Yearbook 2012-13
The Beaconhouse Group
www.beaconhouse.net
Yearbook 2012-13 The Beaconhouse Group
Our tradition
Our values
From its modest beginnings in 1975 when it opened its first Les Anges Montessori Academy for toddlers, Beaconhouse has extended its reach through a global education network that is now one of the largest in the world. An organisation that values its heritage while it continues to reinvent its educational provision to meet the needs of a future generation, Beaconhouse is now a major force in the education world, with an ever-expanding base already established in the UK, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan, the UAE, Oman, Bangladesh and Indonesia.
Beaconhouse provides quality education of an international standard. We aim for excellence through quality management, quality training and quality teaching, bringing benefit to our students, the community, the country and the wider world.
Dynamic and constantly evolving, Beaconhouse provides an innovative and progressive education to 222,000 students worldwide with an unprecedented diversity in age, socio-economic background, and nationality. Of these, around 88,000 study at the group's flagship network,the Beaconhouse School System, while the remaining students are mostly enrolled at The Educators, a parallel school network operated by the group. The group has over 11,000 employees, of whom approximately 6,700 are teachers. Beaconhouse has always given utmost importance to the development of human capital and has an exemplary and flexible professional development programme for its teachers. It also takes an avantgarde approach to learning: it introduced the concept of project-based learning to Pakistan through TNS Beaconhouse, launched The Educators and Beaconhouse National University, secured the master franchise for Gymboree in Pakistan in 2010 and has now become the first major school network in Pakistan to offer the International Baccalaureate.
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We believe in the right of every individual to realise his or her potential through the acquisition of knowledge, skills and values in a caring and supportive environment. We uphold the freedom of all students to think, create and discover, based on a true understanding of their cultural and spiritual tradition, whilst respecting the cultures and spiritual insights of others. We believe the human mind grows best in a spirit of freedom and co-operation and we promote equal opportunities for all our students irrespective of gender, religion or ethnic background. By providing an environment for learning which promotes independent, creative and critical thought, we aim to develop responsible citizenship and social responsibility by precept and example. Beaconhouse values its past and builds upon its strengths, approaching new ideas with discernment as it continuously looks to the future.
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Our brand
Our school network
Beaconhouse has come a long way since 1975, growing into an international organisation with a presence in several countries, and setting new milestones in private education.
Already firmly established in Pakistan, Beaconhouse opened a small school in Malaysia in 2004. The Beaconhouse network now extends across Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, the UAE, Oman and the UK.
A household name in many countries, most notably Malaysia and Pakistan, Beaconhouse is one of the few 'multinational' schools that exist today and continues to consolidate its brand across Europe and Asia, successfully achieving a consistent image across a broad range of cultures. The Beaconhouse Group received the Brand of the Year Award in 2011, a first for any school system in Pakistan. It also achieved the distinction of an overall brand quality survey rating of A+. In 2012, the Beaconhouse Group received four prestigious awards: the Star Brand of Pakistan and the Brands Icon of Pakistan awards for the Beaconhouse School System; the Brand of the Year Award for The Educators, and the Emerging Brand of the Year award for Gymboree Play & Music. The Brand of the Year Awards are organised by the Brands Foundation, a public company monitored by the Government of Pakistan. When the World Bank, through its private sector wing, the IFC, entered into an unprecedented financing arrangement with Beaconhouse in 1996, it was yet another indication of the quality and innovation we are associated with. The project was aimed at the construction of new school campuses and represented the first time in its history that the World Bank had extended its arms to the private education sector - anywhere in the world. In many ways, this led to a paradigm shift in the way banks perceived schools, thus paving the way for many others. The student base of Beaconhouse continues to grow at an impressive rate and the overall growth rate of the organisation is expected to increase further as Beaconhouse continues to focus on acquisitionbased expansion.
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Beaconhouse Educational Services Limited, UK Headquartered in London, Beaconhouse Educational Services Limited, or BESL, was set up by Beaconhouse as a school management company. It also serves as a holding company for some Beaconhouse schools in other countries. BESL has a holistic approach to schools, starting from conceptualisation and construction of startup schools to due diligence and acquisition of existing schools, leading ultimately to day-to-day school operations. BESL's driving force is to establish international quality benchmarks in all services offered at its schools. It currently owns and operates the following schools in the UK:
Cherub Nurseries & Preschools Based in Yorkshire, England, Cherub is a well-established group of three nurseries and preschools within half an hour of each other. The Cherub group was established in 1976 and is considered to be a leader in childcare in East Yorkshire. It has to its credit a number of innovations, including being one of the first Nursery groups in Yorkshire to implement a sophisticated web-camera solution, enabling anxious parents to view their children over the Internet.
