Questions to ask
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Questions to ask yourself
At some point you need to step away from all the details and get back to basics. Look at the school for its academic record, especially English and maths results, the most recent Ofsted report, the behaviour and attitude of the pupils, and the after-school and extra-curricular activities.
- Have you got all the right forms and have you filled them out correctly? Some schools have a very specific procedure when it comes to filling in the application forms, so you need to check with the school and possibly the local education authority as to whether you have given them the right information.
- Also, think about the school run, will you be travelling with your child twice a day, or will they make the journey on their own? Is it far away? What's the public transport like? Is there a school bus?