How to Start a Preschool in 2026
Start a preschool children will love
Opening a preschool is one of the most rewarding things you can do for your community. IPC gives you the curriculum, licensing guidance, business plan, and technology to make it happen, with no franchise royalty fees.
Your First Year
What you can expect in 12 months
Open in 60 to 120 days
From planning to first day of school with our step-by-step Blueprint
Enroll 25 to 75 students
Using our marketing toolkit and enrollment CRM to fill your classrooms
Launch with 20,000+ activities
A fully built curriculum and lesson planning system, ready from day one
Train teachers in days
Our induction programme gets staff confident and classroom-ready fast
International credibility
Operate with a curriculum trusted in 98 countries since 2008
Track every milestone
Assessments, reports, and parent communication built into one platform
How it works
How to start your IPC school
You don't need a franchise or a teaching credential. We provide the tools, training, and ongoing support.
Explore the IPC Curriculum
Browse our library of 20,000+ activities aligned to national and international frameworks. See how IPC works for schools in 98 countries.
Choose Your Plan
Select the IPC subscription that fits your school size. Individual, School, or Enterprise plans available with flexible pricing.
Set Up Your School
Use our onboarding wizard to configure classes, add students, and invite teachers. Your school will be ready in under an hour.
Start Teaching with Confidence
Access AI-powered lesson plans, observation tools, and progress reports from day one. Our team is here to support you every step of the way.
Pricing
How much does it cost?
Calculate your annual investment based on your school size
Calculate your monthly cost based on your number of students
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Per Month
One-Time Setup Fee
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With IPC, there are no franchise fees or hidden costs. Here's how our pricing works...
The one-time setup fee starts at $3,000 for School Essentials and adjusts with your enrollment band.
Your annual fee starts at $1,200 and includes full access for up to 50 students, including curriculum content, AI tools, and support.
Growing beyond 50 students? Your approved annual and setup fees adjust at clear enrollment bands.
Ready to get started?
Compare Approaches
Why IPC vs other frameworks
See how IPC compares to popular early years and primary education approaches.
| Feature | IPC | Franchise | Montessori | Reggio Emilia | EYFS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured daily curriculum | ✅ | ⚠️ | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ |
| Ready-to-use lesson plans | ✅ | ⚠️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Global standards alignment | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ |
| Ages 3 to 12 coverage | ✅ | ⚠️ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| AI-powered tools | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Built-in assessment system | ✅ | ⚠️ | ❌ | ⚠️ | ✅ |
| School management software | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Startup support & training | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ | ❌ | ⚠️ |
| No royalty fees | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
✅ Included ⚠️ Partial / varies by provider ❌ Not included
The tools and support you need
Running a school made easy
We give you everything you need to start and run a school in your community:
20,000+ Ready-Made Activities
A complete library of developmentally appropriate activities covering every learning area, from literacy to STEM to creative arts.
All-in-One Management Platform
Manage enrollment, attendance, observations, assessments, and parent communication from a single dashboard.
AI-Powered Lesson Planning
Generate curriculum-aligned weekly plans in seconds. Our AI adapts to your class size, age group, and learning goals.
Built-in Assessment Tools
Track developmental milestones with frameworks like EYFS, Common Core, and IB PYP. Generate parent-ready progress reports instantly.
Internationally Recognized
Schools in 98 countries trust the IPC framework. Meet local MOE requirements while delivering world-class early education.
Dedicated Support Team
From setup to daily operations, our education specialists provide personalized guidance, training, and ongoing support.
Academic Excellence
Every activity is peer-reviewed by leading academics
Our curriculum isn't just designed by educators — it's verified by a panel of university-level specialists across child development, assessment, and pedagogy.
Dr. Rebecca Reynolds
Curriculum Design
Dr. Erika Burton
Assessment & Evaluation
Dr. Donna Skinner
Early Literacy
Gabriella Brown, MA
Multilingual Learning
Valerie Smith, MA
STEM Education
Dr. Arjun Mehta
Child Psychology
Build a Mini Rainforest
Counting with Dinosaurs
My Feelings Collage
Rainbow Colour Mixing
Letter Sound Safari
Balance Beam Challenge
Est. 2008
The world leader in international education for ages 3–12
Since 2008, IPC has pioneered curriculum design for international schools serving ages 3–12. Today our framework is trusted by schools in 98 countries, with 20,000+ peer-reviewed activities spanning every major educational standard.
- 17 years of continuous curriculum development
- Aligned to EYFS, Common Core, Montessori & Reggio frameworks
- Used by independent, international & government-partnered schools
- Dedicated academic board & peer-review process
Licensing & Compliance
We help you navigate local licensing requirements
Opening a school internationally means working with local Ministries of Education, safety regulations, and accreditation bodies. Our team has helped schools launch in 98 countries and can guide you through the process.
Ministry of Education Alignment
We help map IPC's curriculum to your country's MOE requirements so you meet local standards from day one.
Documentation & Applications
Get templates for licensing applications, safety plans, health policies, and operational procedures.
Facility & Safety Guidelines
Receive guidance on classroom setup, teacher-student ratios, and safety requirements for your region.
Ongoing Compliance Support
Our team stays updated on regulatory changes and helps you maintain compliance as standards evolve.
Countries we've helped launch in
A sample of regions where IPC schools are operating
100,000+
Students Worldwide
98
Countries
20,000+
Activities
4.9★
Educator Rating
The Data Behind IPC
Why the numbers favour IPC schools
Global research and real-world outcomes show that structured, curriculum-backed schools outperform traditional models across every metric that matters.
Global Education Market Growth
Market size in USD billions — projected to reach $680B by 2028
Source: Grand View Research, Global Education Market Report 2024
Curriculum-Backed vs Traditional
Outcome scores (%) — structured programs consistently outperform
Source: OECD Starting Strong VI, UNESCO Global Education Report 2023
Fastest-Growing Education Markets
Share of new school enrolments by region (2023)
Source: HolonIQ Global Education Market Intelligence 2024
Path to Profitability
Monthly revenue vs. IPC costs for a 25-student school
Based on avg. $720/student/mo tuition in emerging markets
3–6 months
Average time to break even
47%
Higher retention with structured curriculum
2.4×
Revenue growth in year 2
94%
Parent satisfaction rate
Getting started
Setting up your school
Three essentials to create an amazing learning environment. Here's how IPC helps with all three.
Location
Whether you're opening a standalone school, a home-based program, or adding IPC curriculum to an existing school, IPC adapts to your space and setup.
Students & Staff
Add unlimited classes and students. Invite co-teachers, assistants, and administrators with role-based access controls.
Curriculum & Training
Choose from multiple curriculum frameworks or use IPC's own scope and sequence. Access free onboarding training and professional development resources.
Our team
A team behind you at every step
You're never alone with IPC. Our team of curriculum specialists, education coaches, and support staff are here to help you succeed.
Testimonials
Meet IPC educators
"IPC transformed how we run our school. The AI lesson planner alone saves us 10 hours a week, and parents love the detailed progress reports."
Sarah Al-Mahmoud
Nursery Director, Dubai
"We opened our school in Lagos with zero curriculum experience. IPC gave us everything: activities, assessments, parent communication tools. We were operational in two weeks."
Chiamaka Obi
Founder, Little Explorers Academy
"As a Montessori educator, I was skeptical, but IPC's flexibility let me blend my philosophy with structured developmental tracking. It's the best of both worlds."
Elena Rossi
Lead Teacher, Milan
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Ready to get started?
Join 20,000+ schools in 98 countries. Get started today with IPC's complete school solution for ages 3–12.