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Pocklington Montessori School
Beaconhouse Malaysia
Pocklington Montessori School is also based in Yorkshire, close to York. It is one of the largest and most well-resourced Montessori schools in the UK, featuring a skateboard park, herb and vegetable gardens for children, and a large, purpose-built school on 3 acres.
Beaconhouse Malaysia Sdn Bhd was established in 2004 to operate schools in Malaysia.
Pocklington's name is synonymous with innovation in Montessori education, prompting one lead inspector in an Ofsted report to write: 'I would place Pocklington Montessori School in the top four schools which I have inspected over the last 23 years‌ you have brought Montessori into the 21st century.'
Beaconhouse currently has eleven schools in Malaysia, all of them in or around Kuala Lumpur. Of these, seven are pre-schools and three - Beaconhouse Sri Inai, Sri Lethia and Sri Murni - are primary and secondary schools. In particular, Sri Inai was a major acquisition that put Beaconhouse on the educational landscape of Malaysia. Built on 2.5 acres of prime property just 15 minutes from downtown Kuala Lumpur, the school has also introduced an international curriculum on par with global standards of education. The latest development in Malaysia is the establishment of a Beaconhouse-Newlands school which will benefit from a strategic alliance with Newlands UK. This school opened in September 2012 on the same site as Sri Murni, which was recently and substantially renovated and upgraded. Beaconhouse Malaysia continues to grow rapidly and is now in the process of establishing and acquiring further schools across the country.
Newlands UK BESL's latest acquisition in the UK, Newlands School in East Sussex is set in 21 acres in an area of outstanding natural beauty. An independent co-educational day and boarding school providing high-quality education and exceptional facilities from Prep to Sixth Form, Newlands has a record of academic excellence with a focus on individual achievement. It also has a broad and balanced curriculum, enhanced by a wide array of sporting and non-sporting extra-curricular activities and excellence in the performing and visual arts. Following its acquisition of Newlands UK, Beaconhouse introduced the Newlands UK Activity Programme for Classes 6 to 10 in 2011. Beaconhouse students have the opportunity to enrich their education and expand their cultural knowledge of England with two and six-week residential trips to Newlands School. Beaconhouse-Newlands school in Lahore has a unique offshore collaboration with Newlands UK. A second branch of Beaconhouse-Newlands opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in September 2012.
Beaconhouse Philippines In 2005, Beaconhouse acquired Dame Theresiana de Montealegre, a private English-medium school based in Manila, Philippines. Apart from a sizable enrolment from within the local population, Theresiana also caters to Korean students who come to Manila to learn English and Mandarin. Beaconhouse also runs a second school, St Paul Learning Centre, in Cebu City, the second largest city in the Philippines. The school has been improved to meet the demands of a steadily increasing student body. In early 2012, Beaconhouse entered into a partnership with the Angels in Heaven School in Cebuyao, Laguna, south of Manila. Divided over two campuses located close to each other, the school caters to students at kindergarten, elementary and high school level. Through these strategic alliances and acquisitions, Beaconhouse Philippines is now poised for strong growth and is already in the process of acquiring further schools.
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Beaconhouse Thailand
Beaconhouse Bangladesh
The first branch of Beaconhouse in Thailand, St George's International School caters mainly to the expatriate community in Bangkok. Built on a spacious 3-acre site close to Bangkok airport, St George's currently accommodates Early Years and Primary, with plans to extend to Senior School.
The first branch of Beaconhouse in Bangladesh opened in August 2006 and is located in Banani, a prestigious neighbourhood in Dhaka. Beaconhouse expects its growth strategy in Bangladesh to be driven largely by start-up schools, and seeks to expand and consolidate its presence in the region.
The broad-based English curriculum incorporating Thai studies and culture is complemented by a wide range of sporting and creative opportunities, after-school activities and comprehensive Summer School programmes.
