Sharjah\u2019s education landscape is shifting, with new Early Childhood Centres designed to combine nursery and kindergarten under one roof. If you\u2019re a parent currently choosing a nursery in Sharjah, comparing daycare in Sharjah for a younger child, or planning the next step after nursery, it\u2019s worth understanding what this change actually involves, who it affects, and what it means for your own child\u2019s path from nursery through to kindergarten \u2014 regardless of whether you\u2019re considering a government or private nursery.<\/p>\n
The Sharjah government has announced a plan to open Early Childhood Centres that house both nursery and kindergarten sections within the same facility. The goal is straightforward: children who complete nursery won\u2019t need to move to a separate site for kindergarten, reducing one of the more disruptive transitions in early education. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, announced the initiative alongside an approved government nursery enrolment plan for the 2026\u20132027 academic year.<\/p>\n
The plan is being introduced in phases rather than all at once. Government nursery enrolment for 2026\u20132027 is reported to be up 18 percent on the previous year, with the number of government nurseries increasing from 40 to 47. The phased rollout is expected to bring in roughly 2,402 children from August 2026, a further 332 from January 2027, and 270 more from April 2027, with total enrolment \u2014 including re-enrolment and new admissions \u2014 projected to reach around 3,004 children.<\/p>\n
According to the announcement, around 200 nursery graduates have already been admitted into kindergarten sections at four centres, located in Al Suyoh, Al Rahmaniyah, Al Lu\u2019lu\u2019iyah and Kalba. For children leaving nurseries that don\u2019t yet have a kindergarten section attached, government schools remain available as an interim option until more combined centres are built, and kindergarten classrooms are also being added to existing nurseries where possible. Full details of the announcement, including the broader three-phase enrolment plan, were reported by Khaleej Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n Beyond the specific numbers, this announcement reflects a wider pattern in how Sharjah is approaching early years education \u2014 treating nursery and kindergarten less as two separate systems and more as one continuous journey for young children. For a growing population of families with children under five, that shift matters, because it signals that reducing disruption at key transition points is becoming a stated priority at a policy level, not just something individual nurseries do on their own initiative.<\/p>\n Yes \u2014 it\u2019s important to be clear about this. The Early Childhood Centres initiative, as announced, applies to government nurseries and the government enrolment plan, and the centres themselves are being built and run under government infrastructure. If your child attends, or is likely to attend, a private nursery in Sharjah, this specific infrastructure change doesn\u2019t apply directly to your enrolment process. That said, the underlying idea behind it \u2014 reducing disruption at the nursery-to-kindergarten transition \u2014 is just as relevant to private nursery families, and it\u2019s worth asking any nursery you\u2019re considering how they handle this transition themselves.<\/p>\n Even though the government Early Childhood Centres are a separate system, the announcement highlights something every parent comparing a nursery in Sharjah should be thinking about: how smoothly does a child move from nursery into the next stage of early education, and does the nursery you choose plan for that transition from day one?<\/p>\n One of the clearest advantages of the government\u2019s Early Childhood Centres is continuity \u2014 the same environment, familiar routines, and often overlapping staff as a child moves from nursery into kindergarten. You can look for a similar benefit at a private nursery by asking directly whether the curriculum is designed to carry through consistently from nursery age into Pre-KG and kindergarten preparation, rather than resetting with each stage.<\/p>\n A nursery that genuinely prepares children for kindergarten will usually be able to describe specific steps \u2014 more structured group activities as children get older, early literacy and numeracy exposure, and a gradual increase in independence expectations. If a nursery can\u2019t describe this clearly, it\u2019s worth asking more questions before enrolling.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also worth asking whether teachers communicate with each other as a child moves from one age group to the next within the same nursery, or whether each stage essentially starts from scratch with no handover of information. A nursery where staff share observations about a child\u2019s progress tends to make each transition noticeably smoother, since the next teacher already has a sense of how that child learns best.<\/p>\n Whether a family ultimately chooses one of the government\u2019s Early Childhood Centres or the best nursery in Sharjah they can find in the private sector, the underlying principle is the same: children generally do better with fewer disruptive transitions, familiar routines, and a curriculum that builds steadily rather than starting over at each stage. This is worth keeping in mind when comparing any nursery in Sharjah, government or private, and it\u2019s the same reasoning behind the Early Childhood Centres model in the first place.<\/p>\n At Little Feet Nursery, our Montessori, EYFS and STEAM-based curriculum<\/a> is designed to carry children through consistently, from their first days in daycare in Sharjah<\/a> through to preschool<\/a> and Pre-KG readiness, without the curriculum resetting at each stage. Our Montessori-trained, SPEA-certified teachers know each child individually, which means the move from one stage to the next is built around that child\u2019s own pace rather than a fixed changeover point.<\/p>\n This approach is applied consistently across all three of our branches \u2014 Al Khan<\/a>, Al Khalidiya<\/a> and Al Jazzat<\/a> \u2014 so families across Sharjah have a consistent option regardless of which branch is most convenient. If you\u2019re already thinking ahead to your child\u2019s move into Pre-KG, our guide on knowing if your child is ready for Pre-KG<\/a> covers this transition in more detail.<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re considering one of the government\u2019s new Early Childhood Centres or comparing private options and looking for the best nursery in Sharjah for your family, a few practical steps help:<\/p>\n Sharjah\u2019s new Early Childhood Centres reflect a broader shift toward reducing disruption at the nursery-to-kindergarten transition, and while the initiative itself applies to government nurseries, the principle behind it is relevant to every family weighing up a nursery in Sharjah. Continuity, consistent curriculum, and a nursery that actively prepares children for their next step matter more than which system a family ultimately chooses.<\/p>\nWhy This Reflects a Broader Shift in Sharjah<\/h3>\n
Is This Change Specific to Government Nurseries?<\/h2>\n
What This Means If You\u2019re Choosing a Private Nursery<\/h2>\n
Ask About Curriculum Continuity<\/h3>\n
Ask How the Nursery Prepares Children for the Next Step<\/h3>\n
Ask About Staff Continuity and Communication Between Stages<\/h3>\n
Why Continuity Matters More Than the Type of Nursery<\/h2>\n
How Little Feet Nursery Supports This Kind of Continuity<\/h2>\n
What Sharjah Parents Should Do Next<\/h2>\n
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Conclusion<\/h2>\n