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

Specialist subjects/activities

If you have additional subject or activity requirements, you will need to consider how high a priority they are for you.
A number of schools now offer a wider range of second languages (in addition to the traditional French, Spanish, Hindi, Malayam and Arabic), including Mandarin and German. Several schools also offer native language classes – mainly for European students – including Danish, Dutch, French and German – which take place either during core teaching hours or after-school.

You may have a specific interest in IT subjects, the teaching of coding, Music Technology or other technology-based extra-curricular activities such as Robotics. Many schools offer excellent Music, Performing Arts and Sports both in school hours and outside – it is worthwhile checking what is available and whether it is included at an additional fee or within the school fees.

Offering your child the opportunity to participate in a wide range of School activities is an important way of enabling him/her to develop new (not necessarily academic) skills. Universities now look for well-rounded students who are able to involve themselves in both individual and team activities – often it is the non-core subjects and extra-curricular activities that make the difference on the CV. You may find that your child excels at these new tasks, but should they not, it is more important that they have had the opportunity to try them!

Lastly, on our list of key factors, you may have a child with additional learning needs – as an English-Language learner for instance, or more complex learning requirements. Our final section gives some guidance in this respect.

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