CHOOSING & APPLYING
“Parents should feel free to ask questions and to use the time to get to know the school as best they can,” says Elizabeth Sawyer. “Provided that questions are asked in polite fashion, schools will appreciate parents’ interest, and so they should not feel embarrassed or shy about asking ‘too many’ questions. Good schools like to showcase themselves, and they will be eager to provide information and reassurance. “Ultimately, parents should be able to feel that they can envision their child in a given environment and feel confident that the school will have the resources and desire to support him or her appropriately.”
POINTS FOR PARENTS TO CONSIDER ON A SCHOOL VISIT • Do they feel welcome as they enter the school? • Are the staff friendly and confident? • Are pupils involved in the school tour? Are the children friendly, polite and confident?
• Are the school resources well treated and respected? • How long has the headteacher been in post? This provides evidence of stable leadership
• Can parents visit during break or at lunchtime to see how the pupils interact? Do children have a good relationship with staff?
• Are the administrative staff friendly and helpful? They are the people with whom parents will be communicating on a daily basis
• How does the school communicate with parents? Does it produce regular newsletters? Can parents see copies?
• What are the displays on the walls like? Are there photos of children engaging in lively, interesting activities, such as field trips and community involvement?
• Will the child have an orientation visit or be given a buddy to help him or her settle in?
• What extra-curricular activities are available, and how many of them are free?
• How much scope for involvement in a parents’ organisation is there? Does the school offer programmes and support for accompanying partners?
Kim Burgess suggests asking if the school provides options for prospective parents to talk to current families. This enables parents to ask candid questions about the school environment, as well as offering a potential network of essential support after the move.
However, here Elizabeth Sawyer offers a note of
caution. “I would encourage parents to be careful of advice offered by parents of students at a school, or parents of a former student at a school.
“While they may certainly be able to provide some inside knowledge, their opinions will likely be coloured by the experience of their own child. Though they will mean well, they may not be objective, and the experience that their children had may have absolutely no bearing on the experience that another child would have in the same school.”
Andrew Wigford highlights the importance of determining the level of pastoral care provided by the school, particularly when making an international move. “Some schools have an on-site counsellor or assign a pastoral head of year,” he says. “Some schools are much better than others at helping new children settle.”
TRANSPORT One crucial consideration that parents may forget
to put on their list of priorities is transport from home to school. Can the school be reached on foot? If not, they will need to consider whether transporting children by car will become tiresome and costly after a period of time. Some fee-paying schools provide special bus services, and some counties in England provide free buses serving state schools, but these will be dependent on where the family chooses to live.
“Not all schools will have buses going out to every location, and public transport might not be an option for families with young children,” warns Kim Burgess. She also advises checking whether the school buses have supervisors. And finally, after going through all the selection criteria, it is important to remind families that a happy child is likely to be the key to a successful relocation, and, although a school might seem to tick all the boxes, it is important to make the right choice for the individual child. “Choosing a school for one’s child is not about keeping up with the Smiths or simply having a well-known school name on one’s child’s academic record,” says Elizabeth Sawyer. “While those things may be nice, what’s more important is to choose the best-fit school for one’s particular child, and to find the environment where he or she will thrive – academically, socially and emotionally.”
Keep Informed |
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