How
to approach the search for a school and making your mind up
First of all, arrive at the school unannounced. This will allow you
to see their level of preparedness, and efficiency. Is there a whole
chain of bureaucracy to follow? Show up first thing in the morning so
that if the school suits your fancy, your child can shadow. Proper school
searching takes approximately one week, and should be done during the
school year.
Have
a spreadsheet of questions and a space for the answers. Once you arrive
in the office with your child, explain that you are considering the
school and ask who to talk to. You will then take to a private office.
How nice is the office? The school will be putting its best face forward
at this point, so if it is mediocre, the rest of the place probably
will be as well.
Ask the religion denomination, school prayer schedule, if there are
vacancies, student body number, approximate time for homework required
each night, and percentage of students that go on to the next level
of education. Get a copy of their student handbook. If all these answers
please you, request for your student to shadow someone around for the
day. They will then be placed with a similarly aged student and follow
them around through the day’s worth of classes.
After
your child has left, ask any remaining questions which you might have.
Find out the tuition costs, the development levy, if uniforms are required,
the cost of educational supplies and the number of class trips taken
per year or any other hidden charges. Then it is time to take yourself
to a few of the classes and sit in. the best classes to visit are math,
science and English. Few private schools will allow you to spend at
least ten minutes in a few different classrooms to get a feel for the
teaching, the cleanliness and the exuberance. Is there student work
all over? Does the place feel like somewhere that you can learn?
Your
will then normally be required to leave, and pick up your child at the
end of the day. When you do, don’t fill out any paperwork or make
any financial commitments until you talk to your child. Ask your child
if the other kids were friendly. If the teachers were all understanding
and sensitive, if they lke the school, and then tell you about their
experience. It is important that they like the school in order for them
to do their very best in classes.
After
your visit, go back to your original criteria. How far do the schools
conform? Which aspects take priority? Take note of your child’s
response too. They may have fears about individual schools, which can
easily be allayed, or they may have noticed other factors that could
prove a real problem. If your child really dislike the feel of the school
as a whole, don’t ignore the signals, but don’t let your
child make the final decision. Even if you and your child fall in love
with the very first school you visit, check a few more out to have a
comparison. Decision must clearly be your choice. If your child agrees,
so munch the better. If you allow your child to choose, there is a danger
later on of guilt and recriminations should things to wrong. The responsibility
must be yours. Then based on some factors already highlighted, financial
ramifications, and reputation pick the school that best suits your child.
If ultimately you have difficult deciding on a final choice, the answer
is to trust your gut instincts. The right school is the one which will
allow your child to develop to his or her full potential in the company
of liked and trusted staff and pupils in an environment where he or
she feels happy and at home. Once they are attending make sure to check
in regularly with their teachers to monitor their performances, and
keep the communication channels open.
