Top Tips for Choosing the Right School for Your Child

 There are lots factors to consider when the time comes for you to choose a school for your child and you may feel quite overwhelmed. This is completely normal, so don’t beat yourself up about feeling out of your depth. Instead, take a step back and start your preparation so that you feel more organised and in control of the situation. An independent school in Middlesex have put together the following advice to help you make a more informed decision.

Begin by considering your priorities as a family; what are the key things you’re looking for in a school, bas on your family’s requirements. For instance, does your child have any special educational needs that need to be catered to? Do you need the school to be within walking school? Is your child particular proficient in sport and hoping for a rigorous sports programme? Would you prefer that your child attends a single-sex or a co-educational school? Once you’ve figured out your priorities and prepared a list of things you’re looking for, you can start to narrow down your search.

Most schools will have a decent enough website that you can browse through to get a general idea of what they have to offer. They will usually have the latest inspection reports for you to download, as well as recent exam results, a basic outline of the curriculum and some of the extra-curricular activities they have on offer. Usually there will be some photos of the facilities. If the school seems to tick all of your boxes, the next step is to pay it a visit. 

During your visits to the schools on your short-list, be sure to ask plenty of questions to make the most of your experience. Take your child along and observe how they respond to their surroundings; do they seem comfortable or completely freaked out? Try and pay attention to other things as well, such as whether or not the staff are warm and welcoming and whether the facilities seem safe and clean. Do the students seem happy and well-adjusted? You’ll probably know whether or not you like the school within seconds of walking through the door, but don’t let that cloud your judgement when assessing everything.

Be sure to ask your child what they thought of the school too, as they’ll be the ones who are going to be spending the majority of their time there going forward. Plus, the more involved your child feels in the decision-making process, the less daunting the experience may seem. You should also ask your friends and family what they think and really discuss all of your options before you make your choice.