Every morning, students are greeted at the bus bay of the Global Indian International School (GIIS) Balestier campus by a familiar face. Some give Principal, Ms Sheela Karia a high-five, while others smile in acknowledgement before shuffling into the school’s auditorium for morning assembly. “I make it a point to welcome all the students. It’s a way of making them feel special,” says Ms Karia.

The GIIS Balestier campus was inaugurated by former Indian president Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in 2008. It has been recognised for pioneering teaching methods at the kindergarten and primary levels. Because of the young cohort, safety is of upmost priority in the campus. Clear signs are put up to let students know which areas are out-of-bounds and students are monitored by staff and via CCTV cameras. Cross cultural and knowledge exchange programmes with peers from other international schools are conducted using video-conference facilities.

The school also encourages students to participate in global competitions, like the recently- held Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition in which six students from GIIS Balestier campus achieved gold, silver and bronze medals.

“A child who comes to us is like a blank sheet. We need to imprint the right values and culture and shape their lives as future leaders,” Ms Karia says. Mr GSS Rao, Director - Operations, GIIS in Singapore shares, “GIIS Balestier is a specialised primary campus, where each student gets exclusive attention and opportunities for holistic learning, which helps in developing their skills and senses.”

Quality begins in school

The joy of learning starts early, says Ms Sujata Tilak, the school’s kindergarten coordinator. The school follows the “Learning is a delight” principle. Students in kindergarten are not given any homework, and there is more focus on regular in-class assessment, rather than end-of-term examinations.

Students are engaged in meaningful activities and use workbooks that are designed and developed internally by teachers who understand the needs of the curriculum and each child. This facilitates their transition into the Central Board of Secondary Education - International (CBSE-i) system, a board of education for public and private schools under the Indian government that begins from Class 1.

“Our lesson plans cater to all kinds of students who may have strengths in different intelligences. At this age, their attention span is very low, so lecturing will not work. We have to make learning a delight,” says Ms Tilak.

Verbal learners are engaged through rhymes and flashcards. Naturalists are taken to the gardens to spot a variety of leaves and fruits, while kinaesthetic learners are engaged through artwork and simple finger puppets, Ms Tilak explains. Examination questions do not encourage rote learning, and students are required to attend classes on examination days to keep anxiety at bay.

Ms Nirmala Shah, who has a daughter Lad in Class 1B and a son Jay in Class 5B, gives credit to the school’s interactive enrichment programmes. She names Detailed Assessment (DA) - an interactive assessment tool used to give students immediate feedback on Science, Mathematics and English topics - as a great help. “DA helps my children understand their strengths and weaknesses. Providing results immediately prepares them for future exams,” Ms Shah says.

GIIS students are also exposed to HeyMath!, a world-class programme that helps them hone their mathematical, logical thinking and problem solving skills. “The modern methods used at the school are unique and designed to equip the children for the requirements of the 21st century. We believe that our decision to enrol our daughter Eshana (Class 3B) at the GIIS Balestier campus was a perfect decision,” shares parent Ambili Suresh.

The holistic school curriculum at the campus is aimed at transformational learning as the lesson plans are based on developing multiple intelligences. As part of the school’s “Leader in Me” programme, every student is given the chance to take on a leadership role, like that of a “Green Monitor” who makes sure that lights and fans are switched off, saving the environment in the process, among others. Those identified as having potential for sports like cricket and tennis are given extended training by professional coaches during school hours at no extra cost to the parents.

New students are placed under a buddy system for a few weeks, where an existing student takes him or her along for lunch and makes the class timetable familiar. Under the Leadership Development programme, students in as early as Nursery level are engaged in activities like speech and drama, music and dance. “Co-curricular activities presentations are planned and prepared by students. They put up skits and performances, which is useful in helping younger children get rid of stage fright,” Ms Karia concludes.