Interview with Shabnum Bi

Shabnum Bi is the founder and director of Early Nurture Pre-School, an independent early years setting in Birmingham rated Outstanding by Ofsted in March 2025. Her work is shaped by a simple but demanding belief: children thrive when they are seen early, supported early, and surrounded by adults who understand both development and family context.

Early Nurture was relaunched from an existing playgroup with a deliberate shift in direction. Rather than expanding numbers, Shabnum capped the setting at 30 children and rebuilt practice around attachment, emotional regulation, and early intervention—particularly for children with SEND and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. That choice now defines the setting’s reputation.

Her approach has gained recognition both locally and nationally. Early Nurture holds the Birmingham SEND Bronze Award, was named Nursery of the Year (Prestige Awards 2025–2026), and won Awards of Excellence for Early Years Childcare Provider 2025. Shabnum herself has been recognised as Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 at the MBCC Multicultural Business & Community Champion Awards and as an Inspiring Leader in Early Years in the West Midlands.

In 2025, Shabnum represented the UK at the 14th World Leaders Summit at the University of Oxford, receiving the Outstanding Leader Award in Leadership and speaking on empowering multilingual families as co-educators.