The annual EducationWorld Grand Jury India School Rankings (estb. 2016) acknowledge and felicitate schools that excel under parameters other than the 14 under which schools are rated and ranked in the annual EducationWorld India School Rankings based on field interviews countrywide.
In June-July advertisements on our website (www.educationworld.in) and social media invited nominations — including self-nomination — under separate and distinct parameters including excellence in learning assessment, design thinking, campus architecture and design, technology integration, extraordinary leadership, social impact, etc, with documentary proof of best practices and achievement. By the closing date (August 30, 2024), 1,800 nominations were received.
On the basis of the information provided by nominated schools and their own domain knowledge, a specially constituted Grand Jury comprising eminent educationists Fatema Agarkar, founder of Agarkar Centre for Excellence, Mumbai; Dr. K.R. Maalathi, founder and CEO of Aurro Educational Services, Chennai; Rohit Mohindra, director of the Mumbai-based Raj Mohindra Consultants Pvt. Ltd; Jatin Paranjape, former Indian cricketer, Mumbai and Michigan-based Raymond Ravaglia, former dean at Stanford University and co-founder AccessUSA ranked Top 10 schools in each category.
The Top 10 EW Grand Jury India School Rankings 2024-25 are published in the following pages.
Career Counseling Leaders
Progressive schools providing professional career counseling services to help students evaluate suitable higher education programmes based on their interests, aptitudes and intelligence.
“We are honoured that the eminent EW Grand Jury has voted Scottish High International India #1 for Career Counselling. It is recognition of our commitment to providing students with appropriate guidance and support to enable them to navigate their paths towards higher education. To this end, student and parent career fairs and expert-driven sessions are organised, and a dedicated career counselling platform for students in classes IX to XII facilitates structured career exploration. Moreover personalised assessments that evaluate students’ strengths and interests, guiding them to make informed decisions about their future careers is a cornerstone of our career counselling service” — Dr. Sanjay Sachdeva (right), Principal, Scottish High International School, Gurugram (2,433 students and 227 teachers)
Excellence in Learning Assessment
Schools that have devised and implemented holistic, 360 degree learning assessment systems and practices to enable students to continuously improve learning outcomes and enable high academic achievement.
“Short of our centenary year celebrations in 2025, we are delighted that the EW Grand Jury has ranked St. Edward’s nationally the #1 for Excellence in Learning Assessment systems. This is a testament to our unwavering commitment to our core mission: fostering love for learning. At the heart of our philosophy is the belief that schools are not institutions for transmitting knowledge but ecosystems where curiosity is nurtured, critical thinking is developed, and students are empowered to reach their fullest potential. The EW recognition inspires us to continue creating meaningful learning experiences to shape young students into lifelong learners, ready to face the challenges of an ever-evolving world. Together, we celebrate this achievement as a reflection of the dedication and passion of our entire school community” — Fr. Anil Wilson Sequeira (centre), Principal, St. Edward’s School, Shimla (1,704 students, 66 teachers)
India’s Most Respected K-12 Education Brands
Education brands that have made exceptional contribution to standardisation of school education.
“We are deeply honoured with this recognition. I attribute this recognition to our steadfast commitment to delivering high quality education in all our schools to enable students to realise their true potential. All students enjoy the benefit of carefully designed curriculums, unique LRPAX pedagogy, an array of programs in sports, performing arts and enrichment experiences beyond the classroom. Moreover our career guidance program prepares students for higher education through skills training and university counseling. We also believe in empowering our students, parents and teachers through our ever-evolving digital infrastructure. For instance, admissions are now completely online. Therefore, parents can enroll their child at any campus of EuroSchool, get uniforms delivered at their home within 48-72 hrs and track the academic and co-curricular growth of their children from the comfort of their homes. Just on a click of a button of our Web Genie app” — EuroSchool Team Spokesperson
Best Technology Integration
Schools which have successfully integrated new-age technologies usage and blended pedagogy with students and teachers encouraged to apply digital technology skills to enrich teaching- learning.
“We are delighted that this year’s EW Grand Jury has ranked Brahm Dutt Blue Bells School India #1 for Best Technology Integration. We thank the jury for recognising our efforts. Intensive training modules for staff and year-long awareness programmes on cyber security are top priorities. Teachers are introduced to programmes such as Minecraft, Adobe Express and Canva to provide integrated project-based teaching-learning experiences to students. Recently, a week-long workshop on Drone manufacturing was also conducted for our IT faculty. For class III-V children, an integrated hands-on IT curriculum including coding has been introduced. Moreover our students have won laurels at national and international levels in robotics. We believe the EW award recognises all these efforts” — Anshuka Aneja, deputy director, IT, Blue Bells Group of Schools, Gurugram (1,260 students and 90 teachers)
Design Thinking Leaders
Schools demonstrating extraordinary capability to break away from rote learning, and adopt pedagogies that encourage development of students’ creative thinking, collaborative and problem-solving skills.
