‘Family legacy led me to choose Apeejay for my son’

For Satish Barai, the decision to enrol his son Reyansh at Apeejay School, Nerul wasn’t really a decision at all, but it was the continuation of a family relationship with the school. We spoke with him about that legacy and the changes he has observed in his son since kindergarten.

How has your experience with Apeejay been so far?

My experience so far has been really good. We have been associated with Apeejay for a long time now. My nephew did his schooling here before going on to study engineering in China. Apeejay provided his foundation for success, so it felt natural to enrol Reyansh at the School.  

In fact, Apeejay is a well-established name in Navi Mumbai and has stood out as one of the pioneers in quality education. Several children in our housing society are now part of Apeejay. We don’t shy away from recommending the school for its quality of education and the values it instils. 

Over the years, how have you seen the School growing?

I have particularly noticed improvement over the last one to two years, especially after the new principal took over. There have been changes in the curriculum, extracurricular activities, and in the overall environment the school provides. 

The infrastructure has also been improving steadily over this period. The teachers and senior management are genuinely good; they’re doing an excellent job passing on strong values alongside newer educational trends.

It feels nice to see students of Apeejay learning robotics and AI along with focusing on personal development courses and sports as well. 

What’s your view on how the school balances extracurricular activities with academics?

I really appreciate this aspect. The school places real emphasis on extracurricular activities alongside academics, which I think is essential for a child’s holistic development. 

Reyansh has taken part in Olympiads supported by the school — Silver Zone, Orange Zone, SOF, and Spell Bee competitions among them. All of which help children grow beyond their regular syllabus and build new skills.

The school has also been involved in Model United Nations conducted across schools in Navi Mumbai. This gave students early exposure to how the UN functions and provided a window into global affairs and diplomacy. 

On the sports side, the school runs football, cricket, volleyball, and other programmes regularly. There was recently a volleyball tournament hosted at Apeejay at the district level with strong participation. All of this motivates both parents and children to focus on well-rounded development.

How do you feel about student safety and interactions with staff at the school?

I really appreciate how everyone at the school, from the ground level to senior leadership, focuses on the child’s care and security alongside their education. I have a lot of respect for the school management and staff — the coordinating teachers, accounts staff, the principal, vice principal, and coordinator ma’am. 

Across every grade Reyansh has been through, his class teachers have taken genuine care of the children and kept us well informed.

From nursery to Class 7 now, how have you seen him improve?

He’s been growing steadily, year after year. I really appreciate the values the school has instilled in him throughout this journey. As parents, we’re genuinely happy watching him progress into higher classes with strong academics alongside all of this. The school’s focus is on value-based education, combined with extracurricular and physical development. This has shaped him well.