AFFILIATION

We are affiliated to the Council for The Indian School Certificate Examinations,

New Delhi. We do the ICSE (X) and ISC (XII) Examinations. The Council has framed a National Curriculum for Stds I to VIII and has made it mandatory that all Council schools follow it.

MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION

English is the primary medium of instruction of the school.

In Nursery, Std. I and II, Malayalam our mother tongue, is the medium of instruction.  English is introduced phonetically in these classes.

From Standard III onwards, Malayalam becomes a second language. Hindi and French are offered as alternative second languages from Stds. VI to X for children who have not studied Malayalam before.

STUDENTS –TODAY, TOMORROW

In the NURSERY CLASS AND STDS. I TO IV, instruction is completely informal. The Junior school follows the Group system where the class is divided into four or five groups. Each group moves through the study materials for the various activities laid out for the day. These activities could be Reading, Writing, Painting, Arithmetic and so on. Teachers move from one group to another encouraging self-learning and experimentation. There is no ranking or examination, just periodic assessments for all activities whether it be Academics, Swimming, Drama, Art, Dance or Music. The children of Nursery Class, Std I and II are not given grades, instead the teacher writes a thoughtful report on each child.

As the child progresses from JUNIOR SCHOOL TO MIDDLE SCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL, they are expected to be involved in a whole range of activities other than pure academics. As they go up the ladder, their academic work load increases but so does their involvement in other activities. They become responsible, they learn to manage their time, they discover hitherto unknown talents and become well rounded, confident people.

ICSE Std IX and X

The Council permits a handsome degree of freedom in the choice of subjects offered. Students may opt to drop Math and Science and choose alternatives which are offered by the Council. This is a decision to be taken after carefully weighing future career prospects.

ISC XI and XII

ISC students have the freedom to choose subjects of their liking. They are not straitjacketed into fixed combinations. Therefore, a Science student can take Economics with his/her Science subjects and Commerce students with Elective English/ Physical Education and Humanities student with Art/Psychology/Commerce.

The school offers the following courses for study in ISC which are English (compulsory) and four other subjects that form an accepted group. A ‘group’ is a set of subjects which are generally studied together to gain admission to Universities. Students may, however, opt for any subjects provided they fit our time table. Math is a useful subject which may be added to any group to make it the fourth subject. A student may opt for a maximum of six subjects. The minimum is four.

SCIENCE

COMMERCE

HUMANITIES

• Students have the liberty to choose an extra subject from another stream along with their set of subjects. For example: A Science student can choose History or Political Science or Economics.
• A Second Language is not compulsory in Plus Two according to Council Regulations but a language may be taken as a subject.

SOCIALLY USEFUL AND PRODUCTIVE WORK (S.U.P.W.) is a compulsory subject for the ICSE (X) and ISC (XII). Parents would do well to read the Council Regulations regarding S.U.P.W. A failed grade in S.U.P.W. indicates failure in the exam. A child may be detained in any class if performance in S.U.P.W. is not satisfactory. S.U.P.W. may be done during the holidays. For this purpose, a syllabus is sent to parents which is attached as Appendix – A. It is advisable that you treat it seriously and see that your child attains the required grades of proficiency. Skills will be tested in June after school re-opens. Any pupil whose S.U.P.W. grade is unsatisfactory will have to acquire the necessary skills and a re-test will be given.

Please encourage children to write letters, emails, read books, answer the phone and talk to guests intelligently and politely. They should take an interest in health foods and exercise and should be well versed in etiquette.

Social responsibility begins with individual responsibility. All students will cooperate in maintaining hygienic bathrooms / toilets, neat and tidy classrooms and a zero-waste campus.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Pallikoodam recognizes the vital role that physical activities play in the holistic development of an individual. As a result, Physical Education is incorporated into the curriculum and students in Std IX and X opt for this as their Sixth subject. A few of our students opt for the same in Std XI and XII too.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

IT is a mandatory subject for all students from Std VI to Std XII.
In Std XI and Std XII, students who opt for Computer Science as an elective subject for the ISC are taught Java programming. All other students are taught fundamentals of Python and Database Management System concepts.

• AI and Robotics:
  Students in Std IX and Std X engage in practical sessions of AI and Robotics according to the ICSE Syllabus. Given the increasing importance of AI and Robotics in the future, this subject is essential for students to study and gain practical experience.

CO-CURRICULAR

Pallikoodam believes that certain curricular activities are an intrinsic part of academics.

• Swimming and Physical Education are at the forefront to build healthy bodies for young minds.
• Cooking, Embroidery & Garment Making, Drawing, Painting & Sculpture stand students in good stead in the future.
• Drama workshops help the pupils to get on to the stage and give vent to free expressions, get over their inhibitions and develop self-confidence.
• Yoga –The school believes that the ancient discipline of Yoga is designed to help an individual acquire perfect control over both body and mind. Yoga is a compulsory activity for all the students from Std IX onwards.

INTERNAL ASSESSMENTS

There are no examinations in Nursery Class, Stds I-VIII. Std VIII has an Annual Examination at the end of Term III. Assessments are not just based on written tests alone but also on presentations, project work and other assignments.

Stds. IX to XII students are assessed according to the regulations laid down by the Council. They have two examinations in an academic year along with project-based assessments.

REPORTS are given to parents four times in an academic year which includes two Mid Term Reports which should be collected from the Class Teachers on the dates announced. In addition to this mid-session reports will be sent to parents. Till Std. VII there are no examinations conducted by the school. Children are graded according to regular tests which will follow every unit that is taught. Besides Unit Tests, in Std. VIII there is an Annual Examination. Generally, there is no detention in Stds. I to VIII.

Class Teachers will call the parents on a regular basis to establish rapport and discuss the progress of their child. Parents of residential pupils may call the office / hostel and fix an appointment to meet the teachers between 1.30 and 2.30 p.m. on the days they come to collect their children.

PRIVATE TUITIONS are not allowed. Exceptions to this rule will be only by written exemption from the Class Teacher and the Principal. Any student taking private tuition without permission will not be allowed to attend regular classes in that particular subject. While he/she may write the exams, the paper will not be corrected by Pallikoodam teachers. This applies to classes up to Std. X. We believe that over-teaching of routine school subjects is counterproductive. An exception is made only for students in Stds XI and XII. Please do not encourage your child to tell lies about tuition.

CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

We need to educate ourselves and others to accept children who are differently-abled as individuals with strengths and talents. From our experience, we have learnt that most ‘Learning Difficulties’ can be overcome. There is a sense of wonder and joy when we look back and find that students who may have been unable to cope with normal life, are doing very well. There are professionally trained Special Needs Teachers in charge of this very important responsibility. However the point must be made that we are not a professional school for ‘differently-abled’ pupils. We do successfully deal with simple cases. Advanced cases would need professional help.