“We are elated to be ranked India’s #1 Design Thinking Leader school. This recognition reaffirms our belief in the power of innovation, collaboration, and empathetic problem-solving. Design thinking encourages us to embrace diverse perspectives and ideate impactful solutions that truly meet the needs of our learners. I am very grateful for the support of my team, colleagues, and mentors who have been instrumental in this journey. This achievement will motivate us to continue exploring new approaches and developing a culture of creativity and growth. Together, we can shape a future where design thinking becomes a cornerstone of transformative change by encouraging curiosity and experimentation; embracing a can-do attitude, and fostering an institutional growth mindset through transparent communication” — Dr. Eshwari Prabhakar (centre), Principal, Visakha Valley School, Visakhapatnam (3,800 students, 115 teachers)
Great Schools to Work With
Institutions offering democratic and enabling work environments and cultures, & implementing excellent human resource development practices that support teachers and staff to give their best, improve productivity and deliver excellent outcomes.
“We are thrilled and honoured to be ranked #1 among Great Schools to Work With countrywide. This accolade acknowledges the vibrant work environment of Fazlani L’Académie Globale, where collaboration, respect, and open communication are at the heart of everything we do. Our commitment to encouraging teacher agency and professional growth through initiatives like the Teacherpreneur and Leadership Development programs is central to our mission. By also investing in staff development, we ensure a supportive and dynamic community that thrives on shared success. Aligned with our mission to nurture responsible global citizens, our teachers and staff work together to create an inspiring and reflective learning environment. Moreover, our leadership’s transparent and inclusive approach, coupled with the dedication of our teachers has built a culture of excellence that continues to shape the educational experiences we offer” — Mahera Goel, Principal, Fazlani L’Academie Globale, Mumbai (603 students, 96 teachers)
Emerging High-potential Schools
Newly-promoted schools that have demonstrated high potential to quickly adopt and integrate 21st-century education best practices.
“We are deeply honoured to be the top ranked in the Emerging High Potential Schools category. This recognition is acknowledgement of our commitment to our guiding principle: ‘Excellence leads to Enlightenment.’ In Sunbeam, Sarnath we have adopted teaching-learning practices to enable our students to excel as 21st century learners. One such initiative is the JodoGyan programme that provides deep understanding of mathematical concepts through activity-based learning. Another Virtual Escape Room programme develops coding skills, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Moreover, our syllabus promotes Integrated Art Learning where Indian art and cultural heritage are in the curriculum. Life skills and personal development are also given high importance. We constantly aspire to set even higher standards for ourselves in the coming years” — Tanuja Singh, principal, Sunbeam School, Sarnath (767 students, 57 teachers)
STEAM Education Excellence
Schools delivering innovative science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics education through experiential pedagogies.
“We are thrilled to be conferred the country’s #1 STEAM Education Excellence award. I attribute this award to our unwavering commitment to provide students modern STEAM subjects education to nurture innovators, critical thinkers, future leaders and problem solvers. In all classes, students are encouraged to apply science and engineering knowledge in hands-on projects. Students create hydraulic lift models to understand fluid dynamics. Younger students are taught electricity with paper circuits and basic polarity concepts. Learners also explore historical innovations like the Bhaskara Wheel to learn about energy conversion and ancient engineering” — Feroza Mehta Amin, Principal, Lodha Oakwood School, Mumbai
Extraordinary Leadership
These awards acknowledge outstanding education leaders who have led institutional transformational changes and initiatives.
“I am overwhelmed and humbled that we are ranked #1 for Extraordinary Leadership. Overwhelmed because I know of many educators who work equally hard in their schools. Humbled because there is so much still to be done in the area of school leadership. Among our leadership best practices is the delegation of responsibilities on the basis of skills and preferences of faculty. We also empower the students council to develop leaders of the future and encourage new ideas for discussion, debate and implementation. Initiatives that work are celebrated and those that don’t, we learn from their failure” — Aditi Misra, Director, DPS Sector 45, Gurgaon (6,000 students, 447 teachers)
Campus Architecture & Design
Schools with attractive and conducive campuses that enable children to learn joyfully and give their best are awarded in this category.
