Beyond Academics

BThe usual thought process equates a school to academics. Well, academics is certainly a core part of any school but not the only part. A school is much beyond academics. A school is a place where children are given education. Education is also thought to be synonymous with only academics generally. However, education too is way beyond academics. Education is about holistic development of children. Holistic development means development of three main domains – intellectual, physical, and social and emotional. Education is complete only when these three are nurtured in school through different learning experiences.

The usual norm in most schools is to prepare children for examinations. But again, the purpose of education is not exam preparation rather life preparation. Rote learning of topics from the books and writing the same in examinations can earn a child good marks and high grades but she may not have developed apt skills for life. All topics taught in different subjects in school are not of much of value in life. Even those topics that are important for life will be useless if an individual is not able to apply her learning in real life. Mugging up topics is a futile exercise which can only get marks but application part will be missing and thus of no importance in real life. On the other hand, conceptual understanding of topics, application based learning and development of skills add value to a child’s life.

The main purpose of school education is to prepare a child for life. Skill-based education is what schools need to focus on. Though, many schools are trying to shift their focus from only academic achievement and examinations to overall development of children, we have a long way to go in India. Even boards of education, particularly CBSE board, suggest holistic education and have given guidelines to schools to follow. There are some schools that have set an example of giving holistic education in India. One of them is the Millennium Schools. Ranked as the top CBSE schools in India, they are located in more than 40 cities across our country.

The Millennium Schools and Millennium World Schools offer world-class curriculum that is very unique. The curriculum, based on research of more than ten years, promotes holistic development in the true sense. The curriculum has won several awards and accolades from different international and national educational organisations. Millennium Schools focus on discovering and nurturing innate potential of each child. These schools with a difference actually go an extra mile for developing different capacities of each child in their schools. These schools are rated as top schools in India for the quality of education and other facilities they offer.

Millennium Schools have a global approach in their curriculum. They understand that the world is changing at a fast pace and we need to keep up with it. Therefore, they offer education beyond academics that helps children become 21st century learners and future-ready. They have also integrated technology in education in a way that millennials are able to learn in a millennial way.

Characteristics of Successful Schools

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Every city, particularly bigger cities and metropolitans have numerous schools. Every school caters to a specific section of parents. While some schools attract the elite class, other schools find their customers in the middle class families. There low-budget schools as well that cater the demand of parents in the low-income group. However, irrespective of the size of the school, budget of the school, segment of parents that they cater to and so on, any school can be successful in its own right. Effectiveness and success are not just for bigger and fancier schools. Any and every school can become successful if they have certain specific characteristics. This article explores main characteristics of effective and successful schools.

Leadership & Vision

The first characteristic of a successful school is its leadership. Strong leadership steer organisations and institutions in the right direction. Schools with principals and school management as effective leaders are more successful than the others. The vision and goals of the school tend to be clearer and the path to achieve the goals is also paved collaboratively which contribute positively in the success of the school.

Aiming at Excellence

Several studies reveal that the schools that have high expectations from their teachers and students are more successful and effective than the others. High expectations do not mean unrealistic expectations that put in more pressure and act negatively on people. Here, high expectations mean offering challenging yet positive situations and environment to enable students and teachers to grow and nurture their abilities more. Schools that aim at achieving excellence in every aspect will certainly get translated into effective practices leading to success.

Reflection and Growth Mindset

In order to grow, an organisation has to reflect on different aspects and learn from experiences. Reflection is a powerful tool that provides feedback, both positive and negative, to the schools in various aspects. These become opportunities for the school to analyse their challenge areas and work on them. Continuous reflection process with a growth mindset will ensure success to schools.

Positive & Nourishing Environment

Every individual grows better in a positive environment. This is especially true for children. They perform and learn better in a safe, calm, secure, positive, and a nourishing environment. Schools that focus on creating a healthy and happy environment grow more and are more successful.

