10 Most Influential Business Leaders In 2021

Billabong High International School is set in the heart of the city of Kanpur. An idyllic setting of classes in open spaces! What makes it such an impressive school is not only its wonderful staff, students and parents but also the myriad opportunities available to its young people.

Why choose Billabong High International School?

• The senior school provides its students with an option of a national board choice of CBSE along with an International Cambridge Curriculum - IGCSE & A levels.
• The lessons planned are engaging and enthralling as they are based on multiple intelligences, a VARK system of learning to progress from Lower order thinking skills to Higher-order thinking ones and a metacognitive classroom.
• A well-researched and planned KKEL curriculum engages students and leads to outstanding outcomes in learning.
• We have a no-tuition policy and our teachers run a learning support club post-school hours, completely gratis for our students.

Vision

“To ignite human greatness in growing children and pre-adult by fostering talent for thinking and respect for hard work.

Describe your ideal classroom.

Our classroom is collaborative, where students take charge and are active participants in their learning, where children are taught to be creative, analytical, think about their thinking, metacognitive and deploying higher order thinking skills at all times.

The students need to be stretched and imparted transferable skills relevant to the workplace environment.

Our various initiatives are an endeavour to impart globally relevant education to our students. There is a very strong sense of contributing to the progress and development of the community and the world as a whole.

How is technology integrated outside the classroom?

Technology we believe is a great tool to collaborate and charter waters that were unimaginable or impossible to access earlier - the internet and varied software’s have turned learning on its head - more accessible and have made the world an even playing field.

During the pandemic, we have collaborated with the top software platforms like Microsoft teams, firefly, and my school and achieved the impossible. This pandemic has had tech deployment by schools as a silver lining to this entire crisis. We have even gamified this learning process to engage our students. So tech is a great leveller and a key tool deployed by us to fructify our vision.

How is a student’s progress monitored and evaluated apart from testing?

Besides the assessment format, we follow informal testing - like observations, encourage self-assessment, peer review, show and tell, task setting like making of digital portfolios and CVs, setting authentic challenges and real-world tasks - allowing students to speak on larger platforms, run independent clubs in school - be a part of international platforms like World School Debate, World Scholar’s Cup. We also deploy gaming by prescribing apps and competitions - Manga High, Counting well, Science Pop to name a few to build numeracy. Literacy and science.

What do you think the main challenges are to teach students from different parts under a roof?

With tech, there are little or no challenges from our perspective a stable continuous internet connection and a device is what needs to in a place that’s all - then the world is their oyster!

How much leeway do educators get when crafting the programs?

Complete leeway - creativity is a craft that needs to be taught and deployed at all times. The educators need to keep challenging themselves and reinventing their strategies for the students to be prepared well not just in academics, which is a minimum there should but in skill-building - like being organized, problem-solving, critical thinking and analyzing.

How does the school extend learning beyond the classroom?

We encourage learning by making it effortless - we have weaved it in the very fabric of teaching and learning at school - the culture of the school is never to get comfortable but keep growing and challenging ourselves - To give an example;- A plethora of cutting edge co-curricular activities like hosting of World Scholar’s Cup, Tri Sports Cup, Family Quiz IIMUN, World School Debate, Vox Populi, TED talks, Duke of Edinburgh Award. Aerospace Camps and heritage trips, College Guidance Counseling, e-portfolio building, CV, internships with stellar startups and a deep sense of Community service, registered with UCAS, IACAC, CEEB - are associations and partnerships are relevant and top of the line.

A huge emphasis is on value-based education with a strong social commitment.

We inspire students to commit to local and international charities and make regular visits to Shishu Bhawan and specially-abled children organizations to volunteer and engage- evoking mindfulness and a deep-seated sense of gratitude and humility.

We are passionate about providing an education where every student is known and valued in a family environment, which inspires excellence and instils values.

How do you cater for students with different abilities and learning styles?

Our system of teaching and learning is based on best practices worldwide. Initiative, Observation, Feedback and reflection have catapulted the school into the league of reckoning. This creates irreplaceable value for our students, teachers and parents.

The hands-on, teaching and training by the teachers teaching in the top school of the world

Dynamic Curriculum and lesson planning, Teaching Techniques, Inquiry-based learning, Differentiated teaching, Flipped Classroom, Project-based Learning, Jigsaw Techniques, Graphic Organizers, Using technology in the classroom, Self-Learning Mind, mapping, GameBased, Learning,ParentShare, Quizzing,Debating, Multidisciplinary Subject Labs

• Lesson Observations/Feedback/Reflection
• Social moral spiritual and cultural context to teaching
• International Teacher Exchange Programme
• Professional development and training

Creating National and International Academic Platforms of Learning by hosting the following:

• Worlds Scholar Cups
• Worlds School Debate and Coaching Workshop
• World Schools Debate Academy 2018 in Slovenia

TED talks

• Aerospace and Science discovery camp
• Duke of Edinburgh International Award

Theatre

• Indian International Model United Nations
• BHIS Family Quiz
• Annual Quiz
• Cross over Faculty visits by Top Schools in the world like Westminster and Highgate based in London
• Vocational Education
• Food and Nutrition
• Design and Technology
• Robotic and Artificial Intelligence with Virtual Reality
• Multidisciplinary sciences
• Art & Design

College Guidance Counselling for Higher Education

• Cialfo-Software for Planning and application for Higher Education
• University Fairs both National & International
• UCAS-for Applications to UK universities
• CEEB - College Board
• IACAC -International Association for College Applications
• IC3 - member