At HVB Global Academy (HVBGA) we have been working relentlessly towards a meaningful globally connected and comprehensive educational programme for all students regardless of personal circumstances, so as to empower them to explore and develop their natural curiosity and creativity. As a progressive institute, we have always strived to be the catalysts for positive change by means of education in our community and in the society at large. This demands that we be open to accepting and learning from new challenges, and then disseminating our learning for the common good.
Being the first school in the world to offer the Cambridge Early Years (CEY) curriculum and the innovative classroom practices that accompany this curriculum is one such effort to precipitate positive change in the culture of education in the community; it is a matter of pride for us.
Cambridge International is known for the curricula that focus on integrated and active learning based approaches that lead to learners’ holistic development. Cambridge Early Years, like other stages of Cambridge Pathway, weaves into the curriculum framework four key areas of learners’ development: social and emotional development, physical development, language and communication development, and cognitive development. These key areas have been shown to impact learners’ academic achievements well into their adulthood. The view of pedagogy that we have developed organically that informs all of our teaching-learning practices at HVB Global Academy already includes these key areas.
Over the years, we have witnessed curricula designed by Cambridge International and the resources published by Cambridge University Press evolve dynamically in step with the latest research findings in the field of education both in terms of content and methodologies. For this reason, we are able to rest assured that the resources and guidance we receive from Cambridge are up-to-date and based on sound evidence rather than personal beliefs. By adopting Cambridge Early Years, we are confident that we will be able to provide our young learners the best support possible in their most formative years.
Additionally, National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) reimagines the educational framework of the country with emphasis on the holistic development of learners right from the early years and on creating joyful classrooms by means of evidence-based teaching-learning practices that are able to accommodate the rich cultural and linguistic diversity that is integral to Indian society. Its primary thrust is on the experiential learning that would imbibe Indian ethos through integration of Indian art and culture in the teaching and learning process. CEY programme, based on evidence from decades of research on early child development, naturally aligns with the framework proposed in NEP 2020.
Further, the rich variety of tools and resources that CEY offers accords us the flexibility to weave in a coherent and consistent manner the imperatives outlined and ethos envisioned by the NEP 2020 into the CEY framework.
As we move forward with the new curriculum, the challenges we will face and the novel solutions that will emerge from our learning will enable other schools, whether affiliated with Cambridge or not, to compare their existing Early Years curriculum and practices with that of Cambridge Early Years and with the requirements of NEP 2020. This, in turn, may help them to assess their readiness for the changes proposed by the NEP 2020, and to understand the process required to adopt CEY should they wish to do so. Our experience and learnings with novel classroom practices in Cambridge Early Years classes may also help other schools improve their teaching learning culture by incorporating some of our learnings in their Early Years practice that will best address the unique challenges each school faces.
