Can I open a school in a rented building and apply for CBSE affiliation?

Yes, the school running in a building held on lease for at least 15 years can get CBSE affiliation, it should is located on a part of land which is also owned by the Trust/Society or the school or held on lease for at least 15 years and the area of the land must be 1.49 acres including the building and the playground. The minimum land area may vary with the region of location of the school. 

Do I need to have a state board affiliation to start a CBSE/ICSE school?

Yes, State board recognition is necessary for getting affiliated to any board that include CBSE and ICSE. The state education department also needs to issue an NOC stating that it has no objection regarding your school’s affiliation to the CBSE/CISCE. For complete details about getting your school affiliated to CBSE or ICSE refer to our blog posts How to Start a School and get CBSE affiliation? or How to start a school and get ICSE affiliation?

What is the typical operational break-even period for a school project?

Depends on the pace at which you are able to establish brand awareness and enroll students. For a moderately financed venture, the operational break even should be within 2 – 5 years from the launch date.

Sometimes operational break-even may not happen as predicted, you still need to support operations and maintain the brand position. It is suggested that you plan the necessary cash flows well in advance.

Does CBSE or ICSE recommend any specific suppliers ?

No. School promoters have to run pillar to post, identify vendors, choose the material and procure school supplies and materials.  Alternatively, school promoters can buy all school supplies and materials online from marketplaces like Schoolsupermart.com

Do I need any affiliation before I start a school?

No. you can start a school by getting necessary permissions from the state education department. After the school is opened you can apply for affiliation which requires information about your school operation. For learning everything about starting a school look at our blog post How to start a school in India?

Do I have to appoint new Principal and teachers for my school for getting CBSE affiliation?

If you have an adequately qualified serving Principal for your school you need not appoint new Principal.

Appropriately qualified school Principal and teachers for schools aspiring for CBSE, ICSE or international Board Affiliation can be hired through online school jobs portal educatorOne.com

What is land requirement for CBSE schools in cities?

CBSE has signified the land requirements for cities with population more than 15 lacs which is not less than 1.49 acres which includes the land of the building and the playground and the space to provide physical health education. The land requirement in hilly areas is 1 acre. You may also find land or building or operational school for sale on the exclusive school real estate portal  School Prop.com.

How to Increase School Admissions ?

Many school promoters are finding it difficult to enroll required number of students. This is in fact, one of the biggest challenge school promoters are experiencing when they launch a new school or trying to sustain an established school. Creating the best infrastructure, putting up hoardings and h... Read More

What all permissions are needed for starting a new school?

The permissions and related documents that are required for starting a new school in India are—
• The founding documents of the Trust/Society/Company
• The affidavit of the non-proprietary Trust/Society/Company
• Memorandum of Association between the school and the Trust/Society/Company
• Land and School Building Documents
• Ownership documents, Sale deed or Lease Deed
• Change of Land Use certificate for the land for the school building
• Map approved by the Municipal Authority
• Building blueprint
• Building Safety Certificate
• NOC issued by the education department of the state or the ‘Essentiality Certificate’
• State Board Affiliation
• Employees’ EPF and ESIC registration

What factors hamper the school growth?

Many factors, listing the major factors that hamper school growth -

• Inability to maintain and manage
• Lack of experience
• Setup is incomplete
• Improper organization structure
• Brand repute
• Inefficient spending
• Choice of programs
• Market pricing

How much does it cost to start a new school?

       There is no single answer to this question, Cost of setting up a school is dependent on several factors, listing few factors -

• Target market
• Capacity planned
• Value of land (varies by location and size)
• Cost of infrastructure design and build
• Facilities you wish to offer
• Academic and beyond academic programs you wish to offer
• Cost of educational supplies, staffing and other services
• How do you plan to brand and position your school in the target market

How much do you charge for new school setup services?

Over the years, we have found that each new school project presents unique challenges and opportunities. Deliverables for each new school setup are also unique. 

