If you’re about to move to Astana, the thriving and booming capital of Kazakhstan, or if you’re already there and you’re sourcing education for your child, you’ll probably be a little overwhelmed at your options.
Moving to another country doesn’t only mean finding somewhere to live and settling in, it also means finding the best educational options for your children. If you have a small child, it’s even more important to give them the best possible start in their educational life. That means sourcing a high quality English speaking nursery in the centre of Astana, which allows you to help them flourish and meet their potential, while giving you the peace of mind that they’re well cared for and supported during their early school days.
It’s not easy to find the best educational options when you’re new in an area. You can read online but how do you know that these are the best choices? If you don’t have a huge number of connections or friends in a new area yet, it can be hard to know what to trust and where to go.
Thankfully, we’re on hand to help you out. We’ve sourced some of the best and most in-demand English speaking nurseries in the Astana area. From this list, you can explore further and choose the one that suits your needs best.
Haileybury School is a huge English-speaking school in the heart of Astana, with a kindergarten, infant school, junior school, secondary school, and sixth form. As such, sending your child to Haileybury is a good choice because it means they have continuity in their education, and they’re likely to meet friends in their kindergarten years, who they carry on their education with, right up until sixth form.
This is one of the most highly regarded international schools around and follows the English National Curriculum; as such, it also follows the Early Years educational framework in the UK too. This curriculum has long been established to support your child’s development as they learn and grow, focusing on play and independence.
The great thing about this school is the ratio of staff to children, as well as the number of languages spoken; while the curriculum is delivered in English, there are other options available, including Russian and Kazakh.
The nursery itself is also large, brightly coloured, and has every resource and facility your child could possibly want or need to help them feel comfortable and safe during their time there. You’ll also feel total peace of mind that they’re well-looked after.
Address: Ivan Panfilov St 4, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
Telephone: +7 7172 55 98 55
Astana International School Kindergarten
Astana International School is another large English speaking school in Astana with a kindergarten branch alongside its primary and secondary schools. The school teaches the Primary Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate, and the kindergarten branch focuses on learning through play.
The nursery opened its doors in September 2014 and looks after children from 3 to 6 years of age. The kindergarten campus is bright and spacious, with plenty of room to roam. Children are encouraged to learn through doing; while this isn’t a Montessori nursery, there is an element of independent learning at play here.
The aim is to help children become independent, curious, and sociable, therefore aiding them as they move on with their early education, and into the junior arm of the school. Again, sending your child to a school such as this, with a large extension of junior and secondary classes, means that your child has continuity in their education, and they will make lifelong friends to give them stability as they grow and learn.
Address: 17 Bayan-Sulu Street, Komsomolskiy Village, Nur-Sultan
Telephone: +7717227760 / 762
Junior International Preschool
In the centre of Astana, you will find the large and colourful Junior International Preschool, a kindergarten which focuses on enjoyment, play, and helping children to develop into independent and happy youngsters with a thirst for learning.
The nursery is designed to help your child feel like they’re in their second home, with a supportive and enjoyable environment all around. The nursery understands that each child is individual and as such, they need to be able to explore and learn at their own pace. After all, each child has a different potential and to reach that, they need to be encouraged gently and with plenty of support around them.
This nursery follows the International Preschool Curriculum, delivered in English, and focused entirely on fun and enjoyable while hitting development milestones along the way. The design of the nursery is focused on energy and fun. Children are encouraged to socialise and show respect and empathy to their peers.
Overall, this kindergarten is an in-demand choice for a reason and will help your child to meet other children from all over the world.
Address: 35 Karashash Ana Street, 010000, Astana, Kazakhstan
Telephone: +77019996887
Zebra Montessori is one of the only Montessori Curriculum nurseries in Astana, and as such it is in high demand. Accepting children from 1 to 6 years of age, this nursery is large, colourful, and packed with opportunities for your child to learn, thrive, grow, and meet new friends along the way.
The Montessori learning approach is to encourage children to learn through doing and to help them choose what they want to learn about. As such, children are encouraged to focus on their habits and the things they’re interested in, be it sports, nature, dance, music, etc.
All teachers in the kindergarten speak English and they are all qualified in the Montessori approach, which promotes self-discipline, respect for others, maturity, independence, trustworthiness, and care of other people and the environment.
The nursery can hold up to 20 children and it is open from Monday to Friday, 8.30am until 3pm. Children will learn in English but there is an opportunity for older children to learn Russian.
Address: 53 Kabanbay Batyr Ave, Block 38, Office 121, Astana, Kazakhstan, 010017
Telephone: +77017290123
Marshmallow Academy is another popular English speaking nursery in Astana and it is named after the ‘Marshmallow Test’. If you didn’t know, this is research experiment in the 1960s, carried out by Walter Mischel, a prominent psychologist, involving pre-school children and sweets.
The Marshmallow Academy offers a flexible educational option for your child. The nursery understands how, as parents, life can be hectic and that juggling several different balls in the air can be very tough. However, when you know that your child is flourishing in their early education, you can rest and feel a lot less stressed. The nursery aims not only to support your child, but parents too.
This English speaking nursery in the centre of Astana is well-regarded and they’re keen to nurture your child’s individuality and uniqueness as much as their academic development. Following the Early Years framework, the nursery also has hints of Montessori about it, although it isn’t a Montessori nursery as such.
Children are encouraged to choose the things they want to explore and learn about, with plenty of hands-on, interactive activities and fun things to do every single day. Children are also encouraged to learn good manners and social skills, helping them to make friends and show empathy to other children and staff within the nursery setting.
Address: Ahmeta Bajtursynova St 9, Astana 020000, Kazakhstan
Telephone: +7775120515
Choosing The Right Nursery Matters
Just because your child is young, that doesn’t mean they can’t start learning at an early age. Choosing the right nursery or kindergarten is an important first step in giving them the confidence they need to move forward with their education and embrace everything that learning can give a child.
When you’re moving to another country, or you’ve just settled somewhere and you need to sort out your child’s education, identifying the right place matters. As you can see from this list, there are several very highly regarded English speaking nurseries in Astana, and by choosing the right one for your child, the right fit, you’ll give them the best foundation on which they can build.
Many of these nurseries do require you to register your interest as soon as you can, so you’re in with a better chance of securing a place for your child. This is especially the case if you’re considering the Haileybury Kindergarten, with the hope of your child staying on in the school as they move up to junior school.
