Academic Programme
Academic standards at BCS are excellent.
Affiliation
The school provides a complete course of studies for ten years in preparation for the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (Class X) and the Indian School Certificate Examination (Class XII). It is affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, New Delhi.
The school code is HP004
English Speaking and other Languages
BCS is an English Speaking school and the medium of instruction is English.
Great care is taken to develop fluency and accuracy in this language.
Every boy studies a second language and a high standard of proficiency is reached in Hindi, Gurmukhi, Sanskrit and French.
Teaching and Learning methodology
While Classes IX to XII follow the CISCE syllabi, a flexibility of methodology and learning systems is strongly encouraged throughout the school to cater for different learning styles and preferences
The teaching system is backed by a Learning Support system, and within the boarding community teachers are readily available hours to provide extra support to individuals. The school has provision for helping children with special needs, which includes identifying specific learning difficulties and providing appropriate support.
Syllabus – Class III to Class VIII
The School designs and implements its own curriculum for Classes III to VIII and tries to ensure that the boys and their teachers have as much flexibility as possible to foster a mutual learning process. The curriculum in the Junior and Middle School provides the basis for the key examination years and allows each boy to choose from the full list of subjects available for the Board exams for ISCE.
Subjects available for ICSE – Class IX to Class X
The following subjects are taught at the Class IX and X levels: English, Hindi, Mathematics, History and Civics, Geography, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science, Economics, Environmental Education, Environmental Science, Commercial Studies, Commercial Applications, Art and Physical Education. Students, as per the CISCE rules, are allowed a choice of subjects with English, Environmental Education, and Social Studies i.e History, Civics and Geography being compulsory subjects
Subjects available for ISC – Class XI to Class XII
For the ISC (year XII examination), the subjects are English, Hindi, Mathematics, Economics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Accounts, Commerce, Political Science, Geography, Computer Science, Environmental Education, and History
Sport in the Curriculum
Sport plays a key part in the daily life of every boy life at BCS. Boys are taught the fundamentals of fitness and health. In addition to basic physical training, they receive coaching in Cricket, Football, Hockey, Basketball, Tennis, Athletics, Boxing, Swimming, Table-Tennis, Rifle Shooting, Squash, Badminton, Scuba Diving Mountaineering, Roller Skating and Karate. The School’s sporting traditions are old and illustrious and there are regular Inter-House and Inter-School fixtures
Creativity in the Curriculum
Every boy is encouraged to pursue activities like drama, debating, elocution, public speaking, art and craft, and music. The school recognizes the importance of the creative and performing arts in shaping boys for the modern world. Boys are able to compete in inter-school and inter-house events in these fields.
Outreach in the Curriculum
Community service and Socially Useful and Productive Work (SUPW) are a part of the formal curriculum. Pupils are encouraged to volunteer in ‘The Learning Centre’ and ‘The Non-Formal Centre’, the former being a special education centre for non-resident, mentally and physically challenged children from Shimla, and the latter, a centre for the teaching of children of migrant labour.
Assessment and Reporting
The year is divided into three terms. The Spring Term starts in March and ends on the last Friday of May. During this time the boys have class tests and the first terminal examination, which reflects progress and accounts for 20% of the final academic average. The Summer Term begins after the June break and concludes at the end of August. It also consists of class tests and a second terminal examination and accounts for a further 30% of the final academic average. The Final Term is similar, but the tests and examination accounts for the final 50%.
A boy’s promotion is based on how they fare in the tests and examinations throughout the year of assessment. In the Junior School there are no examinations in Class III, but a boy’s progress is continually assessed through classwork and tests. Boys in Class IV -V, all sit for the second terminal examination and the final examinations, and a greater emphasis is placed on their performance in class throughout the year. Tutorial and full academic reports, which include an annual medical report, are sent home three times a year
Academic success is honoured at the Annual Speech Day where our top performers are awarded prizes for all round proficiency in studies and for performance in individual subjects.