Best Schools in Pune where English Medium Means ENGLISH

By Madhurie Singh, January 06, 2014

In India there are 4 types of English medium schools.

The first one where there is a big board hanging outside the school with the word “English” written along with the name of the school. The English starts and ends there! Most of the PMC runs schools and Gov. aided schools fall under this category.

The second type of school is where the books are also in English, but teachers teach in the local vernacular languages. How convenient!

The third type of school is  where the English is used amongst teachers, when communicating with the parents, with the students too while teaching but it’s is not a compulsion. So students are free to communicate in any language with their peer within the school premise. These kids have no fluency in conversing in English, even when they have been studying in these schools since the Nursery class! They know the language, but they do not know it so well to actually think in English and form good sentences. They most of the time think in their native language and translate sometimes word by word in English. The pronunciation of the words is also not too good. Most schools in Pune fall under this category. Some of the schools are Bishops, VPMS, St Arnold’s Podar, Dastur, Hutchings, Pawar Public, Indira Nationals, Magarpatta School, Orbis, Lexicon, Gurukul Express, etc.

The fourth type of school is  where it is compulsory to talk to everyone only in English all the time. The fluency of the English language is great.  The children from these schools have good command over the English language and think too in this language. A few schools in Pune which fall under this category are Symbiosis International, DPS (loosing the hold on English slowly),  St Mary’s , Euro School, Vibgyor, Billabong, Vidya Valley, Orchid, Indus, MIT Gurukul, DY Patil, Mercedez Benz etc.

 

 

 

 

Dear Madhurie, My two Kids are 5.5 and 3.5 years old. I want to have your view and recommendation on Schools in Pune where Academics are good along with extra curricular activities. Overall development is of prime importance. I believe, finding all the ingredients is difficult, but please recommend school in East Pune which is near to the above criteria.

Fill contact form pls

Hi madhurie, My kid is in upper primary. I m looking for admission in CBSE schools near nibm/kondhwa next year. I want good academics as well as english fluency. Kothari national school falls under which category? Is DPS is a place with good academics plus english fluency? Need ur help in short listing the schools. Thanks n warm regards, Sharad

Hi Sharad, You will have to fill the contact form and choose an option for consulting with me. Do finish it before this month end as the schools will shut for vacations.

hi, can you please throw some light on Abhinav English Medium school located at Nal Stop, Pune? This is supposed to be one of the best school in pune and scores very high on many areas. Regards, Aniket

Thanks for detailed review, please give opinion on Podar International school Wagholi & DY Patil international School Lohegaon which will be good for securing admission.

Hi Santosh, Both are good for different set of parents and needs.

Hi madhuri can you tell me about new india school kothrud? Please? Have you reviewed it? Thanks.

Hi AArti, I have not reviews the New India School, Kothrud. :(

hi madhurie thanks for providing this useful information. What are your views about ryan starting its first session. Are they justifying the kind of fee they are charging for its first year??

HI Vimmi, Going by the legacy of Ryans, it should be good, but I have not really reviewed it.

[…] Do read the 4 types of English medium schools in India […]

Hi Madhurie, I was reading other article where you have categorised schools in traditional, modern and mixed methodology. Could you please tell me school names where I can find combination of "mixed teaching" and english fluency is given 1mportance.

Dear Chhavi, I doubt you will find everything :) so prioritize 3 things that a school must have and then start your search.

Could you please tell me under which category Aman Setu comes ?