Beaconhouse Indonesia In 2010, Beaconhouse entered into a strategic alliance with Singapore International School (SIS) by becoming a key shareholder. With a network of eight schools and a truly international student community representing 25 different nationalities, SIS is considered one of the leading school chains in Indonesia. SIS provides a well-rounded, solid education from Pre-Nursery to Grade 12, modelled after the national curriculum of Singapore. This is supplemented by sporting, music and drama programmes of a high standard. Within a truly multi-cultural environment, SIS also ensures that students are equipped to become global citizens while retaining a knowledge and respect for their own heritage. SIS runs International Schools and 'National Plus' schools predominantly in Jakarta with aggressive plans to expand across the country. It is also looking at establishing a second network of schools that caters to Indonesia's burgeoning middle classes.
Beaconhouse Oman Beaconhouse established a foothold in the Gulf with the opening of its first school in Muscat, Oman, in 2006. This school is the result of a joint venture between Al-Kanz Education, Beaconhouse UK (which owns majority shares) and a local Omani group. This base in Muscat will facilitate the presence of Beaconhouse throughout the Gulf, with further opportunities being explored in Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The school in Muscat has seen consistent and organic expansion and currently accommodates over 260 students. The existing facilities are being expanded for the academic year 2012-13 and plans for a purposebuilt campus are being evaluated to meet the high demand from expatriate parents in Oman. The school's reputation as an excellent provider of education based on the UK curriculum has facilitated its rapid growth.
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Beaconhouse UAE
The Educators Schools
In 2009 Beaconhouse acquired the Khaleej Nursery in Sharjah and Palms Nursery in Dubai. The same year the Group also entered into a Public Private Partnership for 2009-2012 with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC). The remit was to improve the general performance of a cluster of four government schools, with particular emphasis on ensuring significant improvement in students' achievement in English, Mathematics and Science.
Established in 2002 in Pakistan, The Educators is a parallel private school network owned and operated by Beaconhouse that aims to impart a standardised quality of education across the nation at a tuition fee that is a fraction of the fee charged at Beaconhouse. The Educators operates through a model of network associates (franchisees) in which Beaconhouse is the franchisor/service provider.
Beaconhouse aims to continue to expand its operations in the UAE.
Leveraging on 37 years of success and experience in education, The Educators has experienced phenomenal growth to become the country's largest school network. With over 599 network agreements, 347 unique branches and a student body exceeding 126,000, The Educators has created over 9,000 job opportunities in a relatively short period of time. The overall aim of the organisation is to provide a quality learning environment for students and quality training for the faculty through excellence in education within the relevant socio-cultural framework of Pakistan.
Beaconhouse-Newlands In September 2011, a unique offshore alliance with Newlands UK was initiated with the launching of Beaconhouse-Newlands in Lahore, a day boarding school in a purpose-designed campus with outstanding facilities. The school's relationship with Newlands UK opens up a host of new opportunities to students including the option of experiencing education in the UK by attending a term at Newlands School. It also offers an extensive extra-curricular programme which includes a range of sporting activities and societies.
The Educators network provides a standardised English-medium education from Pre-school to Matriculation through a balanced and research-based curriculum, complemented by a range of co-curricular activities. It particularly recognises the importance of keeping pace with modern teaching and learning approaches while fostering an understanding and appreciation of indigenous socio-cultural norms. The Educators' success lies both in its strong brand as well as its ability to continuously add new products and services for its Network Associates including, most recently, the Edu Card, The Educators Edge (newsletter), student health insurance and much more.
A second branch of Beaconhouse-Newlands opened in Kuala Lumpur in September 2012. It will initially cater for Reception to Year 5, and will eventually expand year on year into a fullyfledged A Level school. Providing a blended learning environment that combines quality teaching practices with contemporary technology, the school will also benefit from the alliance with Newlands UK and all it entails, as well as real-time interaction with both Newlands and Beaconhouse-Newlands Lahore.
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TNS Beaconhouse
The Early Years
The establishment of TNS Beaconhouse in Lahore in September 2007 was to a great extent influenced by the first-ever international conference on education in Pakistan, 'Towards 2035: The School of Tomorrow' hosted by the Beaconhouse Group in 2005. The conference addressed the changing role of education and the nature of schools over the next 30 years and beyond, sparking a quiet revolution at Beaconhouse.
Established in 2006, The Early Years is a child development centre for children aged 3-36 months located in modern, purpose-built premises in Lahore. Founded on the belief that young children need opportunities to interact with the environment, to explore and to learn by 'trying out' things for themselves, it led the way for a new generation of child development and daycare centres in the city.
