The British School, New Delhi

The British School in New Delhi, India is an independent, coeducational international school which offers a globally-recognised, international-standard educational programme from kindergarten (Grade 0) through to Grade 13.

Aim

The British School provides a stimulating, challenging yet supportive multicultural environment for the student body of over 55 nationalities, the focus being on all rounded growth: intellectual, physical, spiritual, creative, and social. It believes that excellence matters but so does individuality: that people and cultures are different and wisdom lies in exploring the difference.The logo of the British School states the mission of the school as the 'Development of Talent, Light of Knowledge, Consideration of Others, Spirit of Friendship'. The motto of the School is "We Fly With Our Own Wings"

History

The school was founded in 1963. The British School was intended to provide an education based on British standards and practice to children of British parents living in New Delhi. Today the school has an international body of students but continues to follow British patterns of instruction and standards of education. The schools mission as of now, 2008 is to provide the finest British and international education with an Indian soul. (Director, Graham Ranger)

Curriculum and Facilities

The British School is located in the diplomatic area of New Delhi and is easily accessible by major roads through the city, surrounded by lush greenary and open areas, the school has a motivating environment for study and play. It has its own playground, 2 soccer fields, a tennis court, and also includes 4 science labs, 2 computer labs, libraries, and Music, Art and Drama performance areas as well as a multipurpose hall.

Years 1–9 follow the English National Curriculum in the core areas of English, Mathematics and Science. There is some change of content in other subjects, particularly in the Social Studies area, to take advantage of our unique location in New Delhi.

Years 10 and 11 are prepared for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education Diploma Programme (IGCSE) and years 12 and 13 for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The school is an accredited member of the Council of International Schools (CIS) and of the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO), and is affiliated to London's Edexcel Examination Board and the Cambridge International Examinations Board. Students can also be prepared for the Common Entrance Examinations on request.

Remedial support in the core areas of English and Mathematics is provided where needed, the school is highly sensitive towards those with specific learning difficulties and is able to test and diagnose students who appear to have difficulties and provide support for them. The school also offers English as an Additional Language (EAL) and a Special Educational Needs Programme (SEN).

Academic Information

The School is divided into Primary and Secondary sections each with their own principal and separate school buildings.Recently we have come up with a Nursery which have 2 sessions each. They are for age groups of 3-4The Primary school has 2 sections each with its own coordinator. These are: Key Stage 1 (Reception to Year 2) Key Stage 2 (Year 3 to Year 6)

The Secondary school has 3 sections each with its own coordinator. These are: Key Stage 3 (Year 7 to Year 9) IGCSE (Years 10 and 11) IB Diploma (Years 12 and 13)

There are around 500 students in the school and the student/teacher ratio is very low, enabling the school to maintain small teaching groups and take care of special needs faced by students coping with midyear changes of school and English as a foreign or second language.

The Primary School community comprises around 260 students from over 40 different nationalities, due to the unique environment of New Delhi, the school places importance on the provision of a happy and understanding atmosphere in which new children can quickly feel at home and secure. Due to refurbishment, primary school classes are held at the temporary Primary Building which provides a bright, lively and welcoming atmosphere. There are 15 form rooms catering for class group sizes of either 14 or 22 students. Each of the form rooms is managed by one teacher with a generous allocation of 9 assistant teachers working alongside them. In addition, there are specialist rooms for Library, Music, ICT, PE and dance, together with facilities for our Nurse, Learning Support Unit, Language Support Unit and Primary Counsellor. The Primary school has use of the auditorium in the main building for games sessions and has its own play area equipped with an adventure playground for the younger students. Classes commence at 7:55 and end at 2 or 2:10, children have the choice of continuing until 3:15 pm with optional afternoon activities, or going home.

The Secondary School offers a programme intended to build from the skills and experience gained at Primary level to develop young people ready to become citizens of the world – young people with initiative, a cosmopolitan perspective, and a sense of social responsibility. The transition to Secondary School is a great challenge, involving the student in much more independence and responsibility for personal organization. It is a challenge which students enjoy as their skills develop. The programme will give them every opportunity to develop potential to the full and to achieve the highest possible level of educational qualifications before proceeding to universities around the world.The Secondary School builds opportunity and develops its students by involving them in a range of activities beyond the academic curriculum. A wide range of creative activities are made available – art, music, drama, dance, sports of many kinds, debating, public speaking, and international activities such as the Model United Nations. Students are also encouraged to develop their skills with Information Technology for communication, research and presentation. Teachers and students work together to bring all these activities to life. The Student Council, School Parliament, and House System all involve the students taking responsibility and showing leadership skills. These activities also involve students from different year groups working together and building a sense of community.

chool Activities

The school operates a number of extra-curricular acitivites, including a wide range of competitive sports and other interests such as chess and environmental awareness and regularly enters inter-school competitions. The school also reulgarly hosts the Model United Nations Conferences between dozens of local schools in New Delhi, as well as the International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA) Festival with schools from abroad.

External links

* [http://www.british-school.org/ School website]
* [http://india.english-schools.org/british-school-new-delhi.htm World Wide Schools information]