History Of The School

Dr. Vikhe Patil Memorial School was founded in the year 1989 by Dr. Ashok Vikhe Patil, in memory of his grandfather, “Padma Shri Awardee”, Dr. Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil. The humble beginnings of the school can be traced back to the enrolment of a modest number of 25 students, in a small basement of a building in Karvenagar. The school was led by the Founder Principal Mrs Sheetal Vasant Garud. In the year 1991 the school shifted to Gokhalenagar with the strength of the school having dwindled to a mere 17 students.

From 1991 to 2000, Mrs. Nalini Sengupta played a considerable role in the development of the school. To begin with there were classes up to Std 4 which gradually expanded to Std 10. It was a challenge at that time to get children enrolled in VPMS. The staff members had to go to the nearby areas, convincing people to send their children to this school. After Mrs. Nalini Sengupta left in the year 2000, Mrs. Smita Sawant took over the reins briefly for a couple of years between 2000 and 2002. She attempted to streamline the systematic working of the school.

However, it was with the advent of the dynamic and enterprising Principal, Mrs. Nandini Charles in 2002 that the school transformed into a force to be reckoned with. It was during this crucial period that a substantial, rather vital metamorphosis took place during her tenure which ended in 2016 when she took up charge as Director, Schools Programme & Joint Secretary of the Foundation Trust.

Initially established as an SSC school, under her able stewardship, VPMS segued seamlessly to the C.B.S.E. pattern with a provisional affiliation for the Secondary School from the 1^st of April, 2007 to 31^st March 2010. The added infrastructure and facilities such as the swimming pool, amphitheater, gymnasium, synthetic basketball court and the fleet of buses plying in every nook and corner of the city, very soon made this school one of the most sought-after schools in Pune. The school went on to become a Senior Secondary School from 1^st April 2009 to 31^st March 2012 with the Senior Secondary affiliation coming through. The CBSE Board continued to renew its affiliation of the school with effect from 1^st April, 2012 to 31^st March 2017 for both the Secondary and Senior Secondary Schools. The latest renewal stands effective from 1^st April 2017 till 31^st March 2022.

In this period, VPMS gained ground, grew by leaps and bounds, and began to be regarded as a renowned school in the Gokhalenagar, Deccan and Karve Nagar area. The parents thronged for admissions for their children. The striking reason for its popularity was the platform provided to the extra-curricular activities in the school. The salubrious lush green ground and the peaceful and tranquil environment were the additional unique features of the school. Another policy of the school which attracted a large number of parents was the limited number of students in each class, which was limited to only 30. This ensured that personalized attention was given to each and every student, which made parents happy.

The school introduced many activities keeping in mind the all-round development of students. All these activities were accommodated in the timetable in such a way that it did not disturb the academic classes. In fact, the perfect balance between academics and sports echoed the erstwhile motto of the school- harmony of body and mind. All the sports activities were made compulsory for the students which resulted in the students of VPMS making their mark at the State and National level.

In the year 2015-2016, the school celebrated its Silver Jubilee with great pomp and splendor. The celebrations ran for a whole year and Ms Nandini spearheaded a series of theatre and culture related activities along with the academic year running as usual! Subsequently, Mrs. Kiran Jadhav helmed the school for a year from 2016-17. She carried forward the work envisioned by the Management effectively.

At present the school is going from strength to strength under the charismatic and efficacious leadership of Mrs. Mrinalini Bhosale, who took charge in the year 2017. Her infectious enthusiasm, positivity and insightful guidance have made the school reach new heights. Under her direction, use of modern technology has been given prominence. A number of new and effective measures such as the Swachh Vidyalaya and Art to Connect special initiatives, with the objective of attaining sustainable development and inclusive education goals have been introduced. The school boasts of two very well-equipped computer labs, airy and spacious classrooms with interactive smart boards, audio-visual and seminar halls, music room, art room, skating and taekwondo areas, and an open-air canteen.

Adhering to the school motto of ‘Making Life Meaningful’, the management’ and staff members go the extra mile to establish a comfortable, stress free learning environment. This in turn induces the students to invariably produce outstanding results year after year. Students have also performed well in competitive exams like National Talent Search, International and National Olympiad and Scholarship Examinations. The school focuses on activity-based learning and conducts club activities related to the fields of Arts, Life Skills, Heritage, Nature, Science, Mathematics, Literature, and Sports.

Our school students have been fortunate to participate in exchange programs with France and Sweden. They have been enriching and even life-changing experiences for all those involved. By participating in exchange programs, these children have an opportunity to represent their school, family and also country. They become young ambassadors and assimilate valuable lessons in adapting themselves to another family and culture. They learn how to understand, accept and finally appreciate differences.

It is an indisputable fact that our students are trail blazers and excel wherever they go. They leave the portals of their alma mater as confident, well groomed, erudite individuals, eager to make their way in the world. It is a matter of great pride for us that our ex-students have carved a niche for themselves in their respective careers and are doing extremely well in their chosen fields and professions.

Even with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the school management remained unfazed and took the lead in beginning with online classes and proved that their expertise in taking informed decisions at the right time is second to none.

Inculcating in the students, the four core values of the school- Respect, Empathy, Gender Sensitivity and Democracy, they have not only achieved success in their lives but also developed into good human beings, with high standards of moral values and strong ethics, which is the ultimate goal the school wishes to accomplish. All in all, the school provides an educational experience unlike any other. Results speak for themselves and Vikhe Patil Memorial School Pune has a long legacy of achieving exemplary results in the Board exams. In keeping with the tradition of tutelage par excellence and sterling merit, Vikhe Patil Memorial School Pune has always registered top-notch results in both the All India Senior School Certificate Examination (Std 12^th) and All India Secondary School Examination (Std 10^th).

The heartwarming bright yellow and blue walls of the school building and the enriching life lessons learnt within, remain indelibly etched in the minds and hearts of the alumni.