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People

Maria Montessori and muster rolls.
Rudolf Steiner — focuses Newspeg. Prof. Heather was in
on the physical, intel- Bengaluru on April 26-27 to further
lectual, emotional, and enhance this Scottish university’s
social development of profile and visibility among poten-
preschool children, and tial students in India, and address
is delivered by a team of a well-attended alumni meet. Of
600 well-trained teach- HWU-Dubai’s enrolment of over
ers worldwide. 4,500 students, approximately half
Newspeg. Early this year are from India or of Indian origin.
(January), Bhandary History. A polymath with decades of
promoted two owned teaching and industry experience,
preschools in Mumbai McGregor is an agriculture market-
and Pune, the first Little ing and business management alum-
Elly preschool in Maha- Bhandary: enthusiastic public response na of Newcastle and London univer-
rashtra. sities who pressed on to research for
History. A science postgraduate of services within and adjacent to a Ph D in finance from the University
Mumbai University and a Montessori corporate premises. Clients include: of Hong Kong. Moreover, she is also
trained teacher, Bhandary acquired ITC, TVS Motors, Wipro, Alstom a qualified chartered global manage-
eight years of teaching and admin among others across Karnataka, ment accountant (CGMA), a Princi-
experience managing the Salmiya Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra. pal Fellow of the Higher Education
Playschool in Kuwait, where she Five years on, their first CBSE-affili- Academy (PFHEA) and a fellow of
moved soon after her marriage with ated K-12 school under the name and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
husband Vittal. The couple returned brand of Glentree Academy was es- Beginning her professional career
to India in 2002 and established tablished which has since expanded as an investment banker, in 2004 she
their first preschool in Bengaluru to three campuses in Bengaluru. went solo and established a global
under the name of Little Elly (after Future plans. Encouraged by enthu- personnel search firm which she led
Lord Ganesha) in 2004. siastic public response to the Little for 17 years, before switching tracks
Direct talk. “Within six months of the Elly style of ECCE, Bhandary has into higher education. In 2016, she
first Little Elly preschool, we pro- drawn up ambitious expansion plans was appointed Executive Dean of the
moted two more in the city. A year for India and overseas. “We are all Edinburgh Business School at HWU,
after their successful operation, we set to welcome 50 new franchisees. Scotland and was deputed to take
were approached by several aspiring By partnering with committed edu- charge as provost and Vice Principal
ECCE educators who were aligned cators — mostly women edupreneurs of its Dubai campus in September
with our philosophy and vision, — we intend to provide our well- 2022.
whom we appointed franchisees. Al- established model of quality ECCE McGregor: industry-ready graduates
though my husband Vittal has been to communities in some western and
the main force behind Little Elly’s southern states. Next year, we plan
marketing, our chain of 130 fran- to promote our first owned Little
chised preschools has grown mainly Elly preschool in Dubai. I believe we
by word of mouth publicity. That’s have developed an ECCE model that
because our owned schools and care- will be accepted everywhere,” says
fully selected franchisees have built Bhandary.
a strong, trustworthy reputation Paromita Sengupta (Bengaluru)
for the brand. Our reputation grew
because we provided an innovative Polymath provost
curriculum, high-quality teacher
training and templates for parental
involvement, safety and hygiene,” ROFESSOR DAME HEATHER
says Bhandary, explaining the secret MCGREGOR is Provost and
of her success. PVice Principal of the vintage
In 2010, the founders of Little Elly Heriot-Watt University (HWU,
preschools introduced Elly Childcare estb.1821), Edinburgh’s Dubai
for multinational corporates, offering campus, which has 4,500 undergrad,
its ECCE curriculum and daycare postgrad and doctoral students on its

46 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2023