Through our admission process, we hope to communicate to all prospective students and parents why the school operates the way it does. We hope that interested parents choose Marudam Farm School because they value this approach to education, and we invite prospective parents to ask questions, share their concerns and partner with us.

We also wish to make clear that Marudam Farm School is a small school by choice and design, and that we wish to remain this way. This means that very few seats are available each year, with an admission preference for applicants whose family members study/teach/work with the school or with The Forest Way. To help us with the painful task of choosing and selecting, we consider:

  • The number of spaces available for each age group
  • The archetype which will best fit and enhance the existing composition of the group (considering variables such boys and girls ratio, background, locality, etc)
  • Whether the applicant is linked to Marudam in any way (for example through a sibling or a parent)

Please note that admission for the coming school year (June 2024)  is close. Admission for June 2025 will open in December 2024. Note that seats for kindergarten next year are very few.

Practical Notes

Marudam kindergarten starts at the age of three and a half. While we prefer to take children right from the start, at times there are openings within the older classes. Clarity regarding openings will sometimes unfold only towards the beginning of a new school year.

All interested parents are asked to fill out an application form as a prerequisite for an admission, returning them to us no later then January for the coming school year (our school year starts at June and ends in April). You may fill the online form or get a physical copy from our office, to be filled in either Tamil or English, as per convenience. Help filling the forms can be received in the office if needed.

Depending on availability of seat, applicants will be called for interviews during February/March. The interviews are for parents, though we are always happy to meet the children! For older children there will be some days of observations and assessment. Decisions re-admission will be taken subsequent to that, once all interviews are done.

To understand our fees structure it is essential to understand the financial philosophy that the school is run by. In this regard we have two governing ideals:

a. that under no circumstances are we aiming to make money of this
enterprise
b. that although we are not a charitable school, the ability to
pay fees is never a criteria for admission

At the same time, staying a small school, with a high teacher to student ratio, and attempting to grow our own food, makes for an high expenditure. To rectify the gaps created by the above contradictions, we observe a scaling fee structure, whereas each family gives as much as they can. Beyond that we raise money for students from disadvantage background through our sponsoring program.

we are not an International school. There is no guarantees for foreign children to get a seat. Foreign children’s visas should be in order as a pre-condition for admission.

Please consider that an admission process can be an emotional process for parents. We beg all interested parties to accept and understand our limited admission capacity and trust our decisions.