DPS International Ghana: Quality Education and Excellent Learning From Creche to A Level

DPSI HISTORY

DPSI was commenced in the year 2010 aiming for quality education, excellent learning, providing holistic, modern, comprehensive, technology-driven classes right from Creche to A Level. With the motto “Service Beyond Self”, DPSI strives to excel the needs of children in Ghana and its neighbouring countries.

It certainly was the zeal of a missionary and philanthropist, Mr. Mukesh Thakwani, and his fellow associates, who envisaged the noble vision to start quality education in Tema that could transform the solitary vastness of eight acres of land into a bustling paradise of education.

DPSI Tema is accredited to the University of Cambridge International Examinations and CBSE, and is run by the aegis of DPS Society, New Delhi, registered under the Society’s act, having eminent educationists, jurists and renowned luminaries of India as its members. Now, under the patronage of DPS Society, there are about 160 Delhi Public Schools in India and abroad.

Ensconced in the most aesthetically planned environment, it provides a congenial and serene atmosphere for learning and for students to make the optimum use of the building, the smart classes and the space provided to them.

Inheriting a rich legacy passed on to it by the mentor schools of DPS branches in India, DPSI Tema keeps pace with the needs of modern times by fostering an analytical, scientific attitude and open minded democratic outlook towards the issue of social environment and ethical virtues.

MISSION AND VISION

The broad and balanced school curriculum sets the direction, establishes the goals and implements a strategy for getting the child acquainted from foundation to where he aspires to be.

DPSI’s efforts are to encourage all children to realize their true potential and overcome educational challenges. The school considers the child’s all-round development – intellectual, social, physical, moral and emotional – to be of utmost importance.

DPSI stands committed to “Service Beyond Self” and prepares the young learners to act in accordance with a personal philosophy that reflects concern for all and understand the ethical implications of the various disciplines.

DPS International Ghana is the school committed to the excellence of its students in all spheres.

DPSI’s Focus:

• Moral values, ethics and ideals.
• An optimistic approach to face success and failure peacefully with equanimity.
• Communication skills and self expression.
• Artistic ability and creativity.
• Competitive spirit to excel in all spheres.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Child centered syllabus and child-friendly infrastructure.
• Advanced audio-visual room equipped with smart board.
• Regular morning assembly – a platform to develop communication and social skills.
• Inter house competitions to maintain a balance between scholastic and non-scholastic activities.
• Innovative method of teaching and multi-media approach to learning.
• Foundation courses to prepare the children for SAT, IELTS, Medical and Engineering entrance examinations, GRE and TOEFL.
• International Olympiads in all subjects.
• Efficient transportation system to ferry the students not only from Tema but also from the heart of the city, Accra.

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INFRASTRUCTURE

DPS Tema is an architectural masterpiece. The classrooms are spacious with adequate ventilation, with a free flow of fresh air. The smart classrooms fitted with digital smart boards bring the whole world in front of the children and make learning a joyful experience.

SMART CLASSROOM

Moving with the evolving world, DPSI encourages in delivering technology driven classrooms with well fitted smart boards, compassing the world within the four walls of a confined classroom, making the teaching and learning pedagogy intriguing as well as interesting, and enabling students to get acquainted with other nations’ cultures, traditions, geography, politics, social issues, etc. The school has the latest applications installed in its smart classes to keep the students updated with latest knowledge, grooming for them to be critical thinkers, inquirers, communicators, risk takers, etc.

