IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Get going
Once you’ve made a rudimentary list of the sort of school you’re searching for, ask everyone you know about the schools of your choice, but remember to treat carpark gossip with a generous pinch of salt. Find out if parents make an effective contribution to the schools in question and why or why not. Ask their children about the schools they attend. Find out where your child’s friends have been enrolled and why. Visit the schools with your child and ask the principal what informs the school’s values; then consider if they align with your own. What’s the school motto? How is its relationship with alumni? What’s the word on cultural and religious diversity? As you peruse the campus, note the relationship between the principal and others in the school. Don’t be afraid to talk to teachers too, and ask the bold questions: are they happy or overwhelmed? How long have they taught there? What’s the learner-teacher ratio, and average annual teacher turnover? Do they feel supported? Is there time set aside for professional staff development? Are support staff valued? Chat to students too, taking their demeanour into account. Are they neat and tidy, friendly and helpful? Bursting with pride about their school? You can learn a lot about a school from the state of its grounds. Consider the classrooms carefully: is there colourful evidence of learning and critical thinking up on the walls? Do chair configurations reveal a collaborative learning ethic? Is there enough light and air? How about the washing facilities? Would you want your child using that loo? Don’t forget to look for a wellstocked library, a media or information technology centre, and open spaces specially designed for creative play. Give the sporting facilities the once-over too, especially if your child shows sporting aptitude.
Critical Q&A
A post-campus Q&A is critical. Ask up front about money and possible hidden
expenses. What’s the school’s history and to whom does it matter and why? How long has the head been in office, and why? What’s the management team’s approach to punishment and student leadership? To diversity and inclusion? To unstructured play and to homework at such an early age? Is there an entrance test your child will have to do? If so, why? Is an expensive uniform part of the package?
“Schools are rethinking the knowledge and skills students need for success, and the educational strategies and systems required for all children to acquire them.” Ask directly for the school’s position on some key policies. What’s the curriculum like, and what about a look at some subject-specific syllabi? Are parents and other family members always welcome on campus? Do the school rules align with its security system? What’’s the school’s disaster management plan? Is the head upfront about current challenges and/or projected plans? Today, many childcare experts agree that everyone has a special learning need and that all preschools should
have remedial expertise on board. If it’s discovered that your child is struggling in one or another area, will the school intervene in time? What’s the general assessment and reportback system? What’s its relationship like with the secondary schools to which it ‘feeds’ graduating primary school students and how does it prepare students for ‘big school’? What’s the nature of the relationship with other schools generally? Does the institution you’re inspecting give back to its community? Does it share knowledge and skills readily? Does it favour offcampus expeditions? Does it expose students and teachers alike to a global consciousness? What does the digital landscape look like? Does the school take technology seriously?
Go with your gut
Now pause and pat yourself on the back. All that research is going to feed into your gut instinct. Trim your list to five possibilities and talk them over with your child. Celebrate the eventual placement in the knowledge that you can always go elsewhere if it doesn’t pan out. The next hurdle is preparing yourself to say, “Goodbye, see you later!” through your tears at the school gate on the first day of term. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Fiona de Villiers is the editor of Independent Education magazine. See www.isasa/org & www.ieducation.co.za.