There are many characteristics other than the ones mentioned above that contribute towards effectiveness and success of schools. However, only a few schools are able to stand out with such qualities. One such chain of schools that have proven to be effective is the Millennium Schools. Rated as the topmost CBSE schools in India, The Millennium Schools and Millennium World Schools demonstrate these characteristics of effective and successful schools. Children at the Millennium Schools are happy and they get the opportunities to learn their way. Millennium Schools are global in their approach towards learning and their focus is on making children ready for future. With strong leadership abilities, the principals, school management and the Millennium management share a common vision and work towards it relentlessly. These characteristics and other aspects make Millennium Schoolsfeature in the list of best CBSE schools in India.

CBSE Assessment System

CThe Central Board Secondary Education (CBSE) is one of the most reputed and popular boards of education in India. A board of education lays down a structure for schools to follow. The structure includes certain rules and regulations that the school needs to abide by for smooth functioning. The board also has guidelines related to the curriculum and examination system. The CBSE board too has its guidelines in place which all schools affiliated with it follow in principle.

The CBSE board system of education is considered to be more student-friendly than other boards in India. Their focus is more on learning the concepts rather than rote learning of facts. As most people will think that assessment is all about tests and term examinations which are primarily in a written question-answer form. However, assessment is not about judging the performance of children but rather it is about knowing where the child is at and what needs to be done for the child to progress. This cannot be achieved through written tests and examinations at the end of completing a chunk of syllabus. This is a continuous process that has to happen during teaching and learning process.

This approach to enhance every child’s learning is also reflected in the CBSE’s system of examinations and evaluations. The system is based on continuous evaluation which is done comprehensively. Usual system of evaluations followed by schools in India earlier was the term examinations and unit tests. However, with positive changes in the CBSE board, CBSE schools in India follow a different pattern. Even though term examinations still exist, assessments are also done on a continuous basis in the classroom. Assessment is not only down through written tests but includes a variety of methods. For example, classroom activities of various kinds are a part of the assessment system in CBSE. Activities can be individual, in pairs or in groups. Teachers use pre-created rubrics to understand the level of learning of every child. Based on this level, the learning process of children can be further enhanced. Different kind of creative projects are also given to students and are assessed by teachers to comprehend their learning levels.

This assessment process is helpful for teachers too as they are able to know how much and how well students are grasping the concepts being taught. It becomes difficult for the teacher to re-teach concepts at the end of completing a topic. However, the CBSE system of assessment allows teachers to gauge students’ understanding while the topic is being taught. This enables teachers to tweak their teaching methods so that all students are able to grasp the topic well. This also proves to fruitful for students as they are able to learn better and perform better in term examinations.

Many good schools like Millennium Schools are affiliated with the CBSE board. The Millennium School and Millennium World School are top CBSE schools in India that lay emphasis on student learning rather than measurement of performance. For these schools, each child is unique and the main aim is to help each child discover her potential and excel in it. Their approach is unique which has won them several awards and accolades.

Reputed Schools’ Choice of Education Board

A basic requirement of every school is to get affiliated with an education board. Schools have different options available including the main ones like the CBSE, ICSE, International board and state boards. Most top schools prefer CBSE board. There are plenty of reasons for this choice. This article lists some of the main reasons why CBSE board is preferred by top schools in India.

Curriculum

The curriculum and content therein prescribed by the CBSE board is quite progressive. The top schools want to offer a curriculum that is updated and in sync with the present times. Parents are quite aware and conscious these days and they choose schools after taking a look at their curriculum. CBSE board allows the schools to be progressive in their content and curriculum.

Teaching Methods

CBSE schools in India keep updating their teaching methods according to the changing needs and times. This is possible because CBSE board continuously works on its guidelines. They keep doing their research and adopt best practices from around the world. They also try to integrate technology in their teaching methods.

Parents’ Choice

Most parents these days prefer CBSE board for their children and hence seek admissions in CBSE schools. Top schools in India want to gain the confidence of parents and therefore get affiliated with the CBSE board as it is the trusted board by most parents.

Advantageous for Franchising

Nowadays, most of the top CBSE schools in India offer their franchise for schools. Franchising is one of the expansion strategies used to reach to a wider geographical area. Since, CBSE is a central board of education; there are no restrictions in opening CBSE school franchises in any region in India. One easily gets due permissions and licenses to start a CBSE school franchise.

