Sprawled across capital-intensive campuses on the peripheries of populous metros and rising cities, offering superb academic and sports facilities, day-cum-boarding schools affiliated with offshore exam boards are becoming popular within the country’s fast multiplying upscale households.

International day-cum-boarding schools are sui generis. Affiliated with offshore exam boards such as Cambridge International (UK), International Baccalaureate (Geneva) and Advanced Placement (USA), they sprawl across capital-intensive campuses on the outskirts of India’s populous metros and big cities offering superb academic and sports facilities, well-furbished student housing, and globally benchmarked pedagogies delivered by highly trained teachers. And because they offer children day and boarding options, day-cum-boarding schools are becoming popular within the country’s fast-multiplying upscale nuclear households.

The 2024-25 league table of India’s best international day-cum-boarding schools has undergone seismic change. The 12-year reign of Indus International School, Bangalore (IIS-B, estb.2003) as the country’s #1 international day-cum-boarding has ended.

This time round the 8,700 parents, principals, teachers and educators interviewed by our new field survey agency AZ Research Partners, have voted the perpetual bridesmaid — The International School, Bangalore (TISB, estb.2000) — India #1. Runner-up for the past three years (2021-23), TISB has bested rival IIS-B by a comfortable margin with highest scores under the critical parameters of faculty competence (given double weightage), teacher welfare and development, academic reputation, curriculum and pedagogy and leadership/management quality.

Dr. K.P. Gopalkrishna, the legendary promoter-chairman of the top-ranked National Public School (NPS) group of institutions and TISB, is delighted that the garden city’s pioneer international school “has got its due”.

“We are happy with this overdue recognition, especially top scores awarded to us on the critical parameters of faculty competence, teacher welfare and development and academic reputation. Our teachers are our prize assets rigorously trained in our TISB Training Academy and provided excellent annual remuneration starting at Rs.1.5 lakh per month and rising to over Rs.12 lakh plus residential accommodation on our 140-acre campus. Our high score for academic reputation is entirely deserved. Fifteen TISB students secured the maximum 45 average score in the IB diploma programme with the graduating batch of 2024 awarded scholarships valued at $14.5 million by globally top-ranked universities. I am also very pleased with our highest score under the mental and emotional well-being services parameter. It is proof that our well-trained and competent teachers are providing a happy learning experience to our students. Moreover TISB’s high score under curriculum and pedagogy is because we also accord full importance to co-curricular subjects such as public speaking, leadership and entrepreneurship,” says Gopalkrishna, who modestly declined to comment on TISB’s top score under the leadership parameter. Sited on a fully equipped campus with excellent sports facilities, TISB has an enrolment of 1,100 students (with 175 awarded generous scholarships) mentored by 53 teachers.

TISB’s overdue elevation to India #1 has precipitated a reshuffle of the seating order at top table. Pathways World School, Gurgaon has retained its #2 rank of 2023-24, jointly with the Lancers International School, Gurugram, awarded a handsome promotion (#5 in 2023-24). Last year’s top-ranked Indus International, Bangalore is co-ranked #3 with Greenwood High International, Bengaluru (3). Top table is completed by Stonehill International, Bengaluru promoted to #4 (5) with Jayshree Periwal International School, Jaipur, jointly ranked #5 (6) with Indus International, Pune (4).

Harshita Mann, the highly-qualified (Exeter University and London School of Economics) Promoter-Director of Lancers International School, Gurugram (LIS, estb.2009), ascribes LIS’ steady ascent in the EW league table from #8 in 2022-23 to #5 in 2023-24 and #2 this year to its “child-centric education philosophy”. Affiliated with the blue-chip Cambridge and IB exam boards, the K-12 LIS, which has 800 students mentored by 150 highly qualified teachers on its muster rolls, is awarded highest score for co-curricular education, sports education, individual attention to students, infrastructure, mental and emotional well-being services and value for money.

“Right from the start, our objective was to build a child-centric school in which children are provided well-rounded holistic education. Therefore, our highest scores for individual attention to students, co-curricular and sports education are recognition of the balanced holistic education we provide in LIS. The outcome of this combination is our top score under the parameter of mental and emotional well-being of children — our highest priority. We have a dedicated student care department which offers personalised support and counseling services and works closely with parents to ensure every student has a joyous learning experience,” says Mann.

Beyond top table, several international day-cum-boarding schools have debuted in the Top 10 league table. Sharanya Narayani International School, Bengaluru is promoted to #6 (7) co-ranked with the Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad (6) and Singapore International School, Mumbai is awarded a big promotion to #7 (11).

Other schools with improved rankings are: Alphabet International School, Palavakkam, Chennai to #8 (14) and CPS Global School, Thirumazhisai, Chennai, to #9 (17) jointly ranked with Sadhbhavana World School, Kozhikode (10). GD Goenka World School, Sohna Road, Gurugram is promoted to the Top 10 at #10 (12).

Sreedevi Varakavi, head of school of the low-profile CPS Global School, Thirumazhisai, Chennai (estb.2009), is ‘thrilled’ this year’s sample respondents have promoted CPSGS to the Top 10 league table of international day-cum-boarding schools.

“It’s great to receive external validation from your sample respondents who include parents and educators. It is reaffirmation that we are on the right track. Credit for our big promotion should be given to the vision of our management and hard work of our 44 teachers who go beyond the call of duty to provide globally benchmarked education to our children. That’s why I am especially pleased with our high scores under the parameters of competence of faculty, curriculum and pedagogy, and individual attention to students. Our teachers regularly attend Cambridge, IB and internal training programmes and are given full freedom and encouragement to innovate new, engaging pedagogies. We maintain a teacher-student ratio of 1:15 in primary school and 1:20 in secondary school to provide every student individual support and mentoring,” says Varakavi, an alumna of Osmania University who acquired valuable teaching and admin experience in Sreenidhi International School, DRS International School, Hyderabad and Indian Academy, Dubai prior to appointment as head of school in 2023.

Several other international day-cum-boarding schools have been awarded big promotions this year. Among them: KiiT International School, Bhubaneswar to #14 (19), Taktse International School, Gangtok #16 (24), Prudence International School, Panvel, Navi Mumbai #19 (26), and Harvest International School, Ludhiana #25 (27).

It’s also important to note that international co-ed day-cum-boarding schools ranked modestly in the national table are top-ranked in their host states and held in high public esteem. For instance, Kings College India, Rohtak, ranked India #15 is the #1 international day-cum-boarding school of Haryana (pop.30 million). Oakridge International School, Visakhapatnam, ranked #24 nationally is #1 in Andhra Pradesh (pop.54 million), and Laxmi Global School, Valsad, India #28 is #1 in Gujarat state (72 million).