What favours the school?

How does a school grow bigger and what are effective ways to grow the enrolment? 

My son studies in one of well known schools - amongst the developing schools in the city. Being a parent of an active kid, me and my wife were particularly very keen while choosing a good school. This school caught my wife's attention one day, we explored the school and ever since we are satisfied parents having chosen this school for our son. In 2013, the school had only few running Pre-Primary/Primary branches and one Secondary branch in the city. Since then we have seen ever increasing number of enrolments in this school over last 4 years. Today, at beginning of 2018, this school has altogether 4000+ students studying in 13+ Pre-Primary branches, 2+ Secondary branches and new and upcoming branches established in other cities and states as well.

What works so well in favour of a school? What worked so well in favour of this school? What did the school management do in last 4-5 years to get multi-fold success? Let's read.

1. First and foremost, a word about the school's founder. He being a dynamic, energetic and motivating figure - is actively involved and personally present during almost 98% of the school events. He never misses a chance to get into direct one-one communication with parents during any of the school events. His dynamic nature and his motivational energy is contagious and this fascinates every parent who has met him at-least once. 
   Point to note - School's top authority needs to be actively involved, motivating and dynamic to drive the whole process.
   
   
2. At the beginning of every academic year, the school arranges two 'Orientation Workshops'. First one is for general orientation of the new enrolled parents when the school's overall features and methodology is explained to the parents. Second one is for class-wise curriculum orientation when the teaching staff is introduced to the parents. The detailed teaching methodology which the teachers will follow is explained to the parents along-with simple workshop for parents where they are aligned with the teaching methods in the school.
   Point to note - The Orientation Workshops kick-starts the academic year in a way where the teachers and parents are aligned and everyone is clear about the curriculum and methods. This helps parents to take regular studies in a right manner aligned with the methods followed in classroom.
   
   
3. On daily basis, school's teaching staff is accessible to the parents through properly set channel of communication. Parents are allowed to communicate with the teaching staff with the help of a common channel Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). Every class has selected one parent who acts as mediator interface between the teachers and the parents. Communication takes place through WhatsApp social app. This ensures that parents are updated on daily basis about the school curricular and extra-curricular activities through the teachers and through fellow parents in the PTA. This is great help for parents who take their child's study.
   Point to note - School's teaching staff needs to have frequent communication with the parents.
   
   
4. On term basis, school's teaching staff is directly accessible to the parents through channels like 'Open House Day'. Parents are allowed see their child's test papers, activity sheets, extra-curricular activities etc. on such events. Parents are allowed to communicate one-one with each subject-teacher and the class-teacher. This again is a way of getting feedback from the teachers and is great help for parents who take their child's study. Such event ensures involvement of those parents who are not actively involved in the PTA.
   Point to note - Open House Day and similar frequent events make sure that the school maintains communication with the parents.
   
   
5. The school follows CBSE pattern of education. The curriculum for primary students is divided into 6 term-exams in one year. This means that their are 6 term-exams within the 9-10 months of actual academic year (excluding all holidays and vacations). Due to this, the teaching staff and the students are constantly focused on the curriculum. Apart from these term-exams, continuous evaluation class-tests (5-marks each) are also taken on regular basis after every chunk of syllabus is taught in the class. Term-exam results are evaluated in terms of grading and not in terms of marks.
   Point to note - The students are kept focused on curriculum and their continuous progressive evaluation is done by traditional way of tests and exams.
   
   
6. The school strictly follows two principles in academics - one is 'Learning through experience and creativity'. Apart from the term-exams and class-tests, student's learning and subsequent evaluation and progress is also carried out through numerous practical events such as field-visits, activities, projects, inter-class competitions, assembly-time skits, classroom story-telling, speaking in front of class, group-activities etc. for each subject. These fun-filled events ensure compulsory (not forceful) participation of each and every student. Student's performance in these events are taken into consideration in their term-exam grades. Students are kept constantly engaged by way of Olympiads, Competitions etc. Additionally, students are taught moral values through various activities like 'Joy of Giving'.
   Point to note - The students are kept engrossed in curriculum and their continuous progressive evaluation is done by creative way of practical fun-filled activities and projects.
   
   
7. The school strictly follows two principles in academics - second one is 'Learning with nature'. The school's main branch is located in a natural valley in south of the city, the campus is spread over 17 acres and surrounded by lush-green nature. This branch has maintained a zoo-like atmosphere across this main branch campus where innumerable and rare species of pets (chirping birds, quacking ducks, galloping horses, camels, colourful fishes, bouncy dogs etc.) are kept. Students of Pre-primary and Primary are allowed to do bird-watching, have horse and camel rides etc. during spare time. Students from other branches of the school are also sometimes taken to this main branch for fun and frolic. 
   Point to note - The students are attracted and kept interested in the school by showcasing the delightful campus.
   
   
8. The school also focuses on extracurricular activities and sports. The school actively motivates and trains students to participate in various well-known competitions like drama, music, singing, dancing etc. The main branch campus provides sports facilities like basketball, volleyball, hockey turf, football etc. along-with national-class training staff. The school also motivates students to learn traditional self-defence techniques like, karate, tae-kwon-do, lathi-kathi, dand-patta, talwar baaji and traditional sports like pole malla-khaamb and rope malla-khaamb etc. along-with training staff. There is additional Commando-Training course and related facilities designed by the school for the adventurous students. The huge campus is itself none less than a adventure picnic spot for the students during the spare time. Most importantly, the school never misses a chance to invite parents and their relatives to this branch for weekend picnics. Also, all major social events like Republic Day, Independence Day, or even Dandiya nights are arranged for parents in the main branch of the school.
   Point to note - There is something to learn and enjoy for every student in this school.
   
   
9. The school does active publicity and maintains its updated social presence on social channels like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter etc. The school constantly imbibes every feature - big or small - of the school in parent's minds by repetition whenever and however possible. To name a few common features - implementation of smart card ID for pickup and drop students, CCTV and GPS tracking in buses and all over the school campus, annual fees decided mutually by the members of PTA, availability of pickup and drop bus facility in every corner of the city and so on. These may be common features in many other schools as well, but the constant publicity of these features by this school is notable.
   Point to note - A good, well-updated social presence helps in open publicity of the school in today's advertisement-driven world.
   
   
10. The school has its own 'Pre-Primary Teacher Training Course' and it is evident that almost all the teaching staff and management staff is smart and well-trained. The school inspires and motivates the teaching and management staff with regular sessions of training, meditation, relaxation etc. The staff is satisfactorily salaried and the employee retention policy is maintained in a way that the attrition rate is less than 5%. The school's founder always backs-up the management and the management always backs-up the teaching staff, thus contributing to success. Again, it must be noted that parents know these internal management related things because the school imbibes this on the parents on every possible occasion.
    Point to note - A well-trained, well-maintained and motivated staff is key to success for running a school organisation.

Like any other school, this school has some minor flaws too but those are part and parcel of the mammoth task of handling such big institution. If I am to point out a single key to success of this school, I would say that this school never focuses on negative marketing about other schools and it never focuses completely on getting more admissions by direct publicity. The single key to success and indirect but effective publicity is that the school strives to keep existing enrolled parents satisfied and engrossed.