Focus on Overall Development

Any school that wants be in the top 10 list of schools in India has to offer world-class education that builds skills of students. Rote learning and studying just for examinations are not the features of top schools. Topmost schools focus on overall development with importance being given to mental, physical and socio-emotional development. Parents do not choose a school blindly for their children. They consider all aspects before putting their child in any school. Since CBSE board lays emphasis on holistic development, top schools choose CBSE board to gain that advantage.

Standardisation Across Geographical Boundaries

CBSE is a central board of education and not limited to any one state. So, it becomes easy for CBSE schools in India to standardize their curriculum and teaching learning practices across different geographical boundaries. Top CBSE schools such as The Millennium Schools and Millennium World Schools have their school franchises in more than 40 cities in India. However, they have standardized curriculum and processes in every school.

Assessment Methods

The way teaching methods are up-to-date with the recent trends, so is the assessment practices in CBSE schools in India. The focus of assessments in CBSE board is not just checking factual knowledge of students but rather gauge their comprehension level and ability to apply knowledge in real life situations. This is what enables students to make sense of content taught at school level.

These are some of the reasons why top schools in India are affiliated with the CBSE board. However, this does not indicate that the other boards of education are not good enough. Every board of education has their advantages and limitations.

Preferred School Board

Every high school or senior secondary school is required to be affiliated with a board of education. There are several boards of education but the main ones being the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), and the state boards of education. These days the International Board of education is also available in some schools. The boards of education lay down standard guidelines with respect to the curriculum, pedagogy, examinations system and other aspects of the school. When parents select a school for their child, they consider many aspects and one of them is the board of education that the school is affiliated with. It is a common notion amongst parents that the ICSE board is relatively difficult than the other boards. The preferred choice of board amongst most parents is CBSE board. This article lists some main reasons why parents like to choose CBSE schools in India.

Curriculum

CBSE schools adopt and follow a curriculum based on the guidelines of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF, 2005). The curriculum is student-friendly that allows students to explore the content in a contextual manner. The content is simple yet engaging.

Focus on Skill Development

Most CBSE schools in Indiafocus on skills development rather than mere academics. There is no denying that academics are an important part of any school and given priority. However, there are options of vocational skills training in higher classes in top schools in India. This is included in the school curriculum to help them become self-reliant after school, if they are unable to continue higher education due to any reason. Also, students can choose the field of vocational skill and pursue higher education in that particular stream.

Preparation for Entrance Examinations

Our education system in India requires students to appear for entrance examinations to seek admissions in graduation level courses and other professional courses. These entrance examinations have a pre-determined pattern including objective type questions mostly. The speed of attempting the questions is also important as there is quite a large chunk of questions that need to be completed in a limited time frame. It is believed that students studying in CBSE schools have a better chance of clearing entrance examinations at a later stage. This is probably because of the type of curriculum and evaluation system of CBSE board that develops skills in students enabling them to score better in entrance examinations.

Holistic Development

The CBSE board has laid down guidelines for schools to give importance to the overall development of students. Mere academic achievement is not the sole aim of CBSE schools in India. There are examples of great CBSE schools such as The Millennium Schools and Millennium World Schools across India that have an excellent and unique curriculum emphasizing on holistic development.

These are some of the main reasons why CBSE board is preferred by parents in India. Further, most of the top schools in India are CBSE schools. Millennium schools have presence in over 40 cities pan India and they are ranked in the top 10 CBSE schools in India. They rightly deserve the topmost place in the list of CBSE schools in India as they truly focus on holistic development of each child with the firm belief and effort to nurture individual potential of every child.

Importance of Sports and Games in Schools

There are different aspects of a complete education. This includes mental development, physical development, and socio-emotional development. This is the reason why schools have different activities other than teaching academic subjects. The aim of education is not to impart knowledge related to various subjects but develop the capacities of every child. Sports and games are an important part of school education.

One of the main purposes of having sports and games in schools is physical development of children. However, sports and games are not limited to merely physical aspects. An individual gets to learn several life skills through sports and games. Working together as a team, sportsman spirit, confidence, determination, the will to go on and never give up and so on are some of the things that a child learns through the medium of sports and games. Most CBSE schools in India offer a variety of indoor and outdoor sports and games.

