1. Why is it important to undertake a Project Feasibility Study of the proposed new school?

There are numerous times when clients undertaking a new school project directly jump to the architectural phase without analysing its feasibility, preparing the financials and without prior knowledge or considerations of legal stipulations/approvals which may hinder and even stop the construction process completely. A lot of capital/investment will be utilised into the new school setup and functioning and such an approach of skipping the assessment phase may make it hard to realise if the approach was providing the sought after outcomes. For evading uncertainty, elongated execution time problems and to guarantee that we make the project a profitable one, we recommend a factual study to opt for a justifiable project concept. These are some of the questions that can be answered through the study:

• 1. Does the proposed location require a school?
• 2. What is your target populace of students and parents?
• 3. What kind of gaps does your school aim to fill in the education sector of that location?
• 4. What are the threats that can be encountered w.r.t the project?
• 5. What are the requirements for the school to be functioning successfully?
• 6. What are the costs related to setting up a school?
• 7. What is the duration for the setup of a school?

Our research study follows these stages:

Evaluation of Market Scenario

Recommendations w.r.t Evaluation

Comprehensive Fiscal and Monetary Budget Reports

Legal Stipulations, Affiliation Directives & Other Compliances

2. Do I need to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) before starting a school?

DPR is an all inclusive development proposal which is prepared with inputs from the clients who express an interest in opening a new school. It provides a summary of the legitimacy of the project including key measures for the banks or investors (e.g., Internal Return Rate, break-even point or other appropriate measures of project value) and for lenders/donors (e.g., coverage ratios to show the project’s ability to support debt).

The following provides an overview of the DPR:

Project Feasibility	Administrative Structure & Guidelines
Architectural & Infrastructure Planning	Academic and Curriculum Management
Procurement Services	Operations Management
Brand Development and Management	Audit Services
Hiring and Induction Management	Affiliation Guidance Services

3. What are the Affiliations/Boards available for India and abroad?

There is a diverse variety of education boards in India. Most of the affiliations are familiar terms for parents, but some of them are not very common. Depending on the type of project, client’s requirements as well as our Project Feasibility Study, we shall determine the appropriate board for you. Pre-Primary projects do not have affiliations but they follow various kinds of educational methods. These are:

• Montessori
• Reggio Emilia
• Waldorf
• High Scope
• Bank Street
• Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

These are the main affiliations available to schools in India.

• State Board: State Government Recognized Board
• CBSE and CBSE International
• ICSE
• IB
• IGCSE

4. What are the costs involved in setting up a new school?

The costs involved in starting a new school are dependent on multiple factors. But the first and foremost aspect is the location of the project. Here are a few variables listed:

• Proposed Location/Site
• Proposed strength of the school
• Target populace
• Architectural/Infrastructural expense
• Proposed f acilities being provided
• Academic, sports and extra-curricular activities proposed
• Recruitment and training of staff
• Brand management of the school

5. When can I expect a break-even from my school project?

We have noticed a break-even period ranging from 1-5 years for our medium financed projects and a period of 5-10 years for high financed projects. Nevertheless, one should take force majeure events and other unforeseen situations into account. Thus, rigorous financial planning is important to maintain a steady flow of liquidity/funds to maintain operations of the school.

6. What are the legal approvals required to set up a new school?

Our legal team helps you in preparing documents and applications required for each of these approvals required from the government:

• Founding documents of the Trust/Society/Company
• 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 of the school building
• Map approved by the Municipal Authority
• Building blueprint
• Building Safety Certificate
• NOC issued by the State Education Department or the ‘Essentiality Certificate’
• State Board Affiliation
• Employees’ EPF and ESIC registration

7. What are the land and infrastructural requirements to set up a new school?

The requirements depend on the affiliation chosen for the proposed school project. CBSE: It can vary anywhere from 1600-4000 square metres depending on the tier of cities and the streams provided. It has a different stipulation for non-cities and hilly areas. Adequate infrastructure including space for playgrounds, labs etc are listed on their official website.

