The right school for your children can make a big different to the success of their academic career. That’s why you need to know what to look for in a school to ensure your child gets the best education possible.
Factors You Should Consider when Choosing the Right School
So, how do you choose the best school for your little ones? Here are a few tips to help you.
- Choose a Focus
There are some schools that offer a larger range of subjects than others. If you want your child to learn a second language, pick a school that includes foreign languages as part of the curriculum. Look for schools that offer the components you feel are important for your child.
- Check the Scores
Test scores won’t tell you absolutely everything about a school’s effectiveness, but they’re an important part of figuring out how well the students are performing.
- Create a List
Write down a list of features you would like in the school you send your child to. Some basics should include:
- Exceptional teachers and staff
- High expectations
- Vibrant parent-teacher association
- Busy children
- Parents are welcome, and their questions are answered
- Visit the School
When you come across a school you think will be a good fit for your child, such as a trusted international school, pay a visit to see the classrooms and meet the staff. While you’re visiting, make sure you’re able to meet the teachers, principal and even other parents to get a good idea of what parent involvement is expected and how staff related to students. Perhaps you like to see innovation with your chosen school who could use companies that promote technology.
- Ask Questions
Before you do visit the school, make a list of questions to ask the principal and staff, such as:
- How do you train, support and monitor teachers?
- How do you handle behaviour problems?
- How much homework do you give students?
- Talk to Other Parents and Students
While staff will likely put their best foot forward during a visit, it’s the students and parents you can count on to tell it like it is. Find out if they’re happy with the quality of education at the facility and if staff are responsive to parent’s needs and concerns.
- Sit Down with the School’s Principal
Have a one-on-one meeting with the principal to ask your questions. Principals should be open to meeting you and happy to offer information.
- Attend a PTA Meeting
Besides finding out information about current events at the school you might send your child to, attending a PTA meeting is a good way to network with other parents.
- Go with Your Gut
Once you’ve gathered and gone through the information, choose the school that you and your child feel best about. Sometimes this will directly follow the data, and other times, you may just get a good feeling about the staff and other school features.
Remember, the school you choose makes a difference to the academic future of your child, so take the time to carefully research the options and then pick the one that feels best to both of you.
Choosing a school for a child is one of the most important moments for parents. Someone pays attention to the place of the school in the rating, someone is interested in a school for the gifted or an educational organization that has the status of an international one! I use a great tool for this – elementary school. It is very convenient and has everything to find the right schools for your children!