Fee is calculated based on the nature of the project, tenure, specific deliverables and effort involved. We offer flexible charging models for the convenience of people aspiring to open new schools –

• Per consulting day (6 hrs)
• A Monthly fixed fee for the project duration
• Revenue share
• or a combination one or more models described above

You may visit our office to discuss project requirements with our school consultants, finalize scope of work and understand the fee applicable.

What Infrastructure is required to start CBSE, ICSE, IGCSE/Cambridge and IB Schools in India?

The land and infrastructure requirements to start CBSE, IGCSE/Cambridge, ICSE and IB Schools in India are defined by the respective boards and vary with nature of accommodation, capacity, terrain, and geography. International organizations dwell upon the dimensions relatively lesser than CBSE or ICSE, nonetheless, they mandate complete learning environment in every respect and can accommodate not only the given number of children but also the pedagogical activities, movements, and interactions. CBSE, ICSE or State board schools can also run international programs by provisioning appropriate infrastructure. Specific requirements have been detailed in the following articles -

1. How to Start a CBSE School Anywhere in India?
2. How to Start an ICSE Affiliated School in India?
3. How to Start School and get IGCSE affiliation?
4. How to Start an IB School Anywhere In India?

Which Curriculum / Board / Syllabus options should I consider for the new school setup?

         Many options are available; you may consider any one or combination of these familiar options -

• State Board: State Government Recognized Board
• CBSE: Central Board of Secondary Education
• CBSE-I:CBSE-International
• ICSE:Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)
• IB: International Baccalaureate
• IGCSE: International General Certificate of Secondary Education / Cambridge University
• Early Learning Schools & Child Care Centers: custom concepts based on the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf (Steiner), Montessori and early year foundation stages (EYFS).

What facilities should I provide in my new school?

Age appropriate facilities are necessary for all-round child development. There is no end to the facilities and amenities you can provide. Figure out what is adding to the cost and not adding to the enrolments and make sure they are used to optimum. Some of them include:

• Technology enabled classrooms
• Language Labs
• Science Labs
• Maths Labs
• Music Room
• Dance Hall
• Art & Craft studio
• Indoor / Outdoor sports facilities
• Transport
• Multipurpose Halls

Why is market study or survey is required ?

In most cases, new school start-up enthusiasts jump to construction stage of the new school building without assessing what kind of school will sustain, planning budget, not considering any statutory requirements. The decision to jump stages is purely based on individual perception, a lot of money would have gone into the new school setup and operations - It may take several years to understand if the approach is delivering the desired results or not.

To avoid ambiguity, endless run time issues and to ensure you are making the right investment, we suggest a data driven approach to determine a sustainable school concept. Some questions you need to have valid answers for before you begin or make any investment -

• 1. Is there a need for school in proposed location?
  2. What is your target market and how are you positioning your school?
  3. What are the risks involved in the proposed school project?
  4. Under what conditions will be proposed school be successful?
  5. How much does it cost to setup a school and run it?
  6. How long does it take to setup a school?

Should I obtain a Detailed Project Report (DPR) before I start a school?

DPR is a comprehensive school development plan prepared in consultation with the school promoters, an important start up guide for those who wish to start a new school. Further it acts as an implementation guide for promoters and can be used obtain loans for the proposed school project. DPR addresses all major issues concerning the project, namely –

• Vision & philosophy
• Organization structure
• Academic & beyond academic programs
• Staffing & Skill development
• Master plan & interiors
• Branding & positioning
• Statutory & legal issues
• Financial feasibility covering 15 years cash flows.
• Market pricing
• Admissions
• Documentation for staff and students
• Technology infrastructure
• Project schedule

Comparing IB and IGCSE

International Baccalaureate® (IB) and International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) are the two International school education programs. IGCSE is also an examination conducting body. The IGCSE is controlled by a department of the University of Cambridge and IB is an education fou... Read More