Our Buddy Programme

A Programme Born from our Philosophy

Our Buddy Programme is a natural extension of our philosophy. It is an after-school initiative developed to support students from grades 4 to 8 in English and Mathematics through an engaging and interactive approach. It is student-led, and facilitated by learners from grades 11 and 12, making it a space of mutual growth and collaboration. Older students take on the role of mentors, guiding and helping younger students to strengthen their understanding of concepts.

True to our pedagogy, the programme embraces diverse learning styles, incorporating kinaesthetic activities, games, visual aids, and oral presentations. It focuses on closing gaps in understanding in a meaningful manner which are personal to the learner. Its success lies in the adaptability and relationships it cultivates.

Buddies are not just mentors, they are role models, friends and fellow discoverers. Through the challenges and joys of the buddy sessions, both younger and older students experience how learning can be collaborative, caring and deeply human. The endeavour is to bring out a belief in possibilities, respect for individuality, and a commitment to connection.

The curriculum becomes conversation and support becomes empowerment. More than being just an initiative, students teach, learn, and evolve—together.

My Buddy Class Experience
Mrinalini – Grade 5
At first, I was nervous about my Buddy Programme sessions. But after my classmate and I got to know our buddies, it got easier and more fun. We went every Monday and Wednesday. Narayani helped with English and Maya with Mathematics.

I learned nouns, adjectives, paragraph writing and grammar. I understood long division, decimals, long multiplication, H.C.F., and L.C.M. If I didn’t understand something, I asked questions and they would patiently explain, showing me how to fix and do things right.

Beyond the Classroom
Jahnavi Anand – HSEA Batch of 2024
Committing to this, it never dawned on me how much these short, one-hour interactions—twice a week—would impact me.

Spending time with younger children showed me that being a buddy goes both ways. A session would begin with me handing three 5th graders some fraction worksheets, and end with them showing me how they’d turned those same (solved) sheets into paper planes that could fly for minutes.

My sessions never completely went to plan. And I think that was my biggest learning. I walked in ready to test their academics, but found myself being tested instead: on patience, curiosity, and empathy. There were days they drove me up the wall with their lack of interest—and days they expanded my vocabulary. Days when their anecdotes quietly broke my heart, and others when their emotional intelligence left me speechless. It was chaos. But that chaos shaped me. It helped me build resilience, flexibility, and a deeper understanding of what it means to truly teach—and learn.

The concept of “Buddy” has stayed with me. So much so that today, as a university student, I go on monthly drives to spend time with, teach, and learn from underprivileged children. The journey that began in a school classroom now continues beyond it.

Illuminate – A Student Initiative

As students, we have enjoyed the learning environment at Head Start Educational Academy, as it is conducive to students working independently and enables the joy of self-discovery. Strong belief in the individual growth of each child is enhanced by the opportunity to learn from other students. The school’s inherent philosophy promotes the development of harmonious relationships between older and younger learners, allowing the younger ones to learn from their seniors and grow together. Keeping this in mind, as high school students we were able to reach out and assist our juniors, and be role models to them.

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