Top rank awarded to us for the second consecutive year is very encouraging and inspiring. It reflects our enduring strengths: highly qualified and committed faculty; consistent track record of academic excellence, complemented by achievements in a wide range of co-curricular activities, thoughtfully designed curriculum and innovative pedagogy and visionary leadership. Our top scores under the parameters of faculty competence, academic reputation, curriculum and pedagogy and leadership underline these strengths. I am especially pleased about our top score for faculty competence as we have an outstanding faculty with teacher retention of nearly 100 percent. To keep our teachers abreast with best practices in school education, we regularly conduct in-service training programmes. Their expertise and commitment have ensured that St. Mary’s delivers exceptional value for money and continues to raise the bar in quality primary-secondary education. Moreover, we are fortunate to have an exceptionally active and supportive Parent-Teacher Association which is a powerful force behind the school’s continuous growth and success. I believe we deserved a higher score on the parameter of parental involvement” — Austine Vas (centre), Principal, St. Mary’s School, Mazgaon, Mumbai (estb.1864), which has 1,384 students mentored by 115 teachers and staff on its musters.