Bellwether means the leading sheep of a flock with a bell on its neck. It is basically the leader sheep. So Bellwether means a leader, a trendsetter.
Every child has the potential to lead and Bellwether is our commitment in helping every child reach this potential and to become a leader in his/her own way. Bellwether helps each child pursue excellence and be the best of what he/she can be at any given point.
International does not only mean an international board that the school is affiliated to, but can also mean the approach that the school adapts to impart high quality education. International approach focuses on academics as well as sports and performing arts, and an extremely high emphasis is given to life skills. Children who have exposure to this international approach will have an all-round and holistic development. Bellwether International therefore refers to this International approach instead of an international board.
Our first school opened in Tanuku, Andhra Pradesh with 100+ students in 2018 and 3 more schools are expected to become operational in the 2019 session including our branch in Jeedimetla, and others in OMR, Chennai and Thirumalayampalayam, Coimbatore.
Schools are recognised by the department of education of the state/district where they are located. Our school is recognised by the dept. of education, Telangana.
Since this is our first year, we will not be able to apply for the affiliation due to phase wise infrastructure plan. This was one of the reasons we have kept our admissions open only up to Grade 4. By 2nd year, once our required infrastructure is in place we will be applying for affiliation and by 3rd year we would for sure have obtained the CBSE affiliation. We are also closely guided by the Mumbai head office of Bellwether in complying with the requirements needed for affiliation.
One of the main reasons for taking up a franchise was the support from the Mumbai team on the curriculum, training and academic audit besides other operational guidelines. 100% of the academics and teaching methodology is provided by the Mumbai team. They have built this curriculum based on exclusive research and with a team of 40+ years of experience. They also conduct training both in Mumbai as well as at our school level on implementation of the curriculum. Apart from this their team keeps visiting our campus to monitor the implementation and they keep guiding us on a regular basis. So your child is doubly assured of the best being in our school.
There is a lot they help with but in a nutshell, they assist us in recruiting the right talents, provide us with a curriculum based on global best practices, train all our staff including ancillary staff not just on academics but also on child safety which includes an intensive POCSO training. They provide us with complete operational guidelines and training in order to run the school effectively. Additionally, there is also an ERP solution that is provided from HO which helps all stake holders including parents communicate day to day happenings.
To start with the biggest difference is âASTERIAâ? – a unique proprietary pedagogy/methodology of Bellwether International School from Mumbai. This revolves around the concept where every child is a star and has the potential to shine. ASTERIA focuses not only on academics but also on all round development. This includes life skills, leadership and helping children to become successful and responsible global citizens.
This purely depends upon class and can vary. Up till UKG the preschool is called Alphakids International, which has been running for 10 years in Mumbai and has been consistently ranked among the top preschools in Mumbai by Education World. In these lower classes we maintain a maximum of 20 children and from Grade 1 onwards we call it as Bellwether International School where we will have a maximum of 30 children per class.
This again depends upon the class in which your child will be enrolled. For example in Nursery we will be maintaining teacher student ratio of 1:8 and for UKG we will be having 1:12. For precise information relevant to your childâs class you can get it touch with our admission officer by visiting our office.
We recruit most of our teachers through campus interviews especially from 4 REC colleges in India. These are professional institutions which are providing professional courses for people who want to pursue teaching as their careers. Besides this, our teachers are rigorously trained by qualified experts from our Mumbai team. So they are not just qualified but are well-trained on a regular basis.
Yes. All our staff is regularly trained by experts of Mumbai team. They are not just trained only in the beginning but also during the year. They do a comprehensive training to all our teachers including the principal. Even the ancillary staff is trained for behaviour management and child safety.
While the number of days purely depends upon the need, they are trained more than 3 times in the first year and each training is conducted for more than 4 days.
The principal is jointly recruited by the Mumbai team and our local business partner. But the principal is trained at both Mumbai and at local level by the Mumbai team.
Yes. If there is a Bellwether International school offering the same board in your city, then it is possible.
There is a transfer policy available at school. You can get in touch with our admission officer or principal for the same.
Bellwether International school at present has 2 boards â CBSE and IGCSE. Depending upon the locations, the Mumbai team recommends a particular board for the school to follow.
Our curriculum focuses a lot on holistic development than that of just academics. We have sports and performing arts, life skills such as a literacy program that teaches financial, digital, global, health and civic literacy as part of our curriculum. Additionally, each child will have an opportunity to choose his or her interest area in performing arts like dance, music, etc and similarly in sports areas like basketball, football, cricket etc. These periods will be included in the childâs week. There will be a separate extracurricular program for those wishing to pursue a certain activity after school.
The school makes a comprehensive fee structure keeping the integrated curriculum in mind. However, it varies from location to location and grade to grade. So for precise details you can get in touch with our admission officer.
These professional are hired locally based on their track record and reputation, and they are guided and mentored by Mumbai team.
Yes. They are guided and mentored by Mumbai team.
The literacy program is compulsory and is integrated as part of the curriculum. In terms of sports and performing arts, your child has to take minimum 2 programs. (1 – Indoor and 1 – Outdoor)
Yes. However, you will have to meet our admission officer to understand and see the availability of facilities.
Besides the regular curriculum, the Mumbai team also gives us a bridge program keeping in mind the diversified background of the children. So your concern on coping up with our curriculum will be taken care of. Bridge programs are built by experts for the purpose of helping children transition into the Bellwether curriculum.
I cannot say that there is 0% involvement because as you know parents involvement is integral to a childâs growth. Your care and attention will make a lot of difference in your childâs life. At the same time our teachers do provide care and attention and complete most of the tasks in the school itself. There are definitely work sheets and little bit of work which may not take your time but definitely need your guidance and motivation. But be rest assured, our worksheets are made child friendly and are self-motivating.
Yes. We have transportation facility available. But for precise route details and costing you will have to get in touch with our admission officer by visiting our office.
Yes. All our ancillary staff is trained by Mumbai team and is also being trained by our Principal on a regular basis. They have also submitted their police verification certificates and their medical fitness certificates.