Choosing a school – What Makes A School The Right One for my Child?

Facilities

With the growth in new schools there has been an increasing trend to incorporate a wide range of facilities from vast Auditorium to Temperature-controlled 50m swimming pools. Whilst these facilities are “nice to haves”, they are not necessarily a requirement for a high standard of education.

We would suggest that when looking at school facilities, you consider the basics first – the must-haves for you and your child.

Your child will spend several hours a day in school, so consider the following:

• The overall atmosphere of the school – is it friendly and welcoming, are children happy and occupied, is the disciplinary approach one you find appropriate, are teachers engaged with the children or with each other?
• The facilities and resources that are your minimum requirements for your child – a canteen, After-School care, a well-stocked library, lots of material and resources in classrooms and Science and IT facilities. Do children move between classrooms or remain in one place for the day?
• The safety aspects of the school – both in terms of security and safety of entry, but also for your child on the playground, in the gymnasium, swimming pool etc., the condition of the school buildings, playgrounds and furniture.
• The outdoor sports facilities – will they enable your child to spend time in the open air, and is there sufficient shade to be able to use these facilities in the warmer months?

Once you have established your own list of must-haves, it will be relatively easy to add the schools that offer these to your short-list.

Your child may also have specific subjects or activities that s/he wants to pursue in school.  There are increasing numbers of schools offering a wider range of subjects beyond the traditional academic ones, ranging from languages to Technology-based to Sports and Performing Arts.

Index
Overview – your framework to choose
Acceptable fees – what does that mean?
Reputation and school ratings
Accreditation, why that matters
New versus established schools
Teachers and staffing
Facilities
NEXT: Specialist subjects
Additional Language, or Learning Needs