TNS was the first school in Pakistan to embrace the Reggio Emilia Approach, based on the concept of 'learning by doing', and is now the first school in Lahore to be accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organisation. Project-based learning is the hallmark of the progressive educational experience at TNS, underpinning a unique and distinctive academic choice ranging from the Reggio Emilia Approach, through to the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme and Cambridge (UK) IGCSE. In due course, it also expects to offer the IB Diploma. The overwhelming response to the original TNS branch has led to the establishment of a second cutting-edge campus in Lahore. All year levels from Nursery upwards will be available at this campus (TNS Defence), while the original TNS Gulberg will function in parallel as an Early Years and Lower Primary Campus (Nursery to Year 3).
Bubbles
Gymboree Play & Music Beaconhouse is the only authorised franchise of Gymboree programmes in Pakistan and launched its first centre in Lahore in February 2011. Gymboree is the world leader in early childhood development and has a presence in 37 countries. Its programmes are also recognised for the unique approach to parent involvement which encourages participation in and understanding of each child's development.
'Bubbles' is a one-year playgroup programme developed by Beaconhouse where parents, teachers and children work together, forging stronger connections between home and school. Children are helped to enhance their creativity and independence, and experience a range of encounters through which they learn to interact with the resources and individuals in different settings. The programme is currently offered at selected schools in Malaysia and Pakistan with plans to extend to other schools in due course.
A second centre opened in Defence in Lahore in January 2012 and further centres are expected to be launched across Pakistan. Gymboree Play & Music recieved the Emerging Brand of the Year Award in 2012. The Awards are organised by the Brands Foundation, a public company monitored by the Government of Pakistan. 13
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The Discovery Centre SmartSchool
Our diversity
The Discovery Centre was established in Karachi in January 2002. The Centre's philosophy is to engage students in their project-based learning through integrated technologies such as digital filmmaking, computers and the Internet. Initially offering only short courses and workshops, the Discovery Centre launched its SmartSchool three years later, catering to children from Class 1 to Class 8 in a full-time school environment. The Discovery Centre's air-conditioned classrooms are equipped with computers, scanners and uninterrupted internet connectivity for a complete learning experience.
The group is involved in a number of diverse activities that extend well beyond education.
Beacon Energy Limited The Beaconhouse Group has leveraged on the Government of Pakistan's energy policy both for conventional and renewable sources and is currently involved in a number of projects. Beaconhouse has taken the first step towards leading Pakistan to a 'greener' future with the installation of an integrated solar energy system at one of its major campuses. This significant pilot project is based on a feasibility study conducted on behalf of the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and will open up the possibility of BSS 'going solar' across Pakistan in the years to come.
TBT Online Launched towards the end of 2011, the Beaconhouse Times (TBT) is an online portal that integrates familiar social media techniques to link the Beaconhouse community, including parents, across nine countries. An interactive communication platform, it includes several features such as educational projects, campus news and achievements, online competitions, opinion polls, upcoming events, videos, staff information, job vacancies and more. Additional features are regularly developed and added to TBT Online.
Roshan Power (Pvt) Ltd, a BSS group company, is setting up a 10 MW solar PV power generation facility. A 40-acre plot of land has been acquired in the Kasur district and the facility is expected to be operational by end 2012. A pioneering initiative harnessing an indigenous and inexhaustible source of energy, the facility will be the first of its kind in Pakistan, feeding into the national grid through LESCO. In the Potohar area, a coal-based 50 MW thermal power project, Malakwal Power (Pvt), was initiated in June 2012 and is expected to be in production by 2014. With imported fossil fuels increasingly difficult to procure and very expensive, the use of coal is of great economic benefit and significance since it is available in most parts of Pakistan. Malakwal will be among the first coal-fired power plants to be set up in the country in five decades.
Beaconhouse Estate The Beaconhouse Estate was established in 2002 with the aim of providing affordable housing for the employees of the Beaconhouse Group and today the majority of the owners of plots of land are existing staff or ex-employees. The Estate is spread over 137.5 acres in a rapidly expanding suburb of Lahore and offers all essential facilities and public amenities.
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Premier Trading Services (Pvt) Ltd
Our Social Responsibility
Premier Trading Services was established in 1995 and is the commercial wing of the group. The company is currently involved in a number of activities including the printing and supply of books, stationery and uniforms, and the management of school canteen services across Beaconhouse as well as the staff cafeteria at the Beaconhouse Head Office. It has recently launched a plant providing pure, safe and healthy drinking water at an affordable price. In due course this provision will be extended to all Beaconhouse campuses across Pakistan, and is already available commercially.