LABORATORIES

DPSI provides access to fully equipped, well-stocked and furnished laboratories with upgraded equipment to teach physics, chemistry and biology that will help mould and prepare students for a future in a science and technology-driven world, using the best equipment and training. These bright and colorful labs are all equipped with the requisite laboratory features such as gas taps, sinks and electricity sockets, together with an extensive range of specialized practical equipment. These practical facilities allow students to adopt a hands-on approach to discovering and understanding scientific principles and experimental procedures. Each lab also contains a modern interactive white board with internet connectivity to enable the use of a wide range of inspirational resources to compliment the practical work. Health and safety are paramount, which is why the labs adhere to international standards, ensuring that they are equipped with all necessary safety features. DPSI has a dedicated preparation area and on-staff lab technician to offer teachers and students support with their practical work and with safety-related issues in order to sharpen their scientific acumen and unleash their full potentials. There is constant supervision of pupils’ handling of equipment which ensures safety and discipline. In case of an emergency, first aid kits and fire extinguishers are available.

COMPUTER LABS

DPSI has two state-of-the-art computer labs that are accessible to students, faculty and staff. Each lab is equipped with over one hundred, new, high-tech computers, networked with advanced configuration and high-speed broadband Internet connectivity. Once inside, students must key in a valid username and password login to gain access to the campus network. Some peripherals in the lab include printers, scanners, cameras, laptops, tablets, iPads, hard drives, projectors and headsets. DPSI also has technicians and specialists as part of the maintenance team who periodically service these computers. The labs are fully air-conditioned, with power backup and are professionally set. All of the systems in the computer labs have been loaded with Microsoft Windows 8. The server room works as a central hub. The wireless coverage throughout the campus is freely available 24/7 to registered students, faculty members, staff and guests who visit DPSI. Each lab is equipped with video tele-conference devices, which are used for communications all over the world, and facilitate virtual classes between DPSI and other institutions. The labs are exclusively designed with ease of use, security and reliability in mind.

SCHOOL LIBRARY

The school library is well-stocked and catalogued with books of all disciplines, educational periodical publications, magazines, reference books and study materials. Believing the adage ‘today’s readers are tomorrow’s leaders’, consistent efforts are made to develop the reading habit among children through the library projects assigned to children every week. The library, which is replenished every year with new books, is a real boon for the students of DPS Tema as the reading programmes enrich their vocabulary and help them come out successful in their scholarly pursuit.

MUSIC CLASS

The knowledge of music on the whole can play a vital role in the development of the personality of children as well as their scholastic achievement. Music is said to be the ‘Universal Language’ of the world. The Department of Music and Dance at DPS International firmly believes that children should be all rounders and well-balanced members of society. DPSI therefore strongly and positively encourages exposure to music and dance by providing children a unique platform. The Department boasts of qualified and experienced teachers who are well versed in their fields of performing arts. Developing literacy with the tonal language forms a key part of a rounded education for music and dance performers, composers and listeners of all kinds.

AMPHITHEATRE

The DPSI amphitheatre is the perfect venue for large concerts and other amazing performances. It is ideally suited for musical theatre productions, operas, major concerts, conventions, award ceremonies, corporate training, recitals and graduations, among others. The sloping architectural design of the DPSI Amphitheatre comfortably provides seating for up to 1000 people and is reminiscent of the classic Greek amphitheaters. The stage has a concrete floor with spotlights shining down from the metallic frame. It is fitted with advanced sound and lighting capabilities. It also boasts of a projector system and a large projector screen. It is a magnificent acoustical facility and the audience can really see and hear the performances clearly from afar.

AUDITORIUM

The multipurpose auditorium accommodates various activities of the school such as seminars, science exhibitions, health camps, indoor games, assemblies, conferences, etc., which are done in a much secured and technologically advanced environment. The auditorium is designed in adherence to the ultra-modern and eco-friendly specifications. It is extensively utilized as an integral domain of the school. This multipurpose auditorium is separated from the main building that houses classrooms and is acoustically robust. It has the capacity to accommodate more than 700 people. Its cylindrical design is an architecturally beautiful structure on the school premises. It is able to handle several forms of technology, just like any large lecture hall or classroom. A sound system, video-projection system, cable and wireless facility are also provided herein. This immensely enhances the overall ambience of the place during any event. The entire facility is fully air-conditioned with a dedicated power back-up.

FOOTBALL

The school has wide a playground for football which is well maintained by the sports administration.

