After graduating from preschool, the next big step for your kid is a primary school. Your choice can completely alter the course of your kid’s life, making it a high-pressure decision as a lot is banking on it. We all want our kids to look back at their school days and smile, remembering the wonderful times they shared with friends as they learned. That’s how a great primary school acts as a springboard to an exciting future. Even though every school claims to be the best, you can’t take their word at face value. You have to be tactful and ready to do a little research so you can choose one that’s best for your child out of the many options available.
Factors to consider
When looking at primary schooling options, you want something that will fit your kid’s personality, strengths, interests, and needs. Some of the factors to consider include:
- Private or public school
For many parents, the choice between public or private schooling simply comes down to affordability. However, if this isn’t the case, then consider making this decision first. Start by updating your understanding of what public schools are like. Although public schooling is often portrayed as struggling, it has come a long way, so be flexible as you search. Today, there are tons of great public schools your kid can attend. Private schools are portrayed as offering better education, but sometimes that is not the case. Investigating this is a great starting point. If you are interested in schools that promote sports or musical ability, then the additional resources offered in private schools might come in handy.
- Distance to school
The most practical decision when choosing any school is its distance from home—that’s why so many schools are found in residential areas. Since school starts early, you want to ensure minimum travel time for your child. Also, as your kid gets older and starts engaging in extracurricular activities, longer travel times will reduce the time they have to rest and do homework. Since they will be attending primary school for a while, choose a school close to home, so the commute doesn’t take a toll on them. Other logistics to think about include whether the school offers transport services. If not, what’s the cost and difficulty of getting to and from school?
- Your child’s needs
Your primary schooling choices must be based on your kid’s interests. When looking at the curriculum, find out what more offered outside the academic scope. As you may know, your child can acquire new skills such as teamwork, discipline, and hone character-building qualities such as tenacity and perseverance through extra-curricula activities. This holistic approach to learning can help mold them into winners both in and outside the classroom. Also, consider if you want your child to go to the same school as their siblings or friends. If that’s the case, what would be the advantage and is the school the best option for them?
- The school’s culture
School ethos is generally based on the traditions or aptitudes of the current management. These values and ethics play a big part in the development of a school’s culture, so you must factor this in when making your choice. Ask yourself, are the school’s values in line with what you believe in? The best school for your child may not be the one with the best facilities, but the one whose culture and environment best fits your little one. Some schools value academic excellence over other areas such as the arts or sports, while others avoid pressuring kids wherever possible. To truly get more insight into the school, talk to current students and parents.
- School-specific factors
Find out if the school is small or large and what facilities it has to support your child’s learning. Does it have qualified teachers? What teaching philosophy do they follow? Is it, Montessori or Steiner? What’s its academic performance been over the past few years? What about the extracurriculars? Are they involved in the arts, sports, or community engagement? Also, find out if the school has additional support for kids with special needs such as developmental delays, autism, etc. What is the teacher-student ratio? Does the school have any affiliation to a secondary school? A feeder primary school is a junior school whose students go to a specific secondary school. Since consistency is key in educations, this helps ensure they get the same quality education throughout, which could be a plus for you.
Selecting where your kid will go to school is a tough and personal choice. However, this doesn’t mean it’s what’s best for the child. Ultimately, whichever school you pick, what’s most important is that they can adapt. So, carefully consider the factors mentioned and use them to pick a school where your child can thrive.