“We are thankful to the EW Grand Jury for ranking us India’s #1 school for Campus Architecture and Design. On our expansive 103-acre campus, we have constructed composite buildings of stone masonry and Mangalore tile roofing blending with surrounding hills. Anubhuti’s architectural designs and local construction materials allow us to maintain the temperature in classrooms cooler than the outside temperature by at least 30C, very useful against tropical summers when temperatures reach a scorching 500C. All classrooms have six windows allowing cross ventilation, since we don’t use air conditioning. Moreover, we extensively use solar and bio-power for lighting, cooking and heating. All solid and liquid waste is re-cycled for conservation and sustainability” — Nisha Jain, director, Anubhuti School (200 students, 45 teachers)
Social Impact Award
Schools are assessed for encouraging student-led community service in school-sponsored regional or international community social impact projects.
“It is an honour to be ranked among India’s top 3 schools for Social Impact. Among our social service programmes is the Empowering Student-Led Community Service through which we aim to create a culture of social responsibility. Our children with special needs are empowered to become flag bearers of reform in their communities. Under the Student-Led Community Service program, students devise ways and means to reduce plastic use, undertake cleanliness drives, sanitary napkin distribution, waste recycling, book donation among other initiatives. By engaging in community service, students develop vital life skills, empathy, and learn the importance of becoming responsible and engaged citizens.” — Masarrat Tavawalla (centre right), Co-founder and Director and Rashmi Shah, Principal, Sunderji Institute of Special School, Pune (188 students, 26 teachers)
SDGs Committed Schools
K-12 education institutions which have successfully integrated United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their curriculums to equip students with the knowledge, values, and skills necessary to shape a sustainable and prosperous world.
“TGSB’s ranking as India’s #1 school for SDGs Committed Schools is validation of our philosophy of weaving sustainability principles into every aspect of teaching-learning driven by an SDGs embedded curriculum. As a matter of policy, we choose partners and vendors who share our SDG objectives and encourage sustainable practices within their communities. TGSB’s curriculum and outreach initiatives extend beyond the classroom, embracing conferences, workshops and seminars that illustrate real-world applications of sustainability. Parental involvement promotes understanding of SDGs to the broader community. One notable initiative is the ‘Bamboo for Bengaluru’ project which focuses on utilising bamboo to promote environmental stewardship and sustainable development in the region” — Usha Iyer, promoter and director, The Green School Bangalore (300 students and 30 teachers)
Library & Reading Culture
Schools which provide excellent library facilities and actively promote reading culture.
“Receiving the India #1 award in the important category of Library and Reading Culture is affirmation of our conviction that the love of reading and discovery empowers children. Our two spacious libraries house over 17,500 books and offer a dedicated reading curriculum to all children to guide them to explore the world of literature. During the pandemic, we introduced an e-library enabling students to access a wide range of digital books from home, keeping their connection with reading alive. Programs such as the ‘Raging Readers’ initiative in primary school and a Reading Assessment System motivate students to read a minimum of 20 books annually. As love of literature has grown, several students have published their own books, some in collaboration with platforms like Scholastic, Bookalooza and BriBooks, even as teachers and students have participated in the CBSE Reading Mission. Through these initiatives, the school aspires to create not only avid readers but also the next generation of writers” — Dr. Shalini Bajaj, Principal, The Maurya School, Gurugram (2,449 students, 149 teachers)
High Happiness Quotient Schools
Schools providing joyous, enabling and stress-free learning environments including curriculums, pedagogies, and student welfare programmes that motivate and inspire children to realise their full potential.
“We are not at all disappointed to be ranked #3. It will stimulate us to be ranked #1 in this important category. Chitkara International School is guided by our Happiness Curriculum. Inspired by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and aligned with the SCERT framework, our Happiness curriculum integrates mindfulness, self-awareness, and empathy into the teaching-learning process. We also accord high priority to the happiness and wellbeing of our staff providing dedicated Happiness Lounges, designed as relaxing spaces that promote mental wellness and camaraderie. Likewise the Cup of Joy initiative provides staff with cup cards to enjoy coffee or tea for relaxation, and Cha Wali Gaddi, the staff canteen, offers a welcoming space for breaks. Moreover, our Sustainable Centre, Herbal Garden, and Vermicompost plant instill a sense of eco-consciousness and responsibility in teachers and students” — Dr. Niyati Chitkara, Director, Chitkara International School, Chandigarh
Global Citizenship Education Excellence
Schools which have forged partnerships and collaborations with reputed schools, higher education institutions and global organisations to foster exchange of ideas, knowledge, faculty and students and promote intercultural understanding between institutions and nations.
