Boarding Schools in Dehradun: Subject Choices from Grade 9 Onward - Latest 2026 Review

They have consistently instilled discipline and education in their students with their teaching methods and right environment. Boarding schools of Dehradun follow different academic boards like CBSE, ICSE and IB each with distinct curriculum, subject structure and career pathways. If you are evaluating these points 9th grade onwards, this is your guide.

Boarding Schools In Dehradun Academic Curriculum And Subject Choices

Following is the academic curriculum and subject choices provided CBSE, ICSE and IB affiliated schools of dehradun

Boarding School in Dehradun CBSE Curriculum

The CBSE curriculum for class 9th onwards aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE). Education is split cleanly into two parts: the Secondary Stage (Classes 9-10) and the Senior Secondary Stage (Classes 11-12)

Secondary stage (class 9-10)

Core Subjects

• Mathematics

• Science

• Social science

• Interdisciplinary subjects which could be artificial intelligence, computational thinking etc.

Along with the core subjects, it is mandatory to study 3 languages(two native and third could be regional or foreign).

Senior Secondary stage (class 11-12)

This stage involves stream selection with suited subject combinations.

The three broad tracks remain:

• Science: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics/Biology 

• Commerce: Accountancy, Business Studies, Economics 

• Arts/Humanities: History, Political Science, Sociology, Geography 

Students generally must study two languages, with at least one being an Indian language. 

Skill electives such as AI, Entrepreneurship, Physical Education, and Informatics Practices can be added across any stream

Boarding schools in Dehradun CBSE

There are 54 CBSE boarding schools in and around Dehradun 

• Welham Boys' School

• The TonsBridge School

• The Asian School, Dehradun

• Doon International School

• Doon Imperial Residential School

• Tula's International School

• The Pestle Weed School

• Dehradun Hills Academy

Boarding school in Dehradun-ICSE curriculum

The ICSE curriculum is known for its depth and breadth — particularly in English and the humanities. 

Grade 9-10 ICSE Syllabus Structure

Students must choose a minimum of 7 subjects across three strictly defined groups. The complete structural breakdown includes

Group I: Compulsory Core (All 4 subjects are mandatory)

• English Paper 1(writing and grammar).

• English Paper 2 (literature)

• Second Language: (regional hindi or foreign languages)

• History, Civics & Geography(Treated as two separate exams but combined into one final grade)

Group II: Electives (Choose any 2 or 3 subjects)

• Mathematics

• Science: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.

• Other options include Economics, Commercial Studies, or Environmental Science

Group III: Skill Electives (Choose any 1 subject)

• Highly application-driven options such as Computer Applications, Physical Education, Commercial Applications, Economic Applications, Art, or Robotics & AI

Grade 11-12 ICSE subjects and stream selection

ICSE changes its name to ISC grade 11 onwards.

English is compulsory for all students, and you must select 4 or 5 elective subjects within your chosen stream to complete your curriculum.

Science- PCM, PCB, PCMB with optional 5th subject(Computer Science, Biotechnology, Economics, Environmental Science, or Physical Education )

Commerce: Accounts, Commerce,Economics and Optional 4th & 5th Subjects(Mathematics ,Business Studies, Computer Science or Physical Education )

Arts/Humanities : History, Geography, and Political Science and electives(Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Fine Arts, and Literature)

Boarding school in Dehradun ICSE

• The Doon School

•  Welham Girls' School

• Col. Brown Cambridge School

• St. Jude's School

• Convent of Jesus and Mary 

Boarding school in Dehradun IB curriculum

The International Baccalaureate (IB) board is a globally recognized academic curriculum known for inquiry-based, interdisciplinary learning. At Grade 9–10, IB schools follow the Middle Years Programme (MYP)  that prioritizes learning how to learn over rote syllabus coverage. 

MYP Subject Groups at Grade 9

Ib prescribes eight subject groups:

1. Language and Literature(English / Native Language) 

2. Language Acquisition(Second Language - e.g., French, Spanish, Hindi) 

3. Individuals and Societies (Humanities) 

4. Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics integrated)

5. Mathematics

6. Arts (Visual or Performing) 

7. Physical and Health Education

8. Design (Digital or Product Design) 

School use these themes to design their own syllabus

Personal project at class 10

Every Grade 10 IB student completes a Personal Project — an independent, long-form research initiative on a topic of their own choosing. It is assessed on IB criteria covering planning, process, and reflection.

IB curriculum class 11-12

For Classes 11 and 12 ,students enter the IB Diploma Programme (DP) .Class 11 and 12 curriculum is highly structured, heavily standardized, and rigorously monitored by the IB head office 

Students do not take 8 subjects anymore. They must choose exactly six subjects, usually picking one from each of the following groups:

1. Studies in Language and Literature (Usually the student's best or native language)

2. Language Acquisition (A second foreign or modern language)

3. Individuals and Societies (Business, Economics, History, Psychology, etc.)

4. Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, or Computer Science)

5. Mathematics (Divided into pure/theoretical math or applied/statistical math)

6. The Arts (Visual Arts, Film, or Theatre) 

Boarding School In Dehradun IB Board

• The Doon School 

Conclusion

Boarding schools of Dehradun are perfect academic abode for any child. With various curriculum and methodologies of teaching, families and parents are offered a wide variety of options to choose from. These schools  are alma mater of many successful people and continue to produce wonderful results. Hence , they should not be missed by any worthy child.