Loreto Day School Sealdah has secured affiliation with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), with its first batch scheduled to take its ICSE examinations (Class X) in 2028.
The 168-year-old institution was affiliated with the state board and over the years, catered to many students from less privileged homes who studied on concessional fees.
The school got its affiliation from the CISCE in January.
St Lawrence High School and The BSS School are two other institutions that switched to ICSE from the state board in recent years. Loreto Day School Bowbazar, too, has shifted to ICSE.
Most of the schools said demand from parents necessitated the switch.
“Our institution has transitioned from the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, marking the beginning of a new academic chapter,” said Sister Baishakhi Mondal, principal of Loreto Day School Sealdah.
“This year, we started with the ICSE syllabus from lower nursery to Class IX. The current Class IX students will be our first ICSE batch,” said Sister Mondal.
The school is gradually changing its academic session from January to March.
State board schools start their academic session in January, while those affiliated to the Delhi-based ICSE and CBSE do so in March-April.
“We remain deeply grateful to the WBBSE (West Bengal Board of Secondary Education); this transition was a thoughtful and difficult decision, given the board’s rich legacy and its longstanding contribution to providing strong academic foundations. The shift reflects our continued effort to evolve in response to changing educational needs,” said Sister Mondal.
The CISCE curriculum offers certain additional approaches, including an emphasis on conceptual understanding, language development, and experiential learning, Sister Mondal said.
“These elements will support our students in developing critical thinking skills and a broader academic perspective,” she added.
The other Loreto schools in the city — Loreto House, Loreto Convent Entally, Loreto Day School in Dharamtala, Elliot Road and Bowbazar — are affiliated to the CISCE.
“Parents were continuously requesting us to switch,” said Nandini Bhattacharjee, the director of education for Loreto schools.
At the Sealdah school, about 50% of students are on concessions, and many are first-generation learners.
In the heart of the change lies the school’s commitment to nurturing confident, responsible, and well-rounded individuals, prepared to meet the challenges of an ever-evolving world, the principal said.
“We carry forward the values and strengths instilled through our association with the WBBSE as we step into this new phase,” Sister Mondal said.