Fountainhead School commits to putting our values & principles into action through a host of educational policies which will be developed after a lot of research & discussion. We are currently in the process of developing a range of policies of which the Language policy is partly ready and has been put up here. A list of those under development has also been given.

• Language Policy (partly)
• Parental Role in Education (partly)
• Homework
• Special Needs
• Remedial
• Learner Profile
• Broad Educational Philosophy
• Academic Standards expected
• Assessment Policy

 

Language Policy

Language is an important component of the education and some common & persistent issues are addressed here:

a. English is the medium of instruction. However, usage of Mother Tongue (for those children with mother tongue other than English) in school is also encouraged where the need for expression is more important than the language being used. The school therefore believes in a healthy mix of languages being used inside the classroom by the students and at times also by the teachers, especially in the early formative years where English is a new language for most children.

b. Please note that the school will also give priority to the steps as listed below as natural language development also happens in the same order (which are simultaneous but cannot be preceded). Therefore you will find a lot of emphasis on first giving the child exposure to the English language (listening & understanding) inside and outside the class and then on speaking & reading and lastly on writing. This is especially true for the younger children whose motor skills are not ready for writing.

1. Listening

2. Understanding / Comprehension

3. Speaking

4. Reading

5. Writing

c. The school does not focus on superior hand writing ability. It does focus on neatness and legibility. But given the decreasing importance of manual writing in today’s environment, the school shall only put limited efforts on “beautifying” the child’s hand writing.

 

Parental Role in Education

a. The school believes that the child’s education can be best only when the school and the parents are in partnership and agreement. Parent should arrange for appropriate learning environments at home to enable the children to learn, without which children will not be able to perform to their potential. Therefore it is important to understand that your role as parents must be played responsibly by you. When you attend and General orientation meetings and after you have gone through the Parents’ Handbook (for the new academic year), if you are still not clear about the parents role then you must contact school for clarifications.

b. Fountainhead students are not allowed to take tuitions. If parents play their role in the child’s education as expected by the school, then the school takes responsibility of ensuring that every child attains a basic minimum standard (unless the child has learning disabilities) in the areas of Mathematics & Language over a period of time. In case the child is found taking tuitions, we may ask the parents to withdraw the child from the school. Only in certain cases, the child may be allowed to go for tuition, but only after consultation and written permission from the school authorities. The reason for this is that tuitions may not be really any good for the children – they don’t learn to be independent learners, and tuition teachers cannot teach the way the school teaches thereby creating conflicts in the minds of the students as to the appropriate learning method.

c. Parents should facilitate the maximum attendance possible so that your child does not miss out on the learning at school. Although the school takes efforts to get the students back on track in case of absenteeism, but there are severe limitations to how much the students are able to cope up. Therefore, 80% attendance is compulsory for promotion to the next class unless under abnormal personal or medical circumstances. Measures such as a healthy lifestyle, planning social engagements & vacations in line with school vacations, should be taken.