Children may only just be back in the classroom after a lovely, long summer break, but it’s officially that time of year when parents’ thoughts are turning to their next steps.
There’s no denying what a minefield choosing the right school setting for your child can be. Do you go on reputation alone? Achievement scores? Official inspection results? Or simply the one that the parents of your child’s best friend have decided they should attend?
We’re here to help break the cycle of confusion with ten things that you should do when your child is due to change schools.
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Attend the open days and explore each school’s virtual tour
A school virtual tour is the perfect way to learn more about any school on your shortlist. Offering you and your child the opportunity to explore the whole school campus in high definition detail, in your own time, from the comfort of your own home. This is particularly handy if you’re looking to relocate, or the schools on your list are a significant distance from your home – particularly relevant if you’re considering an independent school for your child.
After viewing the 3d virtual tour of your shortlisted schools, an in-person visit can be the perfect opportunity to familiarise yourselves with the people behind the school – getting to know academic and pastoral staff and existing parents and pupils, rather than trying to navigate your way around the campus as well. Of course you will still want to view as much of the school in person as you can, but the virtual school tour can enable you to adopt a much more strategic approach – focussing on areas of concern or most importance.
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Ask yourself ‘is the school well cared for?’
Glossy brochures and print ads can be really deceptive, so it pays to pay close attention to the overall appearance of the school – both via their virtual school tour and in-person visits. A school that invests in its long-term maintenance and kerb appeal should hopefully invest as much effort in your child’s education and personal wellbeing.
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Ask plenty of questions
If you haven’t already, start making a note of everything that is important to you and your child and ensure that you engage with staff and (especially) current pupils and their families at open days to probe them with some of your burning questions. This is a great opportunity to gain personal insight into a school in order to ascertain how suitable it is for your child.
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Find out the school’s ethos, vision and values
Do they match your own? And, most vitally, does the school practice what they preach? Any school that is true to their values will have demonstrable results. From the academic achievements of their pupils, to attendance records, testimonials from existing parents and staff and standards throughout the school – all should be scrutinised to ensure everything adds up.
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Take a look at the results of the school’s official inspection
Whether undertaken by Ofsted in the public sector or The Independent School’s Inspectorate (ISI) or Independent Schools Council (ISC) for independent schools, inspection reports can provide vital insight into strengths and weaknesses within the school as well as shedding light on areas that have been improved and those that appear to have been neglected. Improved scores between the most recent reports, indicate a school that is as invested in self-improvement as they are to your child. A reported decline in performance should perhaps raise a red flag.
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Get to know the Head, Deputy Head and teaching staff as well as possible
Find out how long the Head Teacher and core teaching team have been at the school. A high turnover of staff can indicate changes afoot – both for positive and negative reasons. Getting to know a Head Teacher’s background will provide valuable insight into their objectives in running the school, likewise the professional experiences of teaching staff can have a direct influence on your child’s development – can they facilitate a budding talent or inspire a natural inclination within your child?
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Think about how the school can help create balance with other aspects of your life
Is there a before and after school club to enable you to fit the demands of work or home life around your child’s education? Can these benefit your child by facilitating their strengths and weaknesses and personal care needs?
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Learn how the school deals with bullyin
Does the school have an anti-bulling policy and can they provide evidence of it in action? Are there any examples of bullying within the school? How has / is it being dealt with? Some background work may be required to ascertain answers to these questions and social media can be a great source of insight – however be prepared to research your findings to ensure they are an honest reflection of events.
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Discover what extra-curricular activities the school offers
Are there any extra-curricular opportunities available to your child that can help them develop existing talents or tackle personal and academic areas that they might find challenging? Sometimes these are equally as important as the standard of education on offer.
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Ask your child what they think of the school
Your child is the one who will be attending the school, so it’s vital that they feel happy and comfortable with the choice. Listen to any concerns your child might have and explore them in the same way that you might do with any concerns that you have of your own. Watch their reactions to the people as well as the school setting, consider how enthusiastic they are about the opportunities on offer, and help them rationalise any physical or emotional findings to determine the suitability of the school for them. Their academic success rides on it.
