*This is a collaborative post*
Preparation is key when it comes to a big decision like choosing a school for your child. With that said, there’s no time like the present to start looking at your options, even if your child is a couple of years away from their first day. Do your homework so that you’re as clued up as possible on things like the league tables and latest inspection reports, as well as things like the local bus routes. I have teamed up with a private college in London to offer you some further advice on what to consider when choosing a school for your child.
Start With Your Priorities
The decisions you make regarding your child’s school need to suit the whole family. For example, do you want the school to be on route to yours or your partners work so that you can drop them off? Would you prefer that the school is in walking distance if you don’t drive? Does your child have any special educational needs that the school will need to accommodate? Other priorities to consider are:
Would you prefer to send your child to a single-sex school or a co-educational school?
Would you like to pay for private education or send your child to a government funded school?
Do you work long hours and therefore require wrap-around care facilities?
Is your child passionate about any extra-curricular activities, such as sport or music, that you’d like them to be able to pursue?
Would you like to send your child to a school where they might know some other children?
Of course, what’s important to your family might not be important to another, so be sure to talk it through and do what’s right for you. Trust your instincts.
Visit the Schools
Once you understand what it is you’re actually looking for, and you have done plenty of online research, you should attend some open events at your favourite schools. Getting a feel for the building and the people in it is the best way to gauge whether or not it’s the best option for your child. Take the opportunity to ask plenty of questions and pay attention to things like the safety and cleanliness of the establishment.
