Under the capable leadership of its principal Jyotsna Brar, who retired recently, Welham Girls, Dehradun, top-rated on nine of the 14 parameters of education excellence this year, has retained the #1 slot since 2013. Here are India’s Best Girls Boarding Schools 2016-17.

For the fourth year in succession, Welham Girls, Dehradun has been voted India’s #1 girls boarding school by 3,939 sample respondents polled in north India. Under the able leadership of its principal Jyotsna Brar who retired recently (May), this all-girls boarding school (estb. 1957) which has 550 students and 60 teachers on its musters, moved up from #4 in 2012 to #1 in 2013, a position it has retained since. Ranked #1 on nine of the 14 parameters of education excellence in this category (including leadership), Welham Girls outstrips all other girls boarding schools by a wide margin.

“We are absolutely delighted that your sample respondents have once again voted Welham Girls India’s #1 girls boarding school. At the same time we are aware this imposes a heightened sense of responsibility upon us to maintain our position by continuously raising the quality and standards bar. The prime factor behind WGS’ good reputation is that our faculty is cognizant of current trends in education and well aware that we have to develop global citizens ready to face the challenges of tomorrow. The other factor behind our excellent reputation is our students themselves. They are the best ambassadors of the school having proven themselves in a wide spectrum of professions and vocations including scientific research, fine arts, medicine, social service, sports, civil services, entertainment, film making and education”, says Padmini Sambasivam, a zoology, medical sciences, genetics and education alumna of Madras University, former founder principal of the Arshya Vidya Mandir School, Chennai and former academic director of the Peevee’s Group in Saudi Arabia, until she was appointed principal of WSG in May this year.

The next two places at the Top 10 table of legacy boarding schools have been allotted to Mayo College Girls (MCG), Ajmer (#2) and Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior (3) who have traded their 2015 ranks while retaining their #1 rankings in the major states of Rajasthan (pop.75 million) and Madhya Pradesh (73 million) respectively. Meanwhile, a new entrant into the Top 5 which includes Dehradun’s Unison World School (#4) and Ecole Globale International (#5) is Mussoorie International which has moved up from #7 in 2015 to a joint #4 this year.

“Naturally I’m happy with the news that MCG has improved in the opinion of the informed respondents of the C fore survey. This indicates that Mayo Girls is making steady progress, raising performance standards in different spheres of school life. However, with happiness comes a deep realisation of our responsibility to not only maintain these standards but also build on them. The reputation of all education institutions is built on the quality of work of its stakeholders including students and teachers, leadership at all levels and encouragement and opportunities for excelling in academics, co-curricular and sports – we offer facilities for 16 sports – education. We firmly believe sports and games not only teach us important life skills, but also sharpen the mind for intellectual pursuits”, says Kanchan Khandke, a history and education alumna of Calcutta and Pune universities who taught history and English at several top-ranked education institutions including the National Defence Academy, Pune, Welham Girls, Dehradun and Indus International, Pune before signing up with MCG as vice principal in 2011 and subsequently being promoted to the principals office in 2013. Currently, MCG (estb. 1988) has an aggregate enrolment of 750 girl students mentored by 75 teachers.

Priya Peter, principal of the CISCE (Delhi) and CIE (UK)- affiliated Mussoorie International School (MIS, estb.1984) is equally, if not more, pleased with MIS promotion to the national Top 5 in the girls boarding schools league table this year. “We are honoured and overwhelmed by the substantially higher ranking given to us this year by the knowledgeable sample respondents of EWISR 2016. Im sure this higher ranking will motivate our teachers and students to study the survey carefully and raise our performance across all parameters in the future. Currently education of girl children is a major issue nationwide, particularly after the excellent performance of India’s women athletes in the recently concluded Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Therefore in MIS we are very conscious of our responsibility to provide our girls comprehensive, globally benchmarked, holistic education which will enable them to develop into strong, empowered women qualified to become the country’s global ambassadors”, says Peter, an English graduate of Kumaon University, Nainital and former headmistress of the Girls High School, Allahabad who was appointed principal of MIS, which has an aggregate enrolment of 385 girls students mentored by 84 teachers, in 2011.

Further down the Top 10 table, the well-equipped Mody School, Lakshmangarh, a green oasis in the desert state of Rajasthan, has improved its ranking to #6 (8) this year. Ditto the Birla Balika Vidyapeeth to #7 (8) and Guru Nanak Fifth Centenary School (Girls), Mussoorie to #8 (13).

Moreover, the mint-new, superbly furbished Vantage Hall, Dehradun (estb. 2014) headed by Priti Singh Rathore, the highly-experienced former vice principal of Mayo College Girls, and Shah Satnam Ji Girls School, Sirsa, have been jointly promoted to the Top 10 table of girls boarding schools this year.

Also read: India’s best girls boarding schools 2019-20