Your preschool’s success starts with how you begin the year
In Early Childhood Development (ECD), we often talk about the importance of the foundation phase for children. It shapes how they think, how they learn and how they grow.
But within ECD, there is another foundation that matters just as much. The foundation you set for your preschool as a business. As we step into the new year, the strength of your internal systems, planning and daily management will play a major role in the success of your school.
The foundation your teachers and children need for 2026
“When your systems are strong, your classrooms thrive, and so do the children.”- Rose Mokoena, Head of Education, Grow ECD
A quality ECD environment gives children:
- Consistency
- Structure
- Rich learning experiences
- Opportunities to build confidence, curiosity and early skills
When teachers are supported and equipped, children thrive. When school systems run smoothly, teachers have the confidence and freedom to focus on quality education.
Preschool businesses that are well managed deliver better outcomes
At Grow ECD, we see the impact of strong foundations every day. Across our partner centres, 83% of 4–5-year-olds are developmentally on track, compared to the national average of 35%. This shows that quality early learning supported by strong systems leads to real results for children.
The foundation your preschool needs for 2026
Running a preschool is running a business. To grow, you need more than passion. You need strong systems, good planning and reliable tools that help you lead with clarity.
As you set your foundation for 2026, consider:
- Financial management
- Do you have a clear picture of your planned income and expenses? Have you created a monthly budget?
- Are you keeping your records up to date? You need to track all business-related income and expenses.
- Are you keeping your business and personal finances separated?
- Do you know which areas of your centre need investment or maintenance this year? Are you saving or fundraising for those goals?
- Administration and compliance
- Are your learner records and attendance systems organised?
- Are your policies and procedures updated and accessible? All staff must be trained on your policies and procedures.
- Do you understand what you need to do to be complaint with all relevant laws such as the Child Act, Labour Law and Health and Safety.
- Is your centre registered? If not, do you have a clear plan for registration and reporting?
- Staff management
- Do you have the right people in the right roles?
- Do all staff members have a job description and a contract?
- Are you following the correct hiring processes?
- Do you know how to manage contracts, leave and performance?
- Curriculum and daily lesson planning
- Are your lessons structured for quality learning per age group, following the National Curriculum Framework (NCF)?
- Are you implementing a play-based curriculum that develops children holistically?
- Do you have enough classroom resources to support your teachers?
- Are you and your teachers observing children daily and assessing them at least twice a year?
- Annual planning
- Have you mapped out your school year on a calendar.
- Do you have a plan for weekly themes, school events, fundraisers, assessments and parent communication?
- Have you shared the year’s calendar with parents so that they can plan and prepare.
These are the building blocks that turn a preschool into a strong, thriving business.
How Grow ECD helps you build that strong foundation
Grow ECD is committed to empowering preschool owners with practical support, tools and resources that make school management simpler, stronger and more sustainable.
The Giraffe App
Your all-in-one digital preschool management support system.
- Keep your admin organised including enrollment and daily attendance tracking
- Manage your finances by tracking your income and expenses, and viewing your financial statements
- Access the Grow ECD online curriculum and teacher’s guide
- Assess learners on development area, per age group
- Get free training and development courses
- Manage staff records and attendance.
The Grow Giraffe app has become South Africa’s most popular ECD management app, already with over 10 000 downloads and over 4 900 centres using the ap in their schools.
The Grow ECD Resource Centre
Grow’s free Resource Centre includes over 450 downloads, such as policies, procedures, templates, classroom tools, songs and rhymes, and parent newsletters, designed specifically for South African preschools. With over 150 000 resource downloads – more and more teachers and owners are taking advantage of this platform.
Free Online Grow Curriculum
Accessible directly through the app.
- NCF-aligned and DBE approved curriculum for babies and 2-5-year-olds
- Easy to follow weekly plans
- Activities linked to early learning development areas (ELDAs)
- Printable resources, photo step-by-step guides, videos and songs.
- Helps teachers deliver consistent quality in every classroom
2026 Planning Calendar
Make 2026 your most organised year ever.
- Plan lessons
- Plan school events
- Track assessments
- Prepare ahead without stress
HR Toolkit
A practical guide for hiring and managing staff.
- Clear steps for recruitment
- Templates for contracts and policies
- Guidance on labour law
- Tools that help you build a strong, confident team
Make it a goal to begin this year with a strong foundation. When you strengthen the foundation of your business, you create stability that flows from your office into every classroom.