Fr. LeBlond School, Bhimbhar

Sited in the educationally under-served Bhimbhar suburb of Siliguri in Darjeeling district, Fr. LeBlond School has earned an excellent reputation for values-based affordable residential education   Paromita Sengupta

Sited on a ten-acre campus nestling within green tea gardens and pineapple plantations in the foothills of the Himalayas in Bhimbhar suburb of Siliguri (pop.700,000), Darjeeling district, the CISCE-affiliated K-12 Fr. LeBlond School (FLS, estb.2000) has earned an excellent reputation for offering values-based affordable residential education supported by state-of-the-art infrastructure, to its 230 pupils — of whom 55 are day scholars — mentored by 30 teachers.

“FLS was promoted to provide students with traditional boarding school education enriched by holistic learning experiences to develop their multiple intelligences. Through our dedicated faculty — who attend regular in-house training workshops — we are committed to produce free-thinking, confident and responsible youth with a strong academic foundation to transform them into global citizens,” says N.P. Datta, rector of the school. A commerce postgraduate of North Bengal University, Darjeeling, Datta acquired valuable teaching and admin experience in the top-ranked Assam Valley School, Balipara prior to signing up to head FLS in 2013.

Dedicated to the memory of Rev. Canon Kenneth Oscar LeBlond, chaplain of his alma mater St. Paul’s School, Darjeeling, Kolkata-based businessman N. Paul Chowdhury promoted FLS in 2000 to realise his dream of “nurturing lifelong learners in a private independent institution which will deliver high quality English-medium education to children of residents of North Bengal and beyond”.

To meet this institutional objective, Paul Chowdhury has invested Rs.20 crore to endow the school with contemporary academic and sports education facilities. With a built-up area of 65,000 sq. ft, the school campus hosts two academic buildings housing the kindergarten, primary and secondary blocks and offers 24 Smart classrooms equipped with touch screens, state-of-the-art computer, science, maths and geography laboratories, multimedia rooms, teachers’ resource centre, music and art rooms, a first-of-its-kind art gallery and a 300-seats auditorium. The information and communication technology department and computer labs are wi-fi enabled, and junior and senior libraries are well-stocked with 4,245 books and subscription to 15 magazines and journals.

According to Datta, sports education delivered by eight instructors and coaches is a priority of FLS. The school’s infrastructure includes junior and senior playgrounds, a 25-metre outdoor swimming pool, athletics track and cross-country race/marathon trail. Field games include cricket, soccer and hockey supplemented by volleyball, basketball, throwball, badminton and kho-kho. Indoor games facilities include carom, chess, karate and table-tennis.

Co-curricular education is also a major focus area with elocution, dramatics, culinary art, music, community service and a wide range of visual and performing arts mandated as an integral part of the curriculum. “A wholesome education experience which integrates academic rigour with sports, co-curricular and community service activities is the key to developing well-balanced and socially responsible individuals,” says Datta.

The FLS faculty prides itself upon delivering high-quality pastoral care to its 170 boarders. Fully air-conditioned separate residential facilities including cafeterias, television room and indoor games facilities are provided for boys and girls. Dorm parents and dames supervise the needs of boarders and also provide tutoring and mentoring services. In addition, the school is equipped with a 16-bed infirmary with an attendant 24/7 nurse, and parents can communicate daily with their wards through a customised FLS mobile application.

The school’s emphasis on robust, comprehensive education has positively impacted academic outcomes. This year, the 18 FLS students who wrote the CISCE’s class X ICSE exam averaged 82 percent with the top two students averaging 92.4 percent. (The school’s first ISC batch started in 2015). Moreover, five FLS students have qualified for the national Science Olympiad.

Although FLS has an installed capacity of 350, Datta rules out an increase in student numbers. “Instead, our growth and development plans are centred on improving our infrastructure facilities such as extension of the academic blocks and hostels, building an international standard basketball court etc. Our focus has also shifted to the admission and inclusion of children with special needs. This year, we have budgeted to invest in special educators and teachers. Moreover, in response to the growing demand for quality English-medium education in the remote districts of North Bengal, our trustees are in the process of drawing up a blueprint to replicate our education model and roll out two K-12 day schools with an investment of Rs.20 crore in these educationally under-served areas,” says Datta.