ICSE: As of now, a minimum of 2000 square metres is prescribed as the land required. This may be updated from time to time. Adequate infrastructure including space for playgrounds, labs etc are listed on their official website. IB and IGCSE: Unlike CBSE and ICSE there is no stipulated land or infrastructural requirements mentioned. Their key word is adequate. Thus when a client applies for these affiliations, a school consultant will come and visit the premises and ascertain if the available land and resources are enough to sustain an IB/IGCSE affiliation.

8. What are BB Barman Academy’s 'Diverse Services’ and how do they help the students?

Apart from our School Consultancy Services, we have a range of services for students. This includes career guidance, student exchange programmes, twinning programmes, international distance education courses and internships abroad. We have specialised teams in place for each of these services that provide individual services(single student) as well as institutional services(entire school). You can visit our ‘Diverse Services’ segment on the website for more information.

9. I want to Buy/Sell/Lease a school. Where can I avail these services?

We have listed a Buy/Sell/Lease School module on our website where you can put up your school for sale, buy an existing school or lease your current school. We will tailor the options for you according to your requirements.

10. Is an affiliation required before starting the school?

No. An affiliation is not required before starting a school. What you do require is approval from the State Education Department with documents about school operations.

Still, we would strongly suggest undertaking our Project Feasibility Study which will formulate school plans from scratch by assessing the market. Keep in mind that the affiliation will also modify or change the school model to a great degree depending on the land or infrastructural requirements of a board. Similarly, academic planning is incomplete without the foundation of an affiliation.

11. What are the membership norms of a Trust/Society running the school? Can it have family members/relatives?

The members of the family comprising a Trust/Society should not cross the limit of majority i.e. 50%. A declaration needs to be made about the same in a non-proprietary affidavit by the Chairman. It is advised that the same rule should also be applied while forming School Management Committees and/or School Governing Boards.

12. Can I apply for CBSE affiliation for a school on a rented building?

If a rented building is being held on lease for a minimum of 30 years, they may apply for CBSE affiliation. There are other stipulations with regards to land and infrastructure. More information about the same can be found on ‘New School Setup for ‘CBSE/ICSE/IB/IGCSE’ section of our website or the official website for CBSE

13. Is it necessary to have a State Board affiliation to apply for CBSE/ICSE affiliation?

Yes, there are two steps to it. Firstly, the school needs to be affiliated to the State Board through an approval from the State Education Department. Secondly, the Department also needs to issue a No-Objection Certificate with regards to the school being subsequently affiliated to either CBSE or ICSE.

14. Does the salary and compensation for teaching and non-teaching staff have to be in line with the guidelines of the State Education Department?

The guidelines of the State Education Department is keeping in line with the Labour Laws of the country and minimum wage requirements for skilled professions. While the salary can be below the required guidelines, it is imperative to to have an EPF registration for each employee. The degree to which it can be below the State guidelines depends on the tier of the city or location where a particular school is located. It will be verified if the salary is in line with the standard and cost of living in that region.

15. What are the charges of BB Barman Academy’s services?

It is obvious that each project will have its unique assessment and implementation procedures. This would lead to differences in proposed outcomes as well as goals. Keeping this in mind, there is no fixed fee structure for our services. Depending on the type of service being chosen, we formulate a chargeable model unique to each project. This can be:

• Per Day Basis: These are usually for consulting purpose and constitute support for the entire working day(9 am - 5 pm i.e. 8 hours)
• Service Basis: If you choose one of our Diverse Services then you are charged according to the services you opt for.
• Fixed Monthly Fee: This is a model applicable to our improvement programmes or management services of existing schools. There will be a monthly charge for the duration of the entire project.
• Percentage charge of the proposed cost of project: In relation to new schools, a percentage can be charged from the estimated value of the project(this does not include the land value).
• Revenue/Profit Share: Depending on the stage at which the school is operational(new/existing), our company charges a share of the revenue earned or the profits earned during a financial year by the school.

