Choosing the Right School: Factors to Consider

It is not always easy and straightforward to choose the right school for our children. Many factors can influence our choices. We might pick a school because it is in our neighborhood, or we pick a school that we attended, or maybe family and friends recommended, or we like a specific educational approach. But what if the school you chose is not working for your children? What if the school is not meeting your expectations? What would you do? You might try to work with the school to have them cater to the needs of your child; you might try to adjust your expectations, or you might look for alternatives, another school, another method, or maybe consider homeschool. 

If you decide to look for a school for your child, either because you are not happy with the current school or you have just begun the search for your first child, you will need to carefully evaluate the options available in your town/city. I have listed below several points for you to consider as you go through the process of choosing a school for your child. 

PRELIMINARY STEPS

• Begin your search by reflecting on your values, principles, and the expectations you have for your child’s education. You might want to draw a list of about 5-10 values and expectations and then rate them in order of importance for you. Reflect on the ones that are most important to you. 

• There are many types of schools out there with different pedagogical approaches. Do you favor any specific educational approach (Montessory, Waldorf, Reggio, Democratic, etc.)? What is in this method that attracts you?

• Consider your child’s needs and strengths. Does your child need a more or less structured environment? Does your child have any special learning needs? Would your child benefit from a school that focuses more on the arts, STEM, outdoor environment, or academics in general?

• Is the location important for you and your child? Consider the advantages or disadvantages of  transportation, playing with friends, joining after school activities, etc.

• Gather as much information as you can about the schools you are considering (curriculum, courses offered, foreign language, extracurricular activities, support for special learning needs, teachers qualification). You can gather this information online before visiting the schools. 

• Learning about the school’s approach to learning can be fuzzy sometimes. Some schools might say they adopt a particular approach but in reality they don’t. Visiting the school is essential to check their approach. Searching for evidence from other parents or sources would also be beneficial. Try to learn from their website what they propose and ask direct questions on how they implement what they claim. That will give you a good idea about their implementation. 

• If academic performance is very important to you, you should try to get the school’s report card. It is easier to obtain that from public schools. If it is a private school, you will have to ask for that information. 

• Does the school offer additional opportunities, such as field trips, extracurricular activities, parent participation, community involvement? Is that important for you?

• Consider the school facilities and resources. How well equipped the school is? Do they have a library, sports facilities, space for the Arts, etc? Do they have special education teachers, consolours, or nurses on duty?

• The application process can be challenging in some schools. Make sure you ask all questions about the process to avoid any unpleasant surprises. If you are interested in a private school, besides asking about the tuition fee, you may also ask if they have a sliding scale for tuition based on family income or if they offer scholarships. Sometimes there are some additional fees and expenses that are not clearly laid out. Be alert on asking about those as well. 

VISITING THE SCHOOL

• Visiting the school is essential. The school website may be wonderful but the real school might be very different from what it was portrayed, or the reverse might also be true. Some schools offer open houses with tours for groups of parents. Those are good ways to learn about the school. They tend to provide a comprehensive overview of what they offer. 

• Scheduling an additional visit to the school  will help see more of the school and observe other aspects of the school that you usually cannot see in an open house tour. Make an appointment with the principal and ask if it is possible to observe a classroom. 

• In your visit to the school, ask the principal as many questions as you can. Come prepared with the questions. Your initial research should give you the basis to draw your questions. 

• Listen closely to teachers and students what they say about the school. 

• Observe the culture of the school. Does it promote a welcoming environment? How is student work displayed? Do students and teachers appear content with the school? Is the staff friendly? How does the school communicate with students, parents, and teachers? How do teachers communicate with parents? How do teachers treat students? 

• Observe how classrooms are set up, how desks are organized, or if there are any desks. Do students work in groups or mostly individually? What is the culture of testing and assessments? 

• Asks the principal and teachers about the philosophy and pedagogical approach of the school. Cross check with what you have learned from their school website. Have a few questions prepared about how they would implement X, Y, and Z. 

• Do students spend time outdoors? How long? What is their policy for recess?

• Observe the school facilities, the books displayed in the library, the sports facilities, the space for the Arts, the common areas, and so on. 

• Observe the demographics of the school and the school’s attitude toward diverse students and diversity in general. 

It is recommended that parents visit a few schools before selecting what is the best choice for their children. You might want to consider applying to more than one school, in case your child is not admitted in their first choice. Best wishes for your search!