One of the popular sayings, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is absolutely true. Any form of physical activity is essential for every child. It can take the form of walking, jogging, running, athletics, or any sport or game. Every child needs to be involved in something or the other. Further, it usually is a myth when parents think that their child has no interest in physical activity or sport. Children are usually very active in their early years, using their excessive energy in some form of physical activity. Teachers and parents must try to find out what the child takes interest in. It is not necessary that all children will take interest in a similar form of physical activity or sport. Children must be exposed to several sports through videos, pictures, discussions if demonstration or experiential learning is not feasible. Only if the child knows about different sports and games, s/he will be able to develop interest.

Children must also be encouraged to get themselves involved in any physical activity. The best way to encourage children to do something is to model it. Children love to ape adults around them and they get inspired too. So, if adults around children are physically active, they are more likely to be physically active too. Most children show interest in athletics or any sport or game at an early age. These signs must be recognized by parents and teachers. Teachers must have discussions about sports and games and inspire children by talking about great sportspersons. From an early age, if children are motivated to imbibe certain qualities then they are more likely to work towards it.

Top schools in India offer a multitude of sports and games to the children. One of such group of schools is Millennium Schools. They have more than 40 schools across India. Their schools are known as The Millennium Schools and Millennium World Schools. Their focus is on holistic development and nurturing individual potential of each child. They recognise the importance of sports and games in education and development of children and hence offer a host of opportunities. Apart from giving opportunities in the school, they help students to pursue their interest after school hours as well. Millennium schools are one of the best CBSE schools in India.

CBSE vs. ICSE

CCentral Board of Secondary Education and India Certificate of Secondary Education are two centralized boards of education in India. The CBSE and ICSE boards have thousands of schools across the country affiliated to them and many times it is very difficult for students and parents to decide on the best possible option. There are many subtle differences between the two boards of education and it is important to know the differences between the two before making the decision. The following are the differences between CBSE and ICSE boards of education in India.

Academic Level

The academic level, in general, plays an important role in deciding whether to choose CBSE schools in India or ICSE schools. In general, the consensus is that ICSE schools have a harder curriculum in comparison to CBSE schools. The academic level is higher in ICSE schools and subjects are taught in much more detail in comparison to CBSE schools. The examinations are tougher and it is much more difficult to score well in ICSE than CBSE.

English Language Education

English is a global language and is the language used in both CBSE board and ICSE board of education but English is given specific importance in ICSE schools in comparison to CBSE schools. A greater emphasis is laid on the detailed study of English as a language and spoken English as well as reading and writing levels of English at ICSE board schools is much higher than CBSE schools. However, CBSE schools focus on the functional use of English language than the literature portion in ICSE schools.

Differences in Learning Methods

CBSE schools and ICSE schools have completely different curriculums. This means that CBSE focuses more onsubjects like mathematics and science whereas ICSE schools are more focused on languages,  social studies and humanities subjects. CBSE structure is much more compact than the ICSE structure with fewer subjects and the academic level is slightly easier than the ICSE board. The CBSE schools have more emphasis on fewer concepts with learning connected to real life situations and examples. On the other hand ICSE has a lengthy syllabus due to which the application based learning as suggested by the board often gets overlooked by the schools as they are more concerned with completing the syllabus than conceptual understanding and learning.

Recognition of the Board

The recognition of the board plays a critical role in making the decision about which board of education to choose while selecting from the top schools in India. The CBSE board is recognized by the central government and is controlled and managed by the government. ICSE is not under the control of the government and is a private board of education in India. There are many more CBSE schools in India in comparison to ICSE schools which mean that the geographical reach of the CBSE board is wider than that of the ICSE board in India. The brand recognition of the CBSE board is also higher than that of the ICSE board in India.

Entrance Exams & Scholarship Exams

CBSE schools have a curriculum that is more aligned to central entrance examinations after standard 12th for many professional degrees like medicine and engineering. In general, CBSE school graduates do better in these examinations and scholarship exams are more suited to students of the ICSE board.

