A Unique Boarding School

The Plenum School is a dream to help set up “The Finest School” in India so that the finest, global education is available, accessible and affordable for Indian students. “The Best School” in India need not necessarily be the most expensive. It should not be the fanciest building or the most gaudily designed entrance gates. What matters most is the quality of manpower. The teachers, staff and management of an institution make an institution what it is. The pollution-free environment around the school is an integral part of our USP. We take pride in the simple down to earth existence that we expose our students to.   

Any parent who understands aspects of a complete educational experience would love us. Thus, we state upfront that we are not for every student or parent and neither are all parents or students meant for us. If a child or a parent wishes to be amongst gadgets, is fussy about food, want a city life with malls, markets, movie halls, etc. we are clearly not for them. If your idea of a wonderful school is air-conditioned classrooms, temperature-controlled swimming pools, lush green sports ground with golfing greens- do not even bother looking us up.   

If you love challenges, are willing to explore mother- nature, value hard work, wish your child to imbibe the right balance of discipline. camaraderie, fun, mischief, and social behaviour, Then Look No Further. You have come to the right place.  

We care deeply about academics. We feel that as a school our basic responsibility is to provide a great formal education. Our teachers work extra hard to make sure that each student in our school gets to understand all concepts. We believe that understanding concepts is key to a wonderful educational performance in life. Competitive exams in India and elsewhere are a “rejection test” and not a “selection test”. Those who get selected are the ones who understand concepts clearly. Because there is a limit to rote learning and remembering. We take pride in delivering great education. There is no secret in doing this. Our teachers and I work extra hard.   

I did not want to set up a “me too” school. There are enough of such schools in every town in India. I wanted to set up the “Best School in India” and we wanted to set up objective and measurable benchmarks to do this. Thus, we identified Five ways where we are unique, different and what makes The Plenum School-The Best Boarding School in India are: 

1. Finest, most highly qualified, educated and highly placed Founders – Our founding team is a group of IAS/IIT/IIM/AIIMS, Corporate Leaders, and Entrepreneurs.  No other school or institution can count among its founding professionals, people of such outstanding educational qualifications. If we don’t get it, we are sure nobody can get it. We are not being arrogant. It’s a simple fact. We understand what it takes to clear really tough exams and what makes one succeed in academic life. Our students regularly interact with the founders and get a ringside view of varied and interesting professions-like the IAS, Armed Forces, Entrepreneurship, Corporate Life, NGO’s and the like. This kind of unique, personal, intense and regular interaction helps our students demystify their future professional life. 

2. Finest and most approachable Location - Pollution Free, serene, green & clean hilly environment, helps calm frayed nerves of our students and their parents. Our students breathe in high quality and pure oxygen. It helps students to focus on studies and leads to better physical and health outcomes. Secondly, our school is very approachable by road. It is only 5.30 hours from Delhi and 2.30 hours from Chandigarh. The road from Delhi/Chandigarh to The Plenum School is very good. Ambala is the nearest and most convenient Railway Station. Chandigarh is the nearest Airport. Our location is thus very convenient to drive up to. We also are in regular touch with taxi operators so that our parents are not inconvenienced.  

3. Best, most qualified, dedicated and loving Faculty - Our teachers are an ideal mix of youth and experience. They have the necessary skills, educational background, attitudes and understanding about what it takes to teach in a wonderful school. They are just motivated to see their students succeed. The close bonds between the students and faculty help each understand the other better. This enables both to learn together. Our students learn to appreciate this aspect best by simply being with the teachers. Faculty is also chosen to represent Indian diversity. Each teacher represents a different state and thus creates a beautiful model of our most astonishingly diverse society. Our teachers have been wonderful students themselves and have studied in or worked with some of the best schools, colleges and universities. 

4. Best, Most Modern and Relevant Pedagogy - Cambridge is a modern international curriculum followed in nearly 10,000 schools in 160 countries. Your child gets access to this vast network of global education. Refined over the decades, this distilled wisdom ensures that your child gets the best of the very best. IGCSE, AS & A levels examinations are international benchmarks and students graduating from such schools get admissions in topmost global universities. Cambridge allows a huge variety of subject choices (nearly 75 subjects) catering to the unique talents of each child. The examination style is meant to test applied knowledge against rote learning followed in traditional Indian curriculum.  

5. Loving, Affectionate, Personal and Firm Care by Teachers and staff – The Plenum School teachers have not outsourced pastoral care to others. Teachers and students stay in close proximity with one another, celebrate each other’s life events like Birthdays etc. Play games every morning and evening, Arrange dance parties, Movie sessions, Outside Treks, Engage in animated debates and discussions. Our teachers have a 360-degree view of each child and are therefore able to counsel a child better. We have a beautifully done Guest House with 8 rooms with a gorgeous view of the hills and the musical sound of the stream flowing next door. This facility is provided free of cost for our parents. We want parents to actively participate in their child’s life journey at Plenum.   

Though each point noted above is comprehensively woven in the overall philosophical fabric of our school, we go further than this. We believe that the Purpose of Education is to make a person think. We also find that thinking is tough and original thought requires a very deep understanding of life. We have felt that though there are thousands of students who get nearly 100% marks in Indian Board examinations, most students lack the ability of critical thinking. To inculcate original and critical thinking in our students we ensure that each day our staff and students gather together at sunset time and reflect on their daily schedule and life in general. Our belief is that through this continuous practice of reflection, we would have given our students enough arsenal to practice guided mindfulness. Best students and most accomplished individuals practice regular mindfulness.

The Plenum School can rightfully claim to work on the overall development of a students’ personality. Through the day, the student gets exposed to physical, emotional, spiritual and interpersonal stimuli. Over the course of their life at Plenum each child in our care learns all this first- hand through his/her lived experience. I believe in the transformative power of education. Therefore, The Plenum School is committed to providing each child with a great educational experience comprising academic excellence, social skills, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well -being. The Plenum School promises each parent that their child shall be taught well and shall become a better person courtesy of the time spent by him/her with us. Not many schools can claim that.  

The Plenum School is a dream to set up a unique and world-class school. My colleagues share my passion and vision for making The Plenum School a global brand. Obviously, world-class institutions take time to nurture and build.  Thus, we are a work in progress.   

Pankaj Sudan

Guest Author An Ex Civil Servant. Has set up Change Makers Society comprising Civil Servants, Graduates from IIT/IIM/AIIMS/leading NIT’s and Global Management Schools and Successful Entrepreneurs. Change makers Society is in the process of setting up its first School in Sirmour District of Himachal Pradesh