Schools are a very important part of your kid’s life and they can set the stage for their future academic and professional success. In some cases, the best school for your kid can be placed just down the road from your house, but sometimes, the best option is placed all the way across town.
In order to choose right, you need to understand your kid’s needs but also learn about the establishments and learn about your options. Let’s see how you can pick the right establishment and ensure the best back-to-school time for your child.
1. Book a meeting with the principal
No matter if we’re talking about preschools, elementary schools, or high schools, you will need some time with the principal in order to get a good sense of the establishment.
Make sure to book an appointment, so that they can set aside half an hour to answering all your questions and showing you how the school works. Make sure to consult about the curriculum, the school’s goals for the future, and ways they plan to reach them. If regular schooling doesn’t fit your child for any reason, the principal can tell you about specialists at hand who can help both your kid and you.
2. Attend a PTA meeting
In most cases, no one is going to mind that you’re attending a PTA meeting, so don’t worry about getting tossed out. These meetings are great because they allow you to meet parents, acquire contacts and ask various questions. Parents are usually ready to give you a truthful answer and share the school’s pros and cons.
Once you think the school is the right fit for your child, you can become a member of the PTA even if you’re not yet a resident. Most parents will appreciate the help and love that you endorse their own choice of school.
3. Consider your kid’s preferences
Some kids thrive under strict authority while others do much better when they hold the strings to their education. If you have a young child that’s only discovering the world of learning, it’s best to experiment.
For instance, if you’re searching for a child-initiated, play-based, and creative environment for learning, you should look for a Good English learning school in your nearby area and see how they do it. These schools offer their little students plenty of time for play and exploration while being safe under the watchful eye of their educators who provide structure and boundaries.
If you know your kid prefers a different approach, search further. All in all, look at a school’s disciplinary policies, curriculum, homework rules, and type of work they stress (group or individual).
4. Look for test scores and search the school’s alumni
This is another important factor in choosing a school, especially when it comes to high schools. While it shouldn’t be the only factor, test scores might be an indicator of how the school handles the diverse needs of students. See whether the scores are moving up or down—this can tell you a lot about whether they are trying to improve their academic quality or not.
You can also look beyond test scores and ensure your kids’ success by studying how successful the school’s alumni are and whether they managed to get into the good universities you’re planning for your child. In case your kid prefers to take a vocational route, see whether the past students found rewarding and lucrative occupations.
5. Examine the corridors and neighborhood
Most schools won’t let you spend time in class, but they will provide you with tours of the corridors and yards. This is a great opportunity to observe how clean is the establishment and how pleasant is the environment. Take note of how well you get received by the staff and keep an eye on kid’s behavior in the halls.
According to experts, it’s best if the halls and playgrounds during recess look like controlled chaos, a state of freedom and fun yet safety and rules. You can also get in your car and drive by the school during both school hours and non-school hours. Examine the environment and see if you’re comfortable with the idea of your kids spending time in the neighborhood.
Choosing a good school for your kid is very important, so make sure to do your research well and take all of the aforementioned elements into consideration. In the end, choose with your gut and you’ll surely make the right choice.
