admission to 1st/2nd grade, fees

Sanguine

some pointers below your questions.

- when do we need to make contact with schools? When do we need to send applications? What is the process like from the child's point of view. Does the child need to 'interview' in person for admission?

Sooner the better . If you mail the school, most international school respond to you with the admission process.
This process may vary from school to school . My friend received response from almost all the schools she wrote to.

- from which grade do school boards (ICSE vs IB vs CBSE) start to play a role? only after 8th grade?

As you enrol , ( apart from kindergarten), you select a board. It is not after 8th . In many cases, students may switch in 8th....cuz, whether it is CBSE or ICSE, 9th and 10th would be integrated syllabus. However, if you choose CBSE, it is advisable that the child starts off with CBSE itself.

- At this stage, we prefer a school where basics/languages are taught well, physical activity is part of curriculum, and the commute is less than 30 mins. We hope to live near Yelahanka area. Any recommendations for good schools in this area? I have heard good things about Mallya Aditi school. Other recommendations will be helpful.

Looking at what you have stated , may be ...you should look for IB only  . Looking at your location (yelahanka) , the other good option for you would be Canadian International School . you can take a look at their website and call them up for more details.


- What is the typical annual fee (including transport, activity fee etc)? What is the admission fee?

Annual Fee for Canadian International for Std 1 to Std 6 , i am told is about 5 lacs. However, once again , a direct conversation with the school office is advisable.

Good Luck