Our charging models are tailor made to every unique project. It is advised to have a consultation at our office to discuss and assess the scope of your project and our role in it to conclude on the charges applicable.

1. How do we calculate the performance of the School Management services of BB Barman Academy? Our services are concisely divided into 6 modules. These are:

• Academic Support
• Curriculum Organizer
• Hire and Training Staff
• Admin Support
• Enrolment Assistance
• Become a Brand

Before the start of the project, a study is carried out for each module to assess the current condition of the school. This will be followed by recommendations and proposed goals for each module. Performance of our services will be in relation to achievement of the proposed goals, including but not limited to higher enrolment and revenue generation.

2. What is the minimum timeline for projects related to School Management services?

As we have 6 modules in School Management services, the client may opt for a single or multiple of these modules. Depending on the number of modules opted the timeline may range from 2-4 years. Implementation of a single module like Academic Support will take 2 years. While a complete revamp of the school with all the 6 modules being targeted will take up to 4 years. While this is a rough approximation, minimum involvement is for 2 years. There is no maximum limit in case a client wants a continuation of our services even once all the goals are delivered. This may be due to expansion plans or setting up of higher goals and objectives

3. How can BB Barman Academy achieve enrollment targets in the Enrolment Assistance module?

At the start of the project, we undertake an assessment of the current situation of enrolment in your school. Our 6 modules are built on the fact that each is dependent on the other. Thus underperforming in enrolment may be due to weak academic support, poorly trained staff, inefficient administration or nonexistent brand management. After the assessment, our team will formulate practical and achievable targets in phases. Our team will propose recommendations based on their study if multiple modules need improvement to jumpstart the enrolment process. This will ensure that the step towards enrolment is not just limited to getting new admissions but retaining them.

4. What are the charges of BB Barman Academy for its School Management services?

• Fixed Monthly Fee: This is a model applicable to our improvement programmes or management services of existing schools. There will be a monthly charge for the duration of the entire project.
• Revenue/Profit Share: Our company charges a share of the revenue earned or the profits earned during a financial year by the school.

The fee model can be one or both of the aforementioned depending on the type of project and number of modules that are assessed for management.

1. What elements hinder the growth of a school? There are multiple factors that lead to decline of proper functioning of a school. Some of the elements are:

• Inefficiency in management
• Poorly trained faculty and staff
• Improper brand management
• Mismanagement of financial resources
• Miscalculation of market situation for fee structure formulation
• Impractical choice of curriculum and programs

2. How is School Improvement Programme going to help my institution improve its profile?

Our team conducts an evaluation of the current aspects of the school that include space management, academic management, curriculum, organisational hierarchy, staff management, operational policies, financial planning and management, IT support and brand management.

The evaluation report is submitted with the proposed recommendations and action plan. Proposed budget is discussed with the management with a pilot phase timeline. A pilot phase of the recommendations are gradually introduced to not hamper the daily operations of the school. Successful completion of the pilot phase will be followed by a detailed timeline of the implementation of proposed recommendations. A full fledged timeline can range from 1-4 years depending on the scope and complexity of the project. Implementation phase will be followed by a re-evaluation of the success of the recommendations.

3. What is the minimum timeline for projects related to the School Improvement Programme?

A full fledged timeline can range from 1-4 years depending on the scope and complexity of the project.

4. Do you commit to an increase in enrolments/admissions?

Underperforming in enrolment may be due to weak academic support, poorly trained staff, inefficient administration, nonexistent brand management or a multitude of other reasons. After the assessment, our team will formulate practical and achievable targets in phases. Our team will propose recommendations based on their study to evaluate the areas which need improvement to jumpstart the enrollment process. This will ensure that the step towards enrolment is not just limited to getting new admissions but retaining them.

5. What are the charges of BB Barman Academy for its School Improvement Programme?

• Fixed Monthly Fee: There will be a monthly charge for the duration of the entire project.
• Revenue/Profit Share: Our company charges a share of the revenue earned or the profits earned during a financial year by the school.

The fee model can be one or both of the aforementioned depending on the type and scope of the improvement project.