Ms. Shefali Varma, Chairperson Mrs. Chanda Raisinghani, Trustee and President The Ardee Schools
Achild’s future rests on a robust educational foundation. In the formative years, especially in between age 2-6, children grasp maximum information from their environment, absorbing all that they perceive. Here lies the importance of a structured curriculum that effectively helps in the comprehensive development of the child’s intellect, personality, and overall being. The International Montessori system of education focuses on this very aspect and The Ardee School began their foray into education, over fifteen years ago with Montessori education for the early years, following this practical approach.
The success of early years’ education began Ardee’s march to senior schools and very soon Senior K-12 Ardee schools were founded in Gurugram, Goa and Noida. The success of early years’ education began Ardee’s march to senior schools and very soon Senior K-12 Ardee schools were founded in Gurugram, Goa and Noida. The brainchild of Shefali Varma, Ardee educational group, running classes from prenursery to senior secondary and senior has been shaping bright careers of children since 2003. It is the only school in North India that imparts Montessori education at elementary level at the gurugram branch. The Ardee Schools have challenged the run-of-the-mill and monotonous classroom traditional teaching methods since their inception. “We follow International curricula in all our school. Montessori at the early years, Cambridge up to IGCSE level [secondary school], and IB and A/o levels are offered at senior secondary. Our multinational and multi-cultural community is our USP. We inculcate in each student, knowledge beyond classrooms and defined values of life,” pronounces an energetic Mrs. Chanda Raisinghani, Trustee and President. Mrs. Chanda Raisinghani, a teacher trainer by profession has been member with the National Council of Teacher Training, government of India. She trained from London Montessori Center and elementary training from the North America Montessori Society. She is the Founder Principal and now President of the The Ardee Schools. “At Ardee, it is my constant endeavour to reinvent educational methods in line with a fast changing & more complex world. One where we place emphasis not just on learning, but learning to learn. Where we shift from data to experiences & discovery. Resulting in highly innovative children who flourish through curiosity.” quotes Raisinghani. Leaving an impression in a venture one embarks upon, is no easy cup of tea, especially in a scenario where competition is fierce and the fittest survives. Ms. Shefali Varma defied all odds to become a successful entrepreneur and ‘edupreneur’ – one of the few Indian business women to do so. She joined the family real estate business at the age of 18 under her late father Ashok Varma’s tutelage. She studied English Literature and Architecture. Later in 2003, she founded The Ardee School, directed towards creating an educational environment that aims to address the holistic development of a child at every step up to teenage stage and beyond. All schools function under the aegis of The Ardee Foundation, a charitable unit of The Ardee Group founded by
Late Shri Ashok Varma.
Scope
Pre Primary Primary Montessori Elementary Senior Secondary Cambridge/IGCSE/IB Teachers’ training Institution Shefali is a life member of FORE School of Management which is one of top 10 business schools of India. She is also the executive member on the board of IIM, Lucknow and a member of FICCI, CII and CREDAI. During a training session, Ms. Shefali Varma met Mrs. Chanda Raisinghani, an educationist of great repute and an internationally trained Montessorian. Both nurtured a common dream for the perfect academic foundation of children. It was the year 2003. Raisinghani’s model of the curriculum framework and Ms. Varma’s architectural concept of a learning environment led the shaping of their common dream. Thus the first school of ‘The Ardee Schools’ was set up in 2003 at Sujan Singh Park, in lutyens Delhi. With huge support received from parents and subsequent success stories of student’s year after year, today the ‘Ardee’ brand represents five academies – two pre-schools and two senior secondary schools in four locations, viz. Delhi, Gurugram, Goa, and Noida. After the huge success of the four schools,and recognizing the niche in the Delhi school system, Ardee is now opening the fifth Ardee School at New Friends Colony, South Delhi. The senior school at New Friends Colony, already has a commendable number of enrollment of students for its founding. “We give more emphasis towards personalized learning for each student. We have over hundreds of teachers at our schools, all trained in the International method of education. At our in-house teacher training center, we have trained over a thousand teachers since 2003 with the purpose of not only promoting women’s vocational training but to shape mentors who shape the destiny of the student “says a dynamic and energetic leader, Ms. Shefali Varma, Chairperson.