It is difficult to choose between the ICSE board and the CBSE board but the listed differences gives a detailed idea about the merits and demerits of both the boards of education. Millennium World School Bengaluru North is affiliated to the CBSE board of education and has a unique curriculum which emphasizes holistic development of a child.

Features of the CBSE Examination System

FCentral Board Secondary Education is a central government-managed system of education in India that provides a structure, curriculum, guidelines and framework to thousands of schools affiliated to this board of education. This is known to be a student-friendly board of education that provides emphasis on learning instead of just passing examinations and moving from one grade to another every year. The CBSE examination system is complex and not just based on mugging up lines from textbooks. The following are some of the details of the CBSE examination system in India.

Subjects and Streams

The basic subjects till standard 10th in CBSE board affiliated schools include mathematics, science, social studies, English, and Hindi to name a few. After the 10th standard, the CBSE board gives children the choice between the science, commerce and humanities streams which have different subjects which children can choose in different schools.

Classroom Activity

Classroom activity is included as a part of the overall grade for a subject in the CBSE examination system. This means that a percentage of the grade is calculated based on classroom work and a part of it is based on tests and examinations. The following are details about the classroom activities that form part of the CBSE examination system:

Individual Work

Subjects are taught interactively and individual work is part of the CBSE examination system. This includes projects, recitations, charts and models that children create as a part of the classroom activity during the school. CBSE schools in India usually have a rigorous curriculum which includes individual classroom work for enhancement of skills of students

Group Work

CBSE examination structure is designed in such a way that children learn how to work well together in a group. Projects and group presentations are done by students together and this builds team spirit and also teaches children how to work with each other harmoniously.

Term Examinations

There are tests and examinations which the students have to pass for getting the final grade in every subject and also from passing from one grade to another. Up to a certain grade, CBSE students cannot stay behind or fail a grade and grading system is given from A1 to D2 and the E grade is the failing grade. The grading system is based on a positional system intop CBSE schools in India. This means that the top students of the class get A1 grade and then the grade is positional.

Board Exams in 10th and 12th Level

CBSE has two-board level examinations in the 10th standard and 12th standard at the end of the year.The 10th standard is a major milestone in a student’s life as the student moves from secondary education to senior secondary education. The subjects in standard 11th and 12th change depending on the streams of study which are science, commerce, and humanities. 12th standard board exams have many diverse subjects and they are usually chosen depending on the further education avenues for students in the CBSE board.

The listed CBSE examination system shows that learning is given importance in the CBSE system so that children understand the subjects and properly learn in school.

However, not all schools affiliated to the CBSE board give importance to learning and skill development. Though they follow the rules of the board, they do not emphasize on the learning aspects. Hence, it becomes imperative for parents to know about the school and its evaluation system before admitting their child. One example is Millennium World School Bengaluru North. This newly opened school belongs to the one of the leading brands of schools in India. Their curriculum and evaluation system are developed on the belief that each child is unique and has an inherent potential. Hence, the school provides an environment for the child to grow and nurture her talent. The evaluation system follows the CBSE pattern but includes a variety of activities and opportunities for children to learn and enhance their learning.

Criteria to judge Top CBSE School

CCentral Board of Secondary Education or CBSE is a choice for most parents while choosing a school for their children. The next step after deciding on the board of education is to decide on the school usually from a list of schools in the area. But this step is often difficult because there are various criteria to judge top CBSE schools and which schools are considered to be excellent centers of education in India. It is important for parents to know the right criteria for judging top CBSE schools. The following are details about the said criteria for judging CBSE schools.

Academic Excellence & Standards

One of the most important criteria for judging topCBSE schools in India is the level of education provided to children at the school. This includes the methodology of teaching, the subjects taught at the school and the level at which these academic subjects are taught at the school. Though the curriculum of the CBSE board schools is the same, the academic standards differ from school to school.

Demand for Admissions

The popularity of the school plays a factor in deciding on the school because there is usually a reason why a school is highly in demand in a neighbourhood, town or city in India. The reason is that on all parameters the school judges much better than other CBSE schools in the area and the word that the school is doing well has gotten out among parents.

