Mission Statement
Welcome to Starfish Lane Kids, three gorgeous and friendly Australian nurseries in Doha. We are proud of our 2015 Award for “Outstanding Quality of Childcare” by the Ministry of Social Affairs of Qatar. It is the little Starfish Lane children and parents’ appreciation we prize most. Since 2006 we’ve committed to providing a warm, nurturing and safe environment for your child. We aim to empower children to become confident, respectful and lifelong learners. With Yoga, Playball®, “Let it Grow” winter gardening, Kids in the Kitchen (healthy eating programme) and library time are integrated in the weekly curriculum. We offer fun life-long learning experiences for your children. Our mission is to provide a program where the needs and interests of children come first.
At our Starfish Lane Kids nurseries, babies from 2 months and children feel safe and secure; parents can take comfort in knowing that their children are receiving the highest level of care. At Starfish we offer early learning programs for children from ten months to four years. We strive to provide the best care and learning environment possible for young children. Children are encouraged by our educators to play, discover, create, improvise and imagine through an emergent Australian curriculum.
General Information
Locations
Ain Khaled
Al Markhiya
- PHONE
- EMAIL:
- WEBSITE:
- NATIONALITY OF MANANGEMENT
- Australian
- CURRICULUM
- Australian
- SOCIAL MEDIA
Admission & Attendance
- AGES OF CHILDREN ADMITTED:
- From four months to four years. We have a dedicated “Baby Shack” for babies from four months.
- COST:
- Please contact Starfish Lane Kids Nurseries for their fee structure
- NURSERIES FEES PAYMENT SCHEDULE:
- By the term
- REGISTRATION FEE:
- QR 1,900
- APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
- Parents are welcome to visit Starfish at any time. The management will take you on a tour and answer any questions. If a place is not available you will be given a waitlist form to fill. There is no cost involved. Once a suitable place becomes available you will be contacted to come to the nursery to fill the required paperwork.
- AVERAGE LENGTH OF WAITING LIST:
- Parents are kept updated regularly on their waitlist status. The most popular age group is 2-3 years old.
Hours & Schedule
- HOURS OF NURSERIES:
- 7:00am until 2:00pm
- FULL-TIME CARE AVAILABLE:
- Yes, available for working parents only at additional cost. Sunset Club is available until 4:00pm
- NURSERIES SCHEDULE OPTIONS:
- Three, four or five days per week
- NAPS:
- Naps are offered. We have 2 dedicated sleep rooms available to meet the individual sleeping needs of children. The sleep rooms have constant supervision
- SUMMER SESSIONS OFFERED:
- Yes
- SCHOOL CALENDAR MOST CLOSELY FOLLOWED
- DESS
Classroom and Teacher Information
- TRAINING & EDUCATION FOR TEACHERS:
- CPR, college degree, first aid. Teachers are required to hold a minimum of a Level Three Childcare qualification. Starfish Lane kids is a registered Cache centre. We provide an extensive in-house training program to all our team members to develop their professional and personal skills to be able to provide the highest level of care to your children.
- TRAINING & EDUCATION FOR TEACHER’S ASSISTANTS:
- CPR, first aid and extensive in-house training schedule for all staff
- LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY TEACHERS:
- English
- LANGUAGES SPOKEN AND/OR TAUGHT TO CHILDREN:
- English
- SIZE OF CLASSES:
- We have a high staff child ratio, classes maximum twenty two in our seven spacious classrooms, each size depends on the ages & stages of the children.
- EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:
- Additional to the Australian curriculum “Learning through Play” activities, we offer weekly Playball ® lessons, a children’s Yoga programme with trained and qualified instructors across all branches, Kids in the Kitchen (healthy eating), “Let it Grow” winter gardening, sandcastle play, aquafun, a dedicated library to encourage a lifelong love of reading and much more. (Parents do not pay extra for the Yoga or Playball lessons).
- DO THE CHILDREN WATCH TV/VIDEOS?
- No
- ARE WEBCAMS AVAILABLE FOR PARENTS TO VIEW THEIR CHILDREN ONLINE?
- No
- LIST OF AFTER-HOURS & WEEKEND BABYSITTERS AVAILABLE?
- Yes
Other Information
- GRASSY PLAY AREA:
- Yes
- SHADED OUTDOOR PLAY AREA:
- Yes
- DEDICATED INDOOR PLAY AREA:
- Yes
- ARE SNACKS SUPPLIED FOR THE CHILDREN?
- No snacks are supplied due to differing dietary requirements & allergies
- ARE LUNCHES SUPPLIED FOR THE CHILDREN?
- No lunches are supplied due to differing dietary requirements & allergies
- ARE THE LUNCHES (FROM THE LUNCHBOXES) HEATED FOR THE CHILDREN?
- Yes
- NUT POLICY:
- No nuts
- OTHER FOOD POLICIES, IF ANY:
- Healthy food policy
- BIRTHDAY POLICY
- Parents may only bring in healthy food for birthday celebrations (no sweets or treats). The birthday child will wear a special Birthday crown and choose a special book to read. We encourage parents to send along a new book that we can label with your child’s name. This book can be read on their special day and then kept in the library for the other children to enjoy. You are welcome to send a healthy treat along on your child’s birthday so that he/she may celebrate amongst their friends.
- ARE CLOTH DIAPERS ACCEPTED?
- Yes
- ARE DIAPERS AND WIPES SUPPLIED?
- No
- DO YOU OFFER ISLAMIC STUDIES?
- Yes
- DO YOU HAVE A FULL-TIME NURSE ON STAFF?
- Yes
- DO YOU ACCEPT SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS?
- Children will be assessed on an individual basis in consultation with parents and professionals
- DO YOU ASSIST WITH POTTY TRAINING?
- Yes
Testimonials
I love Starfish Lane for the peace of mind! I never look back or worry that my son is being taken care of properly. Arthur has been blooming since enrolling, due to Starfish’s rich in activities curriculum! He is a very happy and contented baby when I pick him up. Overall, an amazing experience for us!
Kimberley-Anaïs Hamon
I extensively searched Doha before placing my child in care as I had high expectations of a child care provision. I really enjoyed environment set up by Starfish Lane Kids; not only for the children but also for parents. It felt like Starfish was a community that was dedicated to children. I have not been let down and feel that my child has excelled since being in the care of such a great team. Further, my child was recently accepted into a school and I feel Starfish was instrumental in supporting us through the highly competitive school placement system.
Liz
My 2 year old son attends Starfish Lane Kids five days a week and he loves it! As a parent and speech-language pathologist who specializes in young children, I know that my expectation/standard for his education is exceptionally high. I am consistently impressed by the level of creativity, variety of experiences and nurturing that make up his education at Starfish. I am grateful for the amount of practical training for the teachers, as well as the opportunities available to families (play therapy, speech therapy, languages, etc.). My son’s education is richly enhanced by the positive and creative environment that he joins each morning. Thank you and well done Starfish!
Amanda