SWIMMING POOL

The swimming pool is a 20 by 10 meters level decked pool and has six lanes. It includes full changing rooms and shower facilities with a seating capacity of 200 people offering a captivating pool view. Besides the main swimming pool is a baby pool – a purpose-built facility providing swimming lessons for little swimmers from age 3 to 7. DPSI’s swimming pool is fitted with the most up-to-date filtration and water treatment plants. These are operated by highly trained, professional pool plant operators, whose most important job is to ensure that water is always of the highest quality and presentation. The swimming pool is equipped with state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly water purification systems that results in fresher and cleaner water without the overpowering smell of chlorine. DPSI specialized coaches help students develop the swimmers’ capability beyond basic aquatic skills. They focus on improving stroke efficiency, survival, as well as water rescue skills and techniques, strength, conditioning and race through drills and training.

SKATING FACILITY

The school also provides a facility for skating and trains students from Nursery to A Level.

BASKETBALL AND PLAYGROUND

The DPSI basketball court has a standard size of 94 feet long (28.7 m) by 50 feet wide (15.2 m). On each half-court, painted lines show the free throw lane and circle, as well as the three-point arc. The DPSI basketball court surface has a friction between 80-110 when measured with a pendulum slip test device. The weatherproof street basketball backboard is made from fibreglass-reinforced plastic which is ideal for long-term use outdoors.

Court equipment features:
• Extremely robust and weatherproof
• Easy assembly and dismantling
• High quality material – GRP, hot-dip galvanized steel
• Nylon net
• Height-adjustable stand
• Reduced noise effects when the ball hits the basketball board

CRECHE

True to DPSI beliefs about children, the crèche program is at its core child-centered. This department, which admits 1 year olds to 2.5 year olds, is fully air-conditioned, with play pens, beds, high chairs, recreational rooms, audiovisual programmes, teaching and learning materials, picture reading books, story books, toys, puzzles, manipulatives, outdoor play items, rest mats, floor cushions, blocks and puzzles, among others. With well-trained, experienced child specialists, who are committed to the proper care and development of the toddlers, every effort is made to seek the interest of each child. For many, the crèche is the first time that children spend time away from their parents. DPSI’s warm and nurturing teachers welcome children into a very safe school environment. The experienced teachers support children in a small class group with many chances for one-on-one interaction with full supervision. DPSI uses the children’s senses to stimulate their interest and increase their engagement in learning and assists the children to slowly transition to a more structured day as they near two and half months and transition into the nursery class.

At the core of the crèche programme teaching philosophy lies the following:
• Create physically and emotionally safe learning spaces that are intentionally designed to nurture cognitive stimulation.
• Provide sustained, uninterrupted time for toddler-initiated play, exploration, and discovery.
• Encourage the child to freely engage and interact with other children.
• Allow the child to become engaged in all activities by encouraging active participation instead of passive observation.
• Understand and respond to the child’s needs through careful and sensitive observation of his or her behavior and interactions.
• Define expectations and limits with clarity and consistency to enable the child to develop an understanding of routines.

BOARDING HOUSE

The hostel of DPS Tema is a home away from home which caters to the needs of all the boarders by providing them with an excellent standard of accommodation and state-of-the art educational and sporting facilities. The house teachers are so involved in the welfare and the wellbeing of the boarders that they feel as safe and secure as they are at home. The balanced diet, hygienic ambience, ample opportunities to pursue one’s hobbies and interests, play fields of international standard, study hours supervised by the house teachers, disciplined life and comfortable rooms, are all the salient features of the hostel which provide the boarders with a platform for a lifelong bonding.

CANTEEN

The school canteen is one of the students’ favourite spots in the school. The bounteous canteen caters to students with a fine range of nutritious food and drinks suitable for their palates. The recess provides a necessary delightful respite for students after long sessions of learning.