Graduation Rates and Student-Teacher Ratios

A school is only as good as the success of its students. This means that 10th standard and 12th standard board exams are criteria for judging a school. Graduation rates and how well the students from the school fare in examinations are a critical factor in judging whether the school is the best CBSE School near me. Nowadays, parents are aware that the student-teacher ratio is a factor in how well the student can learn at school. This means that if the student-teacher ratio is fiftyto one, a child will not get the attention that he or she deserves which is bad for the learning of the student.

Faculty Standards

Most of the staff hired by the school is teachers and teaching assistants. Faculty standards are a criterion for deciding on a CBSE school. Top CBSE schools attract the best talent when it comes to the teaching staff of the school.

Infrastructural Facilities and School Campus

Nowadays, there are schools in cities that are crowded and are cramped into a small place or even situated in high rise buildings. Infrastructural facilities and school campus play an important role. The school campus must be vast and all the school buildings must be built in such a way that promotes learning and also ensures safety of the students.

The parents need to take these criteria in mind if they want to choose the top CBSE School for their children. Choosing the right school decides the type of education that children will receive, so putting some thought into the process of selection is a sensible choice.

Millennium World School meets all the above criteria to be one of the best CBSE schools in India. Recipient of several awards from international and national educational organisations, Millennium Group of Schools are one of the most sought after CBSE schools across India. Click here[P1]  to log on to their website to know more.


 [P1]Insert MWS website link

Education Board that Top Schools Prefer

In India, like in every country, there are different types of methods of education and schools. Some schools are simply better than others and are ranked as the top schools in a country. Schools get accreditations and ratings and some respected ranking institutes rank the best schools in the country, state, and city every year. It has been proven many times that the top schools in India are usually CBSE schools. The following are some of the reasons why CBSE board is the education board that top schools prefer.

Education Board That Top Schools Prefer- CBSE Board

Teaching Methodology

CBSE is a board of education that is conscious of the changing times. This means that the CBSE board keeps evolving the teaching methodology in such a way that there is an emphasis on learning instead of just getting students to pass the exams. Many top schools allow the same system and for them, the CBSE board is an ideal match in comparison to other boards of education in India.

Geographical Reach for Franchising

Many top schools have long term goals of expanding into branches or franchises to various regions of the country. If this is a future goal, CBSE board is one of the only options available for top schools in India. The CBSE board is affiliated to thousands of schools all across the country and even internationally in some destinations. The CBSE board is available in all states and union territories in India making the expansion into franchising an easy concept.

Better Success Rate in Further Education

For a school to be a top school in India, it has to show good graduation scores and graduation rates for its students at the 10th and 12th level. It should also help prepare children for further education and that includes entrance examinations for further professional degrees. CBSE board is preferred by many schools because it is more aligned with entrance exams for higher professional courses not to mention better for students looking to get good scores to get into colleges.

Recognition by the Central Government

The CBSE board is run by the central government and so is also recognized by the government of India. The ICSE board does not get similar recognition and stature from government authorities in India. Also, the CBSE schools in India are associated with the National Council for Educational Research and Training in India (NCERT).

Assessment Methodology

The assessment methodology of CBSE schools is very fair to students which make it a top education board for schools looking to educate students effectively. The CBSE board has a student-friendly evaluation system that includes classroom activity and exams, making it a great way for students to learn the subjects. The reforms in the examination system in the recent past by CBSE are also favorable for students’ learning and development.

Recognition of the CBSE Brand

The CBSE brand is more recognized than any other state board and more reputed than the ICSE board. This is a reason why new schools especially want to be affiliated with this brand.

CBSE board has a lot of benefits for schools affiliated to it and is one of the top school boards in the country and so it is an education board that most schools prefer in India. For this reason, Millennium World School Bengaluru Northhttps://www.millenniumschools.co.in/bengaluru-north/ is also affiliated with the CBSE board. The school offers top class facilities and state-of-the-art infrastructure. Their curriculum aligned with the CBSE board, is also mapped to the developmental milestones to enable each child to learn according to the age and stage she is in. To know more about this top CBSE school in India, click here to visit their website. Admit your child in Millennium World School Bengaluru North, a school with a difference.