Singapore
Dover Court Launches NEST, a Redesigned Early Childhood Programme
The Nord Anglia school on Dover Road has formalised its early years offer under a new brand, with a nature-inspired outdoor play area set to open for the 2026 to 2027 academic year.
Dover Court International School has relaunched its early childhood offering under the name NEST, short for Nurturing Early Success Together, covering children from Nursery through Year 2. According to Sassy Mama Singapore, the programme is built on a blend of Reggio Emilia principles and the Early Years Foundation Stage, with children's own questions driving inquiry-led projects that teachers connect to literacy, numeracy and other academic foundations.
The relaunch is backed by a physical upgrade. From the 2026 to 2027 academic year, children will gain access to a new nature-inspired discovery and play area on the school's 12-acre campus in Dover Road. The outdoor space, glimpses of which will be offered at an open house on 12 May, is designed with natural materials and open-ended resources intended to encourage independence, creativity and early scientific thinking.
What the programme involves
NEST sits within a dedicated Early Childhood zone on campus. Specialist provision from the earliest years includes Mandarin, Juilliard-enhanced music, swimming and sport, with computing and co-curricular activities introduced from Year 1. Wellbeing and belonging are described by the school as core threads running across all age groups, in line with Dover Court's longstanding focus on inclusion.
Interim Principal Chris Short said that NEST "celebrates their natural curiosity, creativity, and capacity for deep thinking," and that combining purposeful inquiry with a rich outdoor environment was designed to help the school's youngest learners develop as confident individuals. Short, who previously led Dover Court from 2016 to 2020, has been overseeing the school ahead of a new permanent principal taking over in August 2026.
Demand and capacity
The NEST rebrand coincides with a broader expansion at Dover Court. The school's admissions page confirms it is opening additional Year 7 and Year 8 classes from August 2026, citing sustained demand. With most year groups operating at or near capacity and waitlists rarely shortening, the early years refresh appears designed to sharpen the school's proposition at the entry point where future enrolment is won or lost.
Dover Court is part of the Nord Anglia Education network. Its Class of 2025 recorded an average IBDP score of 36, well above the global average, and 54 per cent of I/GCSE grades were awarded at A* or A.