TRANSPORTATION

DPSI provides school transport facilities to the students commuting from in and around Accra and Tema regions. Its main mission is to bring students to school on time and drop them back home safely on time. The safety of the students is of prime concern. Currently, DPSI plies 22 school buses of popular brands fitted with ultra modern air conditioning system. There are 26 professional dedicated drivers, 19 different bus routes in which around 200 students and 56 teachers commute by school transport vehicles. The transport facility is a great blessing for the students, teachers as well as the parents. All buses can be tracked with the help of well equipped GPS system to know its exact location and other necessary information in case of an emergency. Student’s attendance is taken regularly by the teacher in charge on each bus. The speed limit is sustained at 80 kmph owing to the safety reasons. Regular communication and coordination to the parents, drivers, students and school management is done through phone, email, Whatsapp and text messages. The school buses are serviced and turned up as a mandatory maintenance procedure at a set time of intervals.

IGCSE

The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) Programme is an evolving, globally relevant educational opportunity. The IGCSE Programme is administered by the University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE). Over 9000 schools in 160 countries offer the Cambridge qualifications. The IGCSE has always emphasized adding values within a national context, whilst also contributing to internationalism. The focus is on safeguarding distinctive cultural identity through specific language and literature syllabi, for example, or to include study of regional geography or history. Thus, the importance of an appropriate mix of global and local contexts is well recognized as an essential dimension of IGCSE.

Key Features:

• Provides an ideal foundation for higher-level courses such as the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and A Levels.
• Has worldwide recognition and is equivalent to the Certificate of Secondary Education from Indian education boards, General Certificate of Secondary Education, and O Level.
• Offers syllabi which reflect local economies and cultures within a global context, hence ensuring that students gain a wide perspective while recognizing and valuing their own environment.
• Develops key learning, problem-solving and investigative skills by encouraging an active, critical and questioning approach to study.
• Ensures a broad-based education, while encouraging a degree of choice.

The Curriculum:

The IGCSE is a two-year course of study available to students at DPS International in classes IX and X. The IGCSE Class VIII serves as a preparatory year designed meaningfully to cater to the progress of the study in classes IX and X. The two areas of focus are commerce and science.

Assessment:

Every subject within the IGCSE programme is assessed on an eight-point scale of grades from A* to G. Any student failing to reach a grade G is awarded a grade U (Unclassified). An A* is an exceptional grade, given to approximately the top 7 % of students within each subject. In some subjects (notably languages, mathematics and sciences) there is a choice between core and extended curriculum papers, allowing teachers and students to decide on the most appropriate level of instruction and testing for the candidate. The core curriculum in each subject is within the ability range of all students. It provides a full overview of the subject and is targeted at students expected to achieve between grades C and G. The extended curriculum comprises the core curriculum plus additional and more challenging material. This has been designed for the more academically able student, who is expected to achieve between grades A* – E. The majority of students at DPSI are expected to take their subjects at the extended level. In subjects where there is no core/extended option (such as geography), the full range of grades – A*-G – is available.

CBSE

Education aims at making children capable of becoming responsible, productive and useful members of a society. Knowledge, skills and attitudes are built through learning experiences and opportunities created for learners in school. It is in the classroom that learners can analyze and evaluate their experiences, learn to doubt, to question, to investigate and to think independently. The aim of education simultaneously reflects the current needs and aspirations of a society as well as its lasting values and human ideals. At any given time and place it can be called the contemporary and contextual articulations of broad and lasting human aspirations and values.

Place of Evaluation in the Curriculum:

In order to implement continuous and comprehensive evaluation, both scholastic and co-scholastic aspects need to be given due recognition.Such a holistic assessment requires maintaining an ongoing and comprehensive profile for each learner that is honest, encouraging and discreet. While teachers frequently reflect, plan and implement remedial strategies, the child’s ability to retain and articulate what has been learned over a period of time also requires periodic assessment. These assessments can take many forms but all of them should be as comprehensive and discreet as possible. Weekly, fortnightly, or quarterly reviews (depending on the learning area), that do not openly compare one learner with another are generally recommended to promote and enhance not just learning and retention among children, but their soft skills as well.