Beaconhouse has always been a strong advocate of social responsibility and is committed to providing public and community services through wide-ranging activities.
The company has also entered into a joint venture partnership with DLC Worldwide, a UK-based education and training service provider. Premier-DLC has instituted a unique, pioneering course in its ACCA+ certification which provides two highly sought-after and internationally accredited UK qualifications in one 2.5-year programme. ACCA+ graduates receive the prestigious IoSCM (Institute of Supply Chain Management) qualification along with the standard ACCA UK. For those already in employment, PremierDLC also provides short courses which admit them to prestigious professional bodies as well as enhance their knowledge of the field. The executive education courses are designed to offer busy professionals the chance to gain condensed knowledge in specific fields and improve their routine and strategic decision-making.
Beaconhouse National University Beaconhouse and the Kasuri family have contributed over Rs660 million towards the establishment of the not-for-profit Beaconhouse National University (BNU) - equal to ten million dollars over a period of time (converted annually at historic exchange rates). While Beaconhouse is the principal sponsor of the university, other stakeholders from the public and private sectors have also contributed generously. Beaconhouse National University was set up in September 2003. Based in Lahore, BNU is Pakistan's first broad-based liberal arts university with faculties ranging from Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Media and Communications, and Education, to Architecture and Design, Visual Arts, and Information and Computer Technologies. It has an international faculty from as far afield as England, Holland, Canada, France, Germany and other countries, apart from some of Pakistan's most renowned academics and intellectuals. The Chairperson of Beaconhouse, Nasreen Mahmud Kasuri, is on the Board of Governors along with several leading figures who have generously associated themselves with the University because of its non-profit status. Beaconhouse National University was awarded a charter by the Government of Punjab in July 2005, giving it degree awarding status, and it has already established its excellence in the fine arts, visual communications and architecture programmes. The University's new Tarogil campus on a 35-acre estate on the outskirts of Lahore was designed by celebrated architect Nayyar Ali Dada, and built to international specifications featuring a state-of-the-art technology infrastructure.
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Humanitarian aid When the earthquake of 2005 devastated the northern areas of Pakistan, Beaconhouse and its staff were quick to respond with substantial donations to the President's Earthquake Relief Fund. In addition, Beaconhouse constructed a government school in Chinari, a village very badly hit by the earthquake, and the bulk of the funding for this came from activities organised by its staff and students throughout the country. Beaconhouse also made large contributions towards the cause of the Swat refugees, supplemented by donations from the staff and students' fundraising activities, and spearheaded a relief operation for the internally displaced persons at the camps in Mardan, providing assistance for up to 5,000 families. More recently, Beaconhouse students, parents, employees and shareholders contributed a total of Rs35.5 million in the wake of the flood disaster in 2010. Trucks laden with supplies and relief goods worth millions were also despatched to the affected areas. Beaconhouse used the funds collected for a number of projects, including the construction of a village and school in Moza Lal Shah and the reconstruction of three schools in the Nowshera District.
Other community initiatives Beaconhouse continues to work in collaboration with NGOs to provide teacher training and to initiate capacity building programmes in public and not-for-profit schools. It also consistently donates resources such as computers, furniture, books and other equipment to schools for underprivileged children. Senior students from Beaconhouse are also actively encouraged to participate in local community service programmes. In the Beaconhouse Social Awareness Internship Programme (SAIP), senior students work with NGOs involved in education, the environment and poverty, and provide workshops on sport, the arts, drama and music, English Language and debates. They also go on field trips to experience first-hand the living and working conditions of the less privileged members of society. Beaconhouse and the World Wildlife Fund-Pakistan signed an MoU in 2011 for the Eco Internship Programme reaffirming a Beaconhouse commitment to the protection of natural resources. The programme encourages students to understand their responsibilities by contributing to the community and provides an insight into eco-dynamics and sustainable solutions to problems in the ecosystem. The extensive programme involves activities such as preparing a biogas model, synergetic discussions, creative challenges and exposure visits. A further MoU was signed for the Green School Outreach Programme which aims to generate an insight into the overall ecology challenges, enabling the students to become ambassadors of WWF-Pakistan. Beaconhouse schools participate throughout the year in Nature Carnivals, Wildlife Nature Photography workshops, Intra-Green School Competitions and other activities with the aim of bringing about positive changes. 19
CREDITS Written by Beaconhouse Cover Photo courtesy of SIS Indonesia Designed by Beaconhouse Corporate Communications