Building Strong Foundations
Overview
The NEP 2020 has redefined the starting point of formal education, bringing preschool into the mainstream and establishing a new Foundational Stage from Nursery to Grade 2 (ages 3–8). At AMHARTA, we help schools restructure these critical early years with developmentally appropriate environments, play-based pedagogy, and a strong focus on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy—ensuring joyful beginnings and lasting learning outcomes.
With the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, preschool education is no longer an optional or peripheral aspect of schooling—it is now formally recognized as the starting point of a child’s educational journey. The policy mandates a shift in the entry age for school from 6 years (Class 1) to 3 years, integrating early childhood education into the formal school system. To reflect this, a new Foundational Stage has been created, covering Nursery to Grade 2 (ages 3 to 8).
This is a major structural and pedagogical change for most schools. Restructuring these crucial early years is essential—not only to comply with NEP mandates, but to ensure that children build a strong base for all future learning. The early years are now understood to be a period of rapid brain development and immense potential. If nurtured thoughtfully, they can lead to profound and lasting educational outcomes.
At AMHARTA, we help schools understand and implement the new expectations for the Foundational Stage. Our support includes:
- Designing ECCE-aligned classroom environments that are safe, inclusive, engaging, and developmentally appropriate.
- Helping schools develop and adopt a holistic curriculum that covers all developmental domains—cognitive, social, emotional, language, and physical—through play, stories, movement, and discovery.
- Supporting the implementation of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) programs in ways that align with the NCF’s emphasis on joyful, experiential learning.
- Introducing appropriate materials and content such as toys, puzzles, picture books, and manipulatives in pre-primary, and workbooks/textbooks only from Grade 1 onwards.
- Training teachers to use play-based, child-centered pedagogy and create nurturing, trusting relationships in the classroom.
- Guiding schools on age-appropriate assessments, focusing on qualitative observations in early years, and avoiding formal testing until after the Foundational Stage.
By working closely with school leaders and teachers, we ensure that this restructured Foundational Stage becomes a space of joyful beginnings, deep learning, and real inclusion, setting the stage for deep learning in later stages.