Scholastic Assessment?

The objectives of the scholastic domain are:
• The desirable behaviour related to the learner’s knowledge, understanding, application, evaluation, analysis, and creating the ability to apply it in an unfamiliar situation.
• To improve the teaching learning process, assessment should be both formative and summative.

Co-Scholastic Assessment:

The objectives of the co-scholastic domain is the desirable behaviour related to learner’s life skills, attitudes, interests, values, co-curricular activities and physical health, which are described as skills to be acquired in co-scholastic domain. Comprehensive evaluation would necessitate the use of a variety of tools and techniques. This will be so because both different and specific areas of learners’ growth can be evaluated through certain special techniques.

Key Features:

• Provides a framework of knowledge and capabilities.
• Scholastic assessment program helps student to perform for areas like assignments, projects, elocution, quiz, competition, debats, group activities, club activities and research.
• The co-scholastic assessment prorgam helps student to improve their thinking, social and emotional skills.
• Formative assessment is taken with flexible timings.
• Summative assessment is in form of written which contains objective types, short answer and long answers, and it will be taken at end of term.

CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL A AND AS LEVELS

A LEVELS

International GCE A Levels are provided by the University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), the world’s largest provider of international qualifications for the age group 14-19 years old. International A Level is a ‘gold standard’ qualification. For over 50 years, A Levels have been accepted for entry to universities and institutes of higher education around the world. A Levels are important to employers who often demand them as a condition of employment. International A Levels incorporate the best of UK A Levels, but are designed to meet the needs of international students.

AS LEVELS

International GCE AS Level was first examined in 2001. It represents the first half of an International A Level course. International AS Levels bring flexibility to an International A Level programme by allowing students to follow a staged assessment route to international A Level by taking the international AS Level in one examination session and completing the final international A Level assessments at a subsequent session, as well as take the international AS Level as either a one or two year course instead of, or in addition to, full international A Levels. International AS Level has half the value of an International A Level and is accepted for entry to university courses across the world.

ELIGIBILITY FOR A AND AS LEVELS

• International AS Level examinations are usually taken at age 17.
• International A Level examinations are usually taken at age 18.
• Students who are taking or have completed Cambridge IGCSE or Cambridge O Levels will find international A and AS Levels a logical next step.

BENEFITS OF A AND AS LEVELS

• Good International A and AS Level grades are a key to admission to all the major English-speaking universities and many non-English speaking universities.
• Good grades at international A Level can result in up to one full year of advanced standing or credit at universities in the USA and Canada. International AS Levels carry half the weightage of an international A Level and are typically awarded half the credit value.
• International A and AS Levels offer students a flexible course of study that gives them the freedom to select the subjects that are appropriate for them.

A AND AS LEVELS COURSES

International A and AS Levels require guided learning time in class, the library or a resource centre. All syllabuses require students to develop analytical skills and the ability to apply knowledge. Studying for international A and AS Levels is academically challenging but offers excellent preparation for the next stage of education – study at university or college. The course differs for each subject, but throughout there will be a mix of assessment methods, which may include coursework, practical exercises, oral and listening tests, projects and written examinations.

A AND AS LEVELS PATTERN

International A Level courses usually take two years to complete and examinations are taken at the end of that period. International AS Level examinations are usually taken after a year, either as part of the international A Level course, or as a qualification in their own right. Examination sessions are held in June and November each year. Subjects are graded from A to E grade. A is awarded for the highest level of performance and grade E for the lowest.

AVAILABLE RESOURCES FOR A AND AS LEVELS

Each international A and AS Level syllabus is accompanied by a resource list with full details of books and other materials that may be useful in the classroom. Teachers are also provided with a range of resources and support materials to equip them with the skills they need to teach international A and AS Level courses. These include: online support and resources, textbooks and other classroom materials, teacher training and professional development workshops.