play along with sand play.
- Food is not provided at the school.
- Day care facility post school hours is available.
- No livestreams of classrooms.
- Teacher seemed practical and had a clear understanding of NEP policy. Since the kid is likely to master play group quickly, she suggested repeating UKG (where they introduce CVC words and phonics) for our kid as it would be more useful.
- Potty training is viewed as a two way process and insisted that parents continue the school's efforts by taking the kid to restroom frequently when at home.
- Kids wear uniform once a week.
- Kids are taken to field trips to nearby vegetable shops, fire station, etc.
- ₹1.5 lakh+ in annual and admission fees.
- Blended curriculum with best practices from Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Waldorf.
- Well-lit and well-ventilated classrooms. Open spaces in the front and back of the building. Had a sandpit with a tree house on the back and artificial grass on the front.
- Vegetarian food (breakfast and mid-morning snack) provided to kids that's cooked in house kitchen.
- Day care facility post school hours is available.
- No livestreams of classrooms but entire space is CCTV covered.
- Culturally oriented as its conceived by ISKCON Bangalore. There are culture connect activities on a daily basis along with prayer for toddlers.
- Could help get admission to their own big schools like Basil Woods and Basil Woods Nature Schools.
- Malleswaram branch was established in 2019.
- Field trips each quarter - one to ISKCON Rajajinagar.
- Indoor floor was child proofed so that kids don't get injured if they fall.
- Teaches kids - yoga, arts and craft and gets them involved in outdoor activities.
- ₹60,000+ in annual fees
- They follow the play-way method with project based Finnish curriculum.
- Has open play area in the front with artificial grass.
- Food is not provided at the school.
- Has day care after pre-school hours.
- No livestreams of classrooms but entire space is CCTV covered.
- Teacher-Student ratio was about 1:15-1:20 (with one helper helping the teacher).
- They deep clean the entire space on Saturdays.
- ₹1.5 lakh+ in annual and admission fees.
- Montessori school that is Indian Montessori Association recognized.
- Have a large open space with community garden and a basketball court.
- Encourages daily cooking activities for kids - so they would be provided something to eat daily as result of it - emphasizing on experiential part of Montessori education.
- Has day care after pre-school hours.
- No livestreams of classrooms
- They offer Montessori programs beyond early years for even 6-12 years and beyond.
- They offer YLCC program for 1.5-2.5 year old and Casa program for 2.5-6 year old.
- They have pure mixed age classrooms.
- Diaper free school in order to help kids get potty trained.
Preschools we visited in Rajajinagar and Mahalakshmi Layout, Bangalore
- ₹60,000+ in annual fees
- Their Heureka Curriculum is based on Harvard's project zero with focus on emotional, physical, intellectual, creative and spiritual aspects.
- Had classrooms/play areas in the ground floor until Kindergarten. Had a water play area. Uses kinetic sand as an indoor activity.
- Food is not provided at the school.
- Does not offer daycare after pre-school hours.
- No livestreams of classrooms but entire space is CCTV covered.
- School starts in April and reopens in June. So we felt quite late when we enquired in June 2nd week. The kid would have to learn to settle on his own without the parents being present in the class as we missed the settling in period.
- Teaches kids - yoga, art, music, dance.
- Seems to have a theme for each month and have planned activities accordingly.
- Wanted the kids to build a vocabulary - with an emphasis on a particular word that week - that can be implemented also at home.
- Staff are safety trained.
- There are two batches of kids that visit the school - in the morning and afternoon.
- ₹60,000+ in annual fees
- Montessori curriculum in early years (Play group, Mont-1, Mont-2) followed by CBSE - Montessori blended curriculum in LKG and UKG
- Clean, well-lit, ventilated classrooms in a multi-storey space. Ground floor has a mix of indoor and outdoor play areas.
- Food is not provided at the school.
- Does not offer daycare after pre-school hours.
- No livestreams of classrooms but entire space is CCTV covered.
- Play group starts only in October (meant for kids who haven't turned 2 before June of that year) while other programs would start in June.
- Play group lasts 2 hours a day with gradual settling in period - with increasing duration of time spent in the school.
- Teacher-Student ratio is likely 1:10 for playgroup while for Mont1 onwards its likely 1:17 (with 2-3 helpers to assist 2 teachers with max 34 kids class).
- Circle time is across both Mont 1 and Mont 2 - that provides the mixed age feel to the class.
- Teachers are Indian Montessori Association certified.
- Separate restrooms for boys and girls in each floor.
- Wanted to have a small interaction with the kid to check the child's school readiness.
- ₹60,000+ in annual fees (paid monthly)
- Curriculum is Montessori inspired and activity based. Teacher training and materials are provided by Kreedo.
- Clean, well-lit, ventilated classrooms with large open space covered with artificial grass.
- Food is not provided at the school.
- Does not offer daycare after pre-school hours.
- No livestreams of classrooms but entire space is CCTV covered.
- Relatively new school with low teacher-student ratio
- ₹1.5 lakh+ in annual (paid monthly) and admission fees.
- Blended curriculum.
- They have a sandpit and artificially grassed areas for free play in their open space next to the classrooms.
- They provide vegetarian food for an additional charge (if needed).
- Offer daycare after pre-school hours.
- Livestream of classes is provided to parents via an app.
- Seemed like a multicultural environment.
- They have infant, junior toddler, senior toddler and Pre-K programs here while K1 and K2 programs options could be continued in Sadashivnagar branch.
- They have corporate tie ups but there maybe a need to avail daycare for few hours along with preschool in such cases and admission fees could also be waived.
- Kids can join even after school year start with about 2 weeks of settling time.
- They don't provide transportation.
- Very detailed care provided - like they mentioned that diaper change time would be conveyed to the parent via the app and when enrolling, they would want to get a full download of the kid (what are the kid's triggers words in their mother tongue that could help calm them if they are distressed).
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