“We are delighted to be ranked #1 countrywide for Global Citizenship Education Excellence. This recognition is a testament to our school’s steadfast commitment to nurturing well-rounded individuals who are not only academically brilliant but compassionate, empathetic and globally aware citizens. At Lodha World School, we believe in working on real-world projects that address global challenges, allowing students to develop critical thinking skills and preparing them for leadership roles in an interconnected world. We owe our extraordinary achievement to our remarkable team of educators who inspire and empower future generations to make a positive impact on the world.” — Priya Venkatesh, Principal, Lodha World School, Palava, Thane (2,404 students, 140 teachers)
Safety & Security Champion
Schools which ensure the safety and security of students and staff within campus and school-organised events through implementation of effective safety protocols, emergency preparedness measures and proactive response interventions.
“We are honoured to receive the #1 Safety & Security Champion Award, an acknowledgement of the dedicated efforts of our entire team. Our partnership with Edunation keeps our safety standards in check, with surprise audits carried out to review any lapses. In addition, our school welcomes an annual independent safety audit conducted by Bureau Veritas, even though an internal Health, Safety & Child Protection Committee oversees safety measures across all departments. Simultaneously, full-time counselors and special educators ensure students’ mental and emotional well-being. Awareness programs, rallies, and street plays are also routinely organised. The school has a Zero Tolerance Policy against corporal punishment, and teachers, admin staff, bus drivers, housekeeping and security staff undergo POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses) training periodically” — T. Anil Israel, Principal, Jonhnson Grammar School, Habsiguda (3,462 students, 300 teachers)
Social & Emotional Learning Leaders
This award acknowledges K-12 institutions promoting social and emotional learning (SEL) through mental health and well-being programmes for students and staff, and integration of SEL principles into their curricula, teaching practices and school culture.
“We are delighted to learn we are ranked #1 countrywide for Social & Emotional Learning. This is affirmation of our commitment towards creating a supportive and inclusive environment for our students. To foster social and emotional learning in the teaching-learning process, we routinely organise inter-school competitions themed on mental health and wellness; generate awareness about ways and means to cope with mental health issues, and highlight the importance of seeking help through All India Radio and FM outreach programs. Moreover, our Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum is integrated into day-to-day activities; we encourage play-based learning to promote teamwork, problem-solving, and inclusivity, and offer mindfulness programs to help students manage stress and develop emotional resilience”— LK Sehgal (centre), Principal, Bal Bharati Public School. Gangaram Hospital Marg, Delhi (5,041 students, 210 teachers)
Student Leadership Development
This award recognises outstanding efforts and achievements in nurturing student leaders to make positive contributions to their institution, local community, society and country.
“We are proud that Sat Paul Mittal School is ranked India #1 for developing Student Leaders. This award is indicative of the school’s commitment to nurturing responsible, empowered leaders who value respect, responsibility, and empathy. Student leaders are the heart and soul of any vibrant school community. Recognising and celebrating our efforts in nurturing and empowering these changemakers is crucial to fostering a culture of leadership and positive social contribution in our teachers and staff. The Good Folks System, House Council, The Satyan Entrepreneurship and Internship Programmes, Student Led Clubs, Satyan Innovation Fest, Showcase — Student-led Conference, Buddy Reading Programme are some initiatives the school has innovated to nurture student leaders” — Bhupinder Gogia, Principal, Sat Paul Mittal School, Ludhiana (1,560 students, 108 teachers)
Professional Development Excellence
K-12 schools which make consistent and effective efforts and investment in enhancing the knowledge, skills, and abilities of teachers, staff and leadership, providing opportunities for their continuous learning and personal and professional development to enable teachers to deliver 21st century learning experiences.
“We are overjoyed to learn that we are the country’s top-ranked school for professional development. Through strategic partnerships with prestigious organisations such as CBSE, Reliance Foundation, Jio University, CENTA, Adobe, and Microsoft, we have created a robust ecosystem for continuous teacher development. Moreover to develop a culture of continuous improvement, our KDARFS programme has contracted several collaborative learning initiatives and resource development programs. Moreover, we have also developed robust teacher assessment and feedback systems to enable teachers to identify areas for growth and improvement. This recognition of the EW Grand Jury is not merely an award but a catalyst for future growth and innovation” — Anvita Kackar, Principal, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Reliance Foundation School, Jamnagar (3,206 students and 214 teachers)
