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By Novema | October 2026

International schools are increasingly looking to attract families from the pre-school years. The prize is significant: winning a family earlier can increase lifetime value, while creating a natural feeder into the school’s primary years.

But there is a challenge.

International schools are not just competing with other international schools for pre-school children. They are competing with an entirely different and much broader market.

Parents can choose from branded pre-school chains, specialist early-years providers and smaller neighbourhood pre-schools – many of which offer lower fees and greater flexibility.

So, what really drives parents’ choices?

Quality matters. But so does value.

Novema’s annual International School Brand Equity & Market Insights study tracks the proportion of parents choosing international-school pre-school sections versus other types of pre-school.

Historically, international schools have faced strong competition from branded operators, for example in Singapore from MindChamps, Maple Bear and MMI. However, the 2026 findings show international schools in Singapore gaining share of the pre-school market.

International schools have some clear advantages. They can offer access to the resources and facilities of the wider school, potentially draw on a strong pool of teachers and provide a seamless pathway into primary education.

But these advantages come at a price.

International-school pre-school sections typically charge a significant premium over standalone providers. With many expatriate families now paying school fees themselves, rather than having them covered by employers, cost-of-living pressures are making value increasingly important.

For younger children in particular, some parents are prepared to “trade down” to a lower-fee pre-school, as their requirements for facilities and educational provision are more modest at this stage.

That makes understanding the drivers of pre-school choice critical.

WHAT DO PARENTS REALLY WANT FROM A PRE-SCHOOL?

In Novema’s 2024 annual international-school survey, parents across Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand were asked what influenced their choice of pre-school.

Quality of teachers was the single most frequently mentioned factor, cited by 63% of parents. A further 60% highlighted the school’s approach to learning and teaching.

Other important academic considerations included:

• 44% – child/teacher ratio
• 44% – reputation of school for academic excellence
• 35% – enrichment opportunities

But academic considerations are only part of the story.

55% of parents chose a pre-school because it was close to home or their workplace. This can give branded chains with multiple locations an advantage, while smaller neighbourhood pre-schools can also benefit when they are located within key expatriate or wealthy catchment areas.

And then comes the issue that can be particularly challenging for international schools:

53% said they chose their pre-school because it offered good value for the price paid.

For an international school charging a substantial premium, demonstrating value is therefore just as important as demonstrating quality.

THE PRE-SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT MATTERS TOO

Parents also pay close attention to the physical environment.

The appearance and upkeep of the pre-school are relatively important considerations, as is having a smaller, more compact environment that parents may perceive as being better suited to younger children.

There are also cultural considerations.

Some parents value the mix of parents and children attending the school. Others actively look for Western teachers, including some non-Western families.

For some expatriate parents, having an affinity with their home country is important – a factor that can favour an international school.

But there is another side to this.

Some parents prefer their children to mix with local children during the pre-school years, before moving into a more international environment later.

Language is another consideration. 28% of parents cite language support, while 15% look for provision for children with special needs or learning differences.

Flexibility also matters to some. 27% of parents identify some form of flexibility as important, including flexibility around attendance days and late pick-up.

These practical requirements can give smaller local pre-schools an advantage over larger international-school operations.

ONE MARKET – DIFFERENT PARENT PRIORITIES

Novema’s analysis shows significant differences in the factors that influence pre-school choice across different expatriate nationalities. The table below shows the rank order of importance in choosing pre-schools by key nationalities or groupings.

Ranking of Factors that Determined Choice of Pre-Schools

Despite the differences, there are also some important commonalities.

Quality of teachers and style of teaching rank among the top five considerations for every nationality group analysed.

Being close to home or the workplace also features in the top five for every nationality.

And across most groups, parents attach considerable importance to the appearance and upkeep of the school and the child/teacher ratio.

Beyond these common needs, however, priorities diverge considerably.

