A new approach to education. Review on The Academy School, Pune

The Academy School just opened up in Tathawade near Dange Chowk and they had their opening day on the 22nd of March(last week Sunday). The people who are managing this school are no strangers to education, even though they've only dealt with higher education(professional eg medical, dental, engg, MBA etc).

They are only pre-primary right now(nursery  Jr, Sr KG) even though they seem to be planning to expand to a full-fledged ICSE school eventually.

Some of the thing that struck me was the way they have built their classrooms, it reminds me of schools abroad. It's all very colourful and flexible and nothing that will scare a child. Nothing like the utilitarian atmosphere typical of Indian schools, traditional speaking(how we remember our schools, for eg!). Also, they have limited the class-size to 18 kids only, so that adequate attention can be paid to each child.

Anyhow, the security, pickup facilities and infrastructure all seem solid. the play area is pretty large, again unusual for schools of late where playgrounds just aren't there, or are too small. In the case of the Academy School, they haven't skimped on this part, and kids have outdoor as well as indoor games as well as a sandbox to let their imagination run riot. My 4 year old was giddy with excitement and just wouldn't leave without making a tiny little castle.

For the sake of parents' peace of minds, they also provide us with access to the CCTV footage of the classrooms and play areas so that we can see, from home or office, that the kids are safe, properly supervised at all times.

This school is a blessing in disguise for people like me who've just come to Pune and are looking for a school for their young kids. Having just opened, they're a great option for me as all other schools have already closed admissions anyway. Of course, that's not the only thing, they seem to know what they are doing here so that helps too!

Pros:

1. Great infrastructure, security, playgrounds etc.

   
   




2. Small class size

   
   




3. Complete CCTV coverage, with access to parents/ guardians as well

   
   

Con:

Very new, they've just opened up.