Hello Madhuri, Your site is very valuable, lot of people pay attention to your suggestions and really value it a lot.Let me put my respects to you , for this wonderful work. You are doing a great service to the education sector. It may be easy for me to just comment on your article, where as you have, put so much hard work each time you write an article.Please consider this email as a suggestion from a person who have practically undergone many life changing events, travelled abroad and understood what actually education/Institution is meant.. I just wanted to make you site more valuable in its true sense.. Hoping to take this in the right note.. ------------------------ I work in an MNC Software Development firm, where we have to speak in English with the clients as our architect,developers are from across the globe. i studied in a convent, where native language is spoken most...The moment i stepped out of my native place for my masters, that's where i got exposure to speak fluently in English...And till time i never felt any delicacy to converse in English, nor an issue to face a meeting, where i have to address the world . In short, i studied in a school where English is not compulsory, may be your category 1, where pupils think in their native language...But we had good exposure to sports, extra curricular activities, learned great attitude, got exposure for CREATIVITY, Comparing to the students who come from school who speaks only English, we were considered better in aspects like , creative thinking, attitude, giving respect to elders and in so many other Life Demanding attitude.In short, the most important thing a school needs, not a command over English, but a platform to impart a culture/behavior/attitude that gifts the student, by which he/she lives in this world, no matter how many failure or disappointment comes into their life...They learn how to succeed in life, even if all the available doors are close to them...With such valuable assets,they grow big, big enough to cultivate a yet another beautiful generation that shares their thoughts. Please remember that , English is just a language that anybody can speak, if he put focus on ,for just 2 months, at whatever age he/she desires..That langugae needs only exposure to speak fluently for 2 months!!!. And regarding the accent, I am sure you might be knowing, that,only UK's accent is the correct English accent and usage. Rest of the world, speaks their Mother Tongue Influenced English.!!, Be it Germans, French guys, or Indians!!. Please note, US guys also fall in this category,as they speak English very weirdly from State to State..So an assessment or criticism of an School , based on their importance on the English language will not benefit any children for their Future.What benefit is the attitude and behavior that they learn from their School. What good will it do for a person, who speaks great English, but have stage fear!!, or have the lack of confidence to face a crowd!! or , the worse part, what if the person, does not know how to handle failures in life!!!. Please remember, there are failure students even in UK , who speaks best English. So as a school, the institution should be valued based on what sort of culture and value they provide to students, how much room students are given for creative thinking.I understand that nmost of the current generation parents, focus only on English, thinking, if their children is well versed in english , they have achieved it all. May be, this demands you to write article that suits current generation thoughts. But , i strongly feel, your website had the glue to change people's thought and attitude, if you really get into the depth and share the information , that will benefit the society..Or may be your strong hold, will also make current educational institutions to change in their thinking also, as they are concerned to the parents, who ultimately read your articles.. Regards, Lakshmi

Dear Lakshmi, Appreciate such a beautiful response and heartfelt. I think the reply cannot be a comment as it deserves to be an article to ensure the reason why English is important and for whom. If you read my past articles and the current ones, you will notice how I have transformed from addressing only one section of the society to being concerned for the entire society. So the next Mama Mia Monday is dedicated to this reply. And thank you once again for the compliments, concerns and genuine suggestions. XOXO Madhurie Singh

RIMS undri comes under which category ?

How about Wisdom world school wakad....is it good and which category does it fall?

Dear Chitra, Wisdom world is good and will be in 4th category though not yet.

Hi Madhurie, I have not got reply to my post regarding schools in kothrud. Please could you throw some light on this as people in kothrud are more inclined towards state board schools where as I feel CBSe wil make the child more competitive in later stages. What is your opinion? I would like to know about the schools in kothrud as they are near to my home. New india School and City international school. Please share your views on these. Also if you have not reviewed would it be possible to take these schools as well in your list please. ..

How will you rate Loyola School and Vidya Bhavan (Convent) school?? Also, do you know anything about Ryan International School which is located elsewhere in India and just launched in Pune @ Bavdhan?

Loyolla may be between 4-5, but Vidya Bhavan is 3

Oooppps...sorry for the typing error! My son is 4 yrs old. Can u pls tell me your opinion regarding development of English language in Millennium national school and also Tree house high school? Thank you..

Recently Millenium has decided to go for CBSE board from State board. I will give them some time.

HI Madhurie, Good research on the school categories.My Daughter is in Euro school Pune in JrKG. She speaks English very good even though we seldom speak English at home.I believe they develop habit of thinking in English rather then translating the thoughts from mother tongue to English.

HI Madhurie, Good research on the school categories.My Daughter is in Euro school Pune in JrKG. She speaks English very good even though we seldom speak English at home.I believe they develop habit of thinking in English rather then translating the thoughts from mother tongue to English.

Hi, I would like to know about the schools in kothrud as they are near to my home. New india School and City international school. Please share your views on these. Also if you have not reviewed would it be possible to take these schools as well in your list please.

Hi Madhurie, thanx a ton for this useful blog. Would be able to comment on Millennium national school's category? I am considering this school for my 44 yr old son just because it is stones throw away from my home. Thanks again

You are welcome Monika

OMG 44 yr ols son? Is he joining as the principal or a teacher?

What about The Good Samaritan school, Wakad?

Pragati, I have not reviewed it

Please share your comment on GIIS Chinchwad , which category it falls ?

3rd

Hi, Please share your reviews on Billabong High,Kalyanee Nagar Pune

Hi, I want to know about Billabong high, Kalyanee nagar.Please share your reviews

What about VIBGYOR balewadi in pune ?

That s a really nice way to put it. In case you have more current information, do let me know.

I somehow liked the third category the best. Are you sure those shools dont deserve to be in the 4th category? And are u sure vidya valley n DY patil dont belong in the second category?

Hi Madhurie, Can you please guide me on SSRVM, bhugaon and Treehouse, karvenagar category?

