Education
www.familiesbirmingham.co.uk
Choosing schools 10 things to know
I
f your child is starting school next September or making the move to ‘big school’ – now is the time to start your research. The Autumn term is key for school open days and you should visit because nothing beats getting ‘a feel’ for a school. Joanna Moorhead highlights 10 things you need to know: • Make your own mind up. It’s amazing how many parents never even look round a school because of what they’ve heard.
for. But think too about what the school offers that might be harder to pick up at home. We’re a family of journalists, where literacy is easier for us as parents; so I’m glad my girls went to a school that specialised in maths and science, even though these weren’t their strongest subjects. • Look at the school’s league tables, but don’t pin everything on them. Read the Ofsted report too and pay particular attention to how the school has done over time. If it’s had a dip, are there signs of improvement or suggestions that it could turn round? • Where do pupils go on to from this school? You want to see at least some youngsters doing well academically and aiming for good courses at top universities.
• Listen to your child’s feelings as well as your own, particularly for secondary school.
PS - Remember that, at the end of the day, parents make more difference to a child’s future than a school does. Even if your child doesn’t get into your first choice of school (and one in seven didn’t last year) your attitude to that could be a much bigger factor in what happens next for your child than the school itself. Have confidence, first and foremost, in your child. And believe that, together, you will work things out if and when you come up against problems.
• Use open days wisely. If you can, go to a daytime visit because you’ll see it in working mode. • Nothing advertises a school like its pupils. Do they seem happy? Are they polite? If you have time, hang around in the area at home time. Are they well-behaved? • How about the staff – do they seem happy and fulfilled working there? Take opportunities to chat to them. • Listen to your instincts. If a school doesn’t feel right, move on. You don’t have to explain yourself or your reasons for doing so to anyone else (although you do, of course, need to discuss it with your child if your instincts are different). • Don’t get bogged down in the detail: what you’re aiming to get is a sense of the school. Does it feel happy, productive, calm? Is there a sense of order and caring? These things matter more than the nitty-gritty.
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• Think about your child’s talents and interests and ponder carefully whether they’ll be catered
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Issue 17
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