Pathashaala has been created on a large campus, about 75 km from Chennai in the meeting place of Vallipuram, Vazhuvathur, Elumichampet and Aanoor in the district of Kancheepuram.

It commenced as a residential wing of The School in Chennai in 2010 and aims to foster individual autonomy and encourage intelligent coexistence with nature. Pathashaala is a creation of the Teachers and staff of The School, whose educational work since 1973 has provided many rich insights into school education processes – the relationship between the learner and educator, the educator and parent and relationship among educators, administration of a school.
The collaboration amongst educators has led to many structural and pedagogic changes. Pathashaala commenced in 2010-11 with a middle school group of students – boys and girls – between the ages 9½ to 12½ in a mixed age group. The school is growing in a phased manner to about 120 students between the ages of 9½ to 16½ with a teacher-student ratio of 1:6.

In a tranquil atmosphere with distant hills and fresh breezes the staff and students are invited to an environmentally sustainable way of living. The campus is designed to use alternative energy – solar energy, windmills and biogas. Pathashaala is sensitive to the use and pollution of water and is committed to ecological sanitation. The campus is designed with dry composting toilets for all residents and visitors. There is adequate vegetation with carefully planted trees, and herbs. There are over 80 varieties of grasses.

History of Pathashaala – The Vallipuram project of The School