At S. J. Poddar Academy (ICSE), we believe that every child learns differently and that education is much more than completing a syllabus. Our academic programme aims to develop children who are curious, confident, independent in their thinking and able to connect what they learn in school with the world around them.
We follow the ICSE curriculum while continually evolving our teaching practices in keeping with the changing needs of children and the vision of NEP 2020. Our classrooms therefore combine sound academic foundations with opportunities to explore, question, discuss, experiment, create and apply what has been learnt.
The nature of learning changes as children grow, and so does our pedagogy.
The early years are a very special stage of a child's development. At S. J. Poddar Academy, we want children to look forward to coming to school and to see learning as something enjoyable and exciting.
Our Pre-Primary classrooms are therefore lively spaces where children learn through play, stories, conversations, music, movement, art and hands-on experiences. A concept is not simply explained to a child; wherever possible, the child is encouraged to experience it.
Numbers may be learnt by counting objects, colours through sorting and observation, language through stories and conversations, and the world around us through nature walks, celebrations and everyday experiences.
We give importance to:
Children are encouraged to ask questions, express themselves, share with others and try things on their own. These seemingly simple experiences help build the foundations for communication, reasoning, creativity and social development.
The approach reflects the spirit of NEP 2020, which places strong emphasis on Early Childhood Care and Education and on making the early years joyful, activity-based and developmentally appropriate.
For us, the most important achievement at this stage is simple: a child who is happy to learn, confident enough to try and curious enough to ask “Why?”