LEARNING

Shikha Academy is an international, K-12 IGCSE (Cambridge Assessment International Education accredited) school in Borivali, Mumbai exclusively serving students from low income communities.

As of 2024, the school serves 390 students.

Students at Shikha Academy are bright, motivated and eager to succeed. They constantly challenge each other as well as our teachers and have an insatiable desire to educate themselves. In terms of personality, while there is a strong sense of discipline and an inclination to be a good person, they also have a terrific and unique sense of humour and a very inspiring positive outlook to life. As teachers, it is a joy to teach students that have such a genuine love for learning.

At Shikha Academy, we aspire to push students to:

1. Establish strong foundational knowledge across all domains
2. Discover those domains that students are passionate about
3. Build expertise and mastery of such domains
4. Develop the ability to transfer knowledge, skills and competencies across domains
5. Create a strong sense of moral identity and responsibility towards oneself and others
6. Utilize these knowledge, skills and competencies to solve the problems of the world

THE MAT MODEL© OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

Our belief about education practices is based on encouraging the three dispositions that students must possess to increase learning:

Motivation: All units start with a problem or phenomenon that has to be resolved. Students are given autonomy and challenged to take on real-world expert roles in teams.

Ability: As domain experts, students now equip themselves with the right tools in terms of knowledge, skills and mindsets to solve the challenge.

Transfer: Students now use the tools that they have learned to solve the challenge, present their solutions and reflect on their process.

SUBJECTS

Our students attain knowledge, skills and values structured through the following subjects:

Languages: There is a strong emphasis on reading, speaking and writing through the languages. We believe in language learning through immersion and real-world application. In this regard, much of the content used to teach language is interdisciplinary. For example, apart from rich literary texts, students are assigned science and humanities text in English classes, to not only improve English skills, but learn specific vocabularies and terms needed for use in real world domains.

Humanities: Through a focus on “how people live,” we explore personal, national and global issues through multiple perspectives across the related domains of history, geography, civics, economics and enterprise. Skills are in focus here, rather than content. Research, analysis, evaluation and communication of specific texts, artifacts, people, locations and decision are explored. Enterprise as a course has been designed specifically to create an entrepreneurial mindset in the students through the start and liquidation of real life businesses through the duration of the course.

STEM: We look at science from a micro to macro view in the four domains of life sciences, physical sciences, chemical sciences and earth sciences. The fifth and most important domain encompasses scientific thinking, design and engineering. Computer science is taught in a wholly project-based methodology, with problem solving at the heart of every lesson. Mathematics is taught through an understanding of the underlying epistemic structures.

The Arts: We believe in the power of art as an expression of individuality, identity and emotion. Here, rather than beginning with technique and theory, we first learn how to represent ourselves with power and feeling.

Sports and Fitness: The importance of a fit body cannot be overstated, and it is important to develop good life habits of regular exercise. Apart from the cognitive benefits of mastering a sport, the connections and collaborations developed and strategies employed have learning for lifelong experiences and challenges.

Work and Life Skills: We are training students for the next generation of jobs and enterprises, and as such, skills including effective communication, an understanding of one’s personalities, strengths and weaknesses, financial literacy, digital mastery and etiquette are all tools that can be employed for success in future endeavours.

FINAL ASSESSMENT

Students at Shikha Academy will complete the Cambridge IGCSE board exam in Grade 10 and the Cambridge A levels exam in Grade 12.

Apart from the IGCSE and A level certification, Shikha Academy students will leave with a transcript that details additional coursework that has been completed as well as a portfolio of project work created through their journey at the school, vetted by teachers and peers.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Shikha Academy’s facilities follow innovative design principles with large, flexible and open learning spaces that can be configured to suit the pedagogy and learning environment. Our school campus is located in Borivali, Mumbai. It consists of the 9 floor academic building, a large playground and terrace for sports and dedicated rooms for music, theater and design engineering. It also has a 600 seater auditorium and more than 70 learning spaces.