Highlights
- Prioritises compliance and safety with expert-led standards
- Montessori-inspired curriculum nurtures independence, socio-emotional growth, and school readiness
- Offers exceptionally low teacher–child ratios for personalised care
- Meals are cooked in-house daily, ensuring nutritious and wholesome food
- Parents enjoy transparent communication through weekly photo journals and updates
Tucked in the heart of Bangsar is a preschool that carries more than just a beautiful name. Little and Loved – Montessori Preschool & Infant Care was born from a shared passion of three educators who spent years in the trenches of early childhood education. For founders Sayf Ng, Anastasia, and Izzah, this centre is a mission to raise the standards of preschool care and education in Malaysia.
A Centre Built on Experience and Heart
Collectively, the co-founders bring decades of hands-on experience, having started their journeys as teachers before moving into management and operations roles in reputable preschool groups. But what truly sets them apart is their decision to “walk the talk.” Having witnessed the gaps and challenges in the industry — from overworked teachers to internal quality issues often invisible to parents — they decided to start fresh. At Little and Loved, every decision is made with the child’s best interest at heart, free from corporate bureaucracy.
Safety and Compliance as the Gold Standard
One of the strongest pillars of the centre is compliance. Sayf Ng, who previously handled compliance and auditing for major preschool chains, brings a wealth of expertise in safeguarding children. Her background in auditing everything from kitchens to child safety protocols ensures that Little and Loved is run with the highest standards of safety and hygiene.
Here, compliance isn’t a checklist — it’s a culture. From certified food handling and typhoid vaccinations to multiple daily health checks, every detail is carefully monitored. Parents can rest assured that their children are in an environment where safety and quality are never compromised.
Low Ratios, High Care
The school offers one of the most child-focused teacher-student ratios in the industry:
- Infants (3 – 15 months): 1 educator to 2 babies
- Playgroup (1.5 – 2.5 years): 1 educator to 3 children
- Nursery (2.5 – 4 years): 1 educator to 4 children
- Preschool (4 – 6 years): 1 educator to 5 children
These small ratios allow teachers to provide personalised attention, nurture independence, and guide each child’s social-emotional growth.
Food Cooked with Love
Another unique touch? Meals are currently prepared in-house by Sayf herself. Nutritious, balanced, and wholesome, the menu reflects her belief that healthy eating begins early. During our visit, she offered a handmade orange-flavoured cupcake — moist, tangy, and simply delicious. It’s a reflection of how much thought and love goes into the meals that fuel the children each day.
A Vision of Safety, Love, and Transparency
The school’s mission is simple yet powerful: to create an environment where children feel safe, teachers feel supported, and parents feel connected. “When teachers are well taken care of, they can deliver better,” says Sayf. “When children feel safe and loved, learning happens naturally.”
One of the centre’s most loved practices is its weekly parent journal. Instead of waiting six months for a report card, parents receive a detailed weekly update with photos, descriptions, and summaries of their child’s progress and activities. This consistent transparency not only reassures parents but also strengthens the bond between home and school.
Curriculum: Montessori-Inspired and Beyond
Little and Loved’s curriculum is deeply Montessori-inspired, with a strong emphasis on independence, hands-on learning, and the development of fine motor skills. Children are encouraged to feed themselves, make choices, and work on practical life activities that build confidence and self-reliance.
Beyond academics, the centre gives special focus to socio-emotional learning (SEL) — an often-overlooked aspect of early childhood education. Teachers guide children in recognising and naming their emotions, from anger and jealousy to joy and empathy. Instead of dismissing tears or tantrums, educators create space for children to process their feelings, offering strategies such as deep breathing, calming corners, and reflective storytelling. These practices help children regulate emotions and build resilience from a young age.
Play-based learning also takes centre stage. From thematic dress-up corners to pretend play, outdoor exploration, and activities like water play and soccer, children learn through joy, creativity, and movement. As they grow, academic readiness is woven in through booklets, workbooks, and language development in English and Malay, with Mandarin set to be introduced soon. This balance ensures children are not only prepared for primary school but also well-rounded in character, creativity, and resilience.
Beyond Montessori – Cultivating the Spirit of Education
While Montessori principles inspire their approach, the team believes in going deeper than labels. To them, great teaching begins with the training of the spirit. Just as a monk reflects and refines through practice, educators too must cultivate self-awareness, patience, and positivity. This philosophy shapes the culture at Little and Loved, where teachers are chosen not only for qualifications but also for authenticity, warmth, and genuine care.
The curriculum blends Montessori-driven independence with socio-emotional learning, mindful practices, and play-based exploration. This unique combination ensures that children not only thrive academically but also grow into confident, empathetic, and resilient individuals.
The Future: Raising Standards for All
While the immediate goal is to ensure Little and Loved thrives as a benchmark centre, the founders’ ambitions extend far beyond Bangsar. They envision creating a compliance and consulting agency to support preschools nationwide; offering audits, training, and quality assurance to uplift the entire industry. In a country where preschool governance is fragmented across multiple authorities, this vision could be transformative.
More Than Just a Preschool
Step into Little and Loved, and you’ll feel it — the warmth, the sincerity, and the sense of being part of something bigger. The name itself reflects the founders’ promise: that every child is not just cared for, but truly loved. Parents, visitors, and even teachers are welcomed into an environment where they are free to be themselves, safe in the knowledge that quality, transparency, and heart are at the core of everything.
For families seeking a place where compliance meets compassion, and where children grow confident, resilient, and loved — Little and Loved Montessori Preschool & Infant Care is a name to remember.
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