The Ardee Schools
Golf links branch: Preschool
• Gurugram branch: Senior school
• Goa branch: Senior school
• Noida branch: Preschool
• New Friends Colony
branch: Senior school.
The new school at New Friends Colony is set to change the benchmark in private education. It is housed in a prize location in the heart of Delhi on prime real estate, a fact which has been unheard of in this city for a decade. The fee structure is designed according to the numerous facilities. Fees range from Rs. 15000 for up to Standard VIII and 20,000 plus for VIII+. “Each of our students undergoes a rigorous program to achieve his/her full potential. It is not only a blend of excellent faculty, dedication of our staff, support of our patrons but also the caliber and commitment of our students that have led to the success of our educational group,” says a candid Mrs. Chanda Raisinghani. The teaching pattern at The Ardee Schools goes far beyond just books. At the senior school and secondary level, the group follows the International Cambridge/IGCSE curriculum which allows analytical and critical thinking vs rote learning. The Ardee Schools boast of certified teachers, Mentor trainers and usage of novel, unique and didactic apparatus. “It is easy to look at progressive education that is the norm in top schools today and assume that this is the best it can be and should be …it is not…and it is time for us to redefine what we call best. That, in itself, is education” Shefali Varma, Chairperson, The Ardee Schools.
USPs
International standardized curriculum • Teacher Training Center • Unique form of learning • Community service every month Identical school uniform for students, teachers, support staff to cut across
class and creed. Behind every successful woman, there is another woman! For Ms. Shefali Varma, this is best exemplified by Mrs. Chanda Raisinghani, who has been instrumental in turning ‘Ardee’ into a trusted brand name in the field of education. Under Chanda’s leadership, The Ardee School has been adjudged as the ‘Best Montessori School in India’ by Education World for two consecutive years. Both Shefali and Chanda believe in giving back to the society. This drive led to the founding of the Ardee “Saturday school- Nirmal Hem Bal Siksha” and the Ardee Crèche at their schools where children of Manzil [NGO] are guided by trainees from the Ardee Teacher Training Centre mentors to run a vibrant enrichment programme. At the Gurugram branch, the Ardee crèche students are part of the schools programmes. The Ardee social initiatives include a dynamic “Pollution March” spear headed by Shefali Varma at Jantar Mantar in November 2016, followed by a student’/teachers protest representation to the residence of the Chief Minister of Delhi. Earlier in 2012, all the Ardee Principals from all branches came together to collect aid for the unfortunate “Nirbhaya incident” “We create leaders, not just
capable students. They are trained to shape ideas of their own to change the landscape of the future. This applies both to our students and teachers we train in our training centre,” says the cheerful Ms. Raisinghani, who has been working relentlessly in this field for the last 40 years.
Awards
• Ranked 6th in India by
Education World in 2013
• Ranked 2nd in India by
Education World in 2014. On the pre- opening of The New K-12 school at New Friends Colony, the 3-D virtual tour of the campus drew accolades of praise from viewers. The marketing is based on parents’ feedback. The school’s growth has been organic, led by the needs of the students and changing times. “We are open-minded and have evolved with time. Flexibility in thinking, grit, determination, passion, and staying in sync with present and futuristic education trends have let us experience a win-win situation over the years. Our vision is to create students and parents that are ready for 2030.” says a charismatic Ms. Shefali Varma.
Hallmarks and Major Facilities of The Ardee School, NFC branch
College Bridge Programme Career clusters
Vocational Mentorship
• Community social
service
• World study
• Parkour
• leadership & life
skills co curricula.
• Makers Lab
• Art, music, Theatre as grade subjects at senior secondary.
• Camps, excursions
& field trips.
Ms. Raisinghani leaves a piece of advice for both parents and teachers on her vision of education
“Education is more than what we instil in our children. It is an investment in our society & economy too. A good forward looking education can help build an intelligent, purposeful generation that is confident of making a difference in our world. Parents need to guide students to make the right choice in choosing an education which offers application based learning and skills which complement a global society. As an educationist, I believe change can start in the classroom, but increasingly I am convinced of the role of the home environment, as parents evolve from supporters to participants in the education process.”