FAQs

Admissions

What are the documents required at the time of application?

Do regular children come to Aarambh or is it for children with special needs?

At Aarambh we receive children with typical needs (regular children), as well as a few children with special needs. However, in case the child may have special needs, the teachers group may have to assess the needs of the child and  readiness of teachers skills and then the decision pertaining to the child’s admission would be made, in close consultation with the family.

Is there a settling-in phase for the new children?

We understand that young children need time to get used to a new space and adults around, and to get adjusted to the idea of leaving parents for few hours everyday.

Therefore, families undergo a transition period of about a week for an hour, before their child begins kindergarten for regular timings.

Which board does Aarambh subscribe to? 

Aarambh is from Kindergarten to Grade 5 thus we are not eligible for any board recognition.

Education at Aarambh

How many children are there in each class?

Usually a KG group would comprise 15-20 children with 2 KG teachers & other staff supporting partially.

Currently in grades, the class size ranges from 4-8 children.

What do kindergarten children do at Aarambh if there is no academics?

The KG curriculum is focused on strengthening the physical body & foundational senses through unstructured play, working with hands, arts & movements , gardening, cooking etc. which helps immensely in building academic readiness for grades. Please refer to Kindergarten section to learn more.

Since children do not read or write till the age of six, do they learn comfortably later?

As the child’s physical body development is given priority at Aarambh in KG, their sensory-motor development is well taken care of. This helps in building academic readiness in children such as- ability to sit for longer duration & to focus on a task at hand, use gross & fine motor abilities to write, move & draw well, listen with attention, clarity in speech etc. Giving sufficient time for sensory-motor development to take place in early years also reduces the chances of learning difficulties in later grade classes.

Along with this, in primary grades, the academic curriculum is closely integrated with arts, music & movement which piques the interest of the child further to learn & participate whole heartedly.

Are there any structured sports at Aarambh?

Until the age of 9-10 years, structured and competitive sports are avoided. Children receive a lot of time for unstructured & free play in KG. In grades, children receive a lot of time for unstructured, children-led play along with teacher-led structured social games too.

How do children learn public speaking or stage exposures?

In early grades children are encouraged to share responses in class, recall, and sing together as a group. As children progress towards later primary grades, children are encouraged to respond, recall & sing individually as well. Additionally during various seasonal celebrations, festivals etc., children along with teachers, as a group create class plays, practice singing, play instruments like tabla & flute/recorder. In older primary grades, children may also perform the above for younger classes and sometimes during annual parent gatherings.

Are children at the same level with other school children in case of academics?

The academics in primary grades at Aarambh is age & developmentally appropriate and moves at a gradual pace and focuses on learning wholeheartedly through use of arts, movements and working with hands. We recognise that with increase in academic rigour in most schools in the last few years, Aarambh Waldorf curriculum may not be in sync with them. 

This may require families to work with their children at home in case of possible/anticipated transition out of Aarambh. Please refer to Question … to understand the support given to families at Aarambh in case a child is moving on.

How do teachers assess children? On what basis when there are no tests or exams?

The student-teacher ratio at Aarambh enables the teachers to observe the child’s daily academic and health related progress closely. The observations are gathered and recorded on a regular basis, which are shared with the parents six monthly.

Transitioning to the Next School

Is it easy for children to move to other schools after Aarambh? How do they cope up when they go to conventional schools after the 5th Grade?

Most of the transitions are eased when parents/teachers understand and support child’s learning curve. 

Depending upon the school, children moving on from Aarambh to another mainstream school may need a few months of academic preparation (mostly Grade 5). With support from Aarambh teachers group, the respective family may identify academic areas to be worked upon with their child at home.

We also recognise that parents' emotional readiness would be of great help in making the transition smoother for their child.

Ex-Parent Testimonials

Has Aarambh collaborated with other institutions?

In recent times, Aarambh has reached out to Prakriti, Noida & Heritage Schools and have shared the academic & non-academic learning  processes taking place at Aarambh in various Grades & Kindergarten. 

These schools have welcomed children from Aarambh in recent years. Additionally many schools in the last few years in Delhi have sent their teachers for training at Aarambh.

Do children have difficulty in learning computers later, since there is no exposure to any kind of technology?

We recognise that learning should be developmentally appropriate for children. At Aarambh academic learning is integrated with arts, movements & handwork closely so that their physical & emotional development takes place well. 

Therefore, technology such as computers & phones is avoided at Aarambh for learning-teaching purposes. As children in cities such as Delhi are surrounded & exposed to various tech in daily life these days, children are easily able to grasp the use of tech formally as they grow older.