Most of the schools have appointed teachers who are not TET qualified

How to file right to information to get information about qualifications of teachers and TET of a particular school or all schools in pune?

Will visit the site in future for your review of this school. Another thing that I have observed after visiting some of the websites of category 4 schools is that all of these are affiliated either ICSE board or a foreign board. Do you think it plays a role in deciding whether a school will stick to English only policy?

Chances of an IB and IGCSE school sticking to English is definitely high but not necessary for ICSE or CBSE schools.

Dear Madhuri, I want to enquire for Lkg admission 2014-15 bishops camp&kalyaninagar. Can I simultaneously fill the forms for camp & kalyaninagar.

I do not think as you will have to select area in the same form as one of the option. May be if you can somehow find a way to fill 2 forms !!! Thats creativity.

Hi, Where would you put Blue Ridge School, Hinjewadi? Thanks!

I have not reviewed the school.

Under which category does Global Indian International School(GIIS),Chinchwad fall in?

How would you rate Nagarvala School, Kalyani Nagar?

well in first or second

I have been to Dr. Mar Theophilus school in Dhanori. Whatever types of schools you have mentioned, it misses one more type. There are schools where English is used but it is not the pure form and grammatically wrong.

LOL

Hi, Thanks for your inputs so far. I am unable to find reviews about St. Felix Girls’ High School. CAn you please help. Thanks.

St Felix review is not written down.

Thanks Madhurie for this article. so my concern about DPS is true.

Hi Delnaaz, These schools were once upon a time really focussed on imparting good education decades back. They continue to teach the same way today, yet they have not made communication in English as the compulsory rule. Due to this the children are not really fluent in the medium they are taught in the schools. The staff and teachers too are all the time conversing in the local vernacular language. Most of the times the parents are talking in either Hindi or Marathi with the respective teachers, who too are happily responding back in the same language. The pronunciations are pathetic and not to mention the grammatically erroneous sentences formed by these teachers. Playschools and preschools are doing a better job in imparting good spoken English. Infact the phonics are taught better in the playschools! Unless these schools do not refocus on the spoken English by making it compulsory, pronunciations of the words used by their own teachers, formation of the grammatically correct sentences, the so called English medium schools will not produce students who can communicate in fluent English. As the children will be learning the same poor English even though they are going to these branded English medium schools. To give you an example, a boy known to me who goes to Bishops Camp school, one day came up to me and while handing over his mobile phone to me he said, "Aunty can you remove my photo." I was obviously confused. So I clarified with him whether he wanted me to delete his photos. Then he took the mobile phone in his hands and clicked a snap and said that this is what I need to do. I clicked his picture and handed back his mobile phone to him and sat there wondering! That's when it occured to me that he was translating word by word from Marathi to English. First he must have formed the sentence in his head in Marathi. "Aunty photo kadoon." Which was literally translated in English. The word "Kadoon" in Marathi means to take out or to remove. And hence the sentence "Aunty remove photo!" With the antenna up, I started to pay attention to more and more students of various schools, especially when I would visit the schools to review them. And over the past 8 years have gathered enough samples to tell anyone who has any doubt as which school is really churning out good English speaking students and which ones are just the name sakes!

What about EUROschool, Wakad?

Not reviewed Euroschool wakad so can't comment about it

the above schools u mentioned r some of the best schools in pune and yet they don't follow the basics like talking in english or so then i dont know what to expect from other schools! and where else should we look for good quality education?

Its written there as they all fall in between 2nd and 3rd category!

Hi Madhurie, what abt other schools like Bishop, or St. Ann's, or any convent school for that matter.

What about St Helens. Which category does belong?

3rd Category

thanks Madhuri. Can you please let me know when is the admission for St. Marys? My daughter will turn 4 this March and is in nursery, in Primrose school. Thanks and Regards, Shilpa

KIndly fill the contact form

Hi Savita, I have not really reviewed this school.

Hello, Can you please let me know under which category does Rewachand Bhojwani, Camp fall? Regards Shilpa

3rd category

What about Abhinav school at paud road madam. Pl reply

Abhinav is in 3rd Category

What about Amanora Perason School?

Amanora Pearson is in 3rd category

Sanskriti school (bhugaon) -which category does this fall under?

Madhurie, can you pls put some light on Anisha Global school, Marunjee.

Hello, thanks for the review, please let me know that sanskruti comes under which category. thanks in advance. Regards Pankaj

Sanskruti comes under 3rd category but closer to 4th.

how about kothari school madam?

Kothari is in 4th category

What about Wisdom world school, Wakad?

WWS in the 4th category

St Joseph (Pashan) comes under which category ?

I will say closer to the 4th one

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