UK parents: education and teachers

UK parents place particular emphasis on quality of teachers, teaching style and the overall appearance of the school.

They also attach relatively high importance to having Western teachers and the child/teacher ratio.

European parents: convenience and cultural affinity

For European parents, location is the number-one consideration, followed by teaching style.

They also place relatively strong importance on the school’s affinity with their home country and on having a small, compact environment.

ANZ parents: teaching and the day-to-day experience

Australian and New Zealand parents place strong emphasis on teaching style, location and child/teacher ratios.

They also stand out for their interest in the mix of parents and children attending the school.

US/Canadian parents: teachers and community

North American parents put particularly strong emphasis on quality of teachers and teaching style.

They also place considerable importance on the appearance of the school and, notably, the mix of parents and children – highlighting the importance of the wider school community.

Indian parents: value and quality

For Indian parents, good value for money is the leading consideration, followed by quality of teachers and teaching style.

Academic reputation and the appearance of the school are also relatively important.

Greater Chinese parents: teachers, ratios and reputation

Greater Chinese parents place particularly strong emphasis on quality of teachers and child/teacher ratios.

They also place considerable weight on teaching style, academic reputation and the mix of parents and children attending.

Japanese parents: value, teachers and language

Japanese parents have a distinctive profile.

Good value for money is their leading consideration, followed by quality of teachers. Language support and affinity with the home country are also relatively important.

FIVE BROAD TYPES OF PRE-SCHOOL PARENT

The research points towards five broad behavioural tendencies among parents.

1. The educational-quality parent

Particularly evident among Western expats, UK, ANZ and North American parents.

They are looking for: Excellent teachers + distinctive pedagogy + strong teacher/child ratios.

2. The value-and-achievement parent

Particularly evident among Japanese and Indian parents.

They are looking for: Good value + quality teachers + academic credibility.

3. The community parent

Particularly evident among ANZ, US/Canadian and Greater Chinese parents.

They care about: Who attends the school + the peer group + teachers + the wider social environment.

4. The practical parent

For some families, the practicalities of pre-school are critical.

Location + flexibility + late pick-up + provision for additional needs can determine the choice.

5. The culturally familiar parent

Particularly evident among European and Japanese parents.

Here, home-country affinity and cultural familiarity become more important.

These are behavioural tendencies rather than statistically derived segments, but they highlight an important point: international schools cannot assume that every expatriate parent is looking for the same pre-school proposition.

SO HOW CAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS COMPETE?

Perhaps the most interesting finding is that parents’ reasons for choosing a pre-school are not primarily about “pre-school” features.

The four biggest considerations are fundamentally about the overall educational proposition:

Teachers → pedagogy → convenience → value

This creates an opportunity for international schools.

Rather than simply positioning their pre-school as an extension of the main school, they need to demonstrate why the pre-school itself delivers compelling value.

That could mean showcasing:

• Exceptional teachers
• A distinctive approach to early-years learning
• Strong teacher/child ratios
• A high-quality, well-maintained environment
• Appropriate enrichment opportunities
• A credible pathway into the wider school

But the proposition should not be one-size-fits-all.

A message centred on pedagogy and educational quality may resonate particularly strongly with Western, ANZ and North American parents.

Value and academic outcomes may be more important in markets such as Malaysia and among some Asian nationalities.

And cultural affinity, language and flexibility can play a greater role in Thailand and among some nationality groups.

The opportunity: win the parent before primary school

For international schools, the pre-school market is both a threat and an opportunity.

Standalone pre-schools can often compete effectively on price, location and flexibility. International schools, meanwhile, have the potential to compete on teachers, pedagogy, resources, and the pathway into primary education.

The challenge is to communicate that difference clearly – and to make parents believe that the premium is justified.

The schools that understand what different parents actually want from pre-school will be better placed to turn the early-years market into a powerful pipeline for future primary enrolment.

For more information, contact: Piers Lee, MD of Novema: piers@novema-research.com