Navigating the school scene and finding the ‘right’ school for your child can be an anxious and challenging time. There are many factors to consider and questions to ask. Read on for some key pointers that might aid your decision making.
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- Single sex versus co-educational
- Curriculum type
- Tertiary education
- Facilities
- Vision and mission
- Student body
- Secondary education
- Extra-curricular activities
1. Single sex versus co-educational
Over the years, educational advantages have been identified for both; however, it is also important to think about your child’s personality. Does your child tend to make friends of both sexes, or are they more inclined to socialise with only one particular sex? Their social relationships will ultimately be very important as they grow up, and so this is an area to consider.
2. Curriculum type
There are a variety of high-quality curricula available in schools, both national curriculums from the U.S. and U.K., as well as international curriculums such as Cambridge International and The International Baccalaureate. When faced with this choice, it is important to think about how your child learns and where they will be happiest. Will they enjoy the inquiry and agency associated with the International Baccalaureate or would they prefer a more structured system of which they are familiar such as a national system?
In addition, for families or those who perhaps have a bit more of a mobile life due to work, this is an important area to consider. If you have temporarily left your home country and aim to return in a few years, you may want to choose a school that offers the same curriculum as your home country or if you are a family who moves around a lot, you may want to look at a curriculum such as the International Baccalaureate which is used worldwide in a large number of schools and therefore enables easy transition from country to country.
3. Tertiary education
In an increasingly mobile world, the chance that your child will want to go to university or college abroad is increasing. Historically, students have tended to study in the same educational system as their future university/college plans; however, tertiary educational institutions now have a process of comparing school qualifications from different curriculum frameworks. In saying this, some families may prefer to keep their child in a system similar to where they see their child applying to university/college.
4. Facilities
Some schools have fantastic facilities and others are constrained by their location. They all still offer a high level of academic teaching, but they may not be able to cater for some of the additional interests that your child has. Your child may be greatly into sports, and so a school which has a widely developed sporting program with the facilities to support it may be the best choice. Or if your child loves the arts, you may want to look at schools which have a high standard of art, music, or drama facilities. However, if it’s only the academics that matter to you, you might find that a smaller school has everything you need.
5. Vision and mission
These can usually be found on the school’s website, often appearing as school values, and set out the fundamental things that the school is trying to achieve and how they will achieve them. These are significant in understanding the philosophy of the school and what they place the most importance on. It is imperative that you as a family understand and share those values as they will directly impact your child’s education.
6. Student body
Student numbers and student diversity may be an important aspect for some families. Schools come in all shapes and sizes from more intimate, one class per grade level, to schools which have three or four classes per grade. In addition, some schools are very culturally diverse whilst others are less so. If size and diversity are important to you, it is advisable to visit the school whilst the pupils are present as you will get a greater sense of the make-up of the students as well as the impact of large or small student numbers.
7. Secondary education
Some schools are focused on the primary years only whilst other schools will take children all the way from the early years to the end of their secondary education. Therefore, a key consideration may be whether you want the comfort of knowing that your child will be settled in the same school for all their primary and secondary education or are you keen for your child to change school at some point? Both have their benefits. For example, staying in the same school may mean that your child has the opportunity to build a very strong community with peers and teachers. However, it may also be the case that the shy six-year-old who needed a small school initially is now a confident, sporty, eleven-year-old who needs more space. In this case, a different school may be beneficial.
8. Extra-curricular activities
With many parents now working longer hours, there is more need for an extended school day and a suitable after school activity can help with this, as well as give your child an opportunity to mix with some different children. Again, it is important to look at the personality and hobbies of your child. Is there an extra-curricular activity where they can develop their sporting ability? Do they enjoy music? Is there a club where they can sing and dance? Extra-curricular activities are also a good opportunity to discover a new activity. Does the school you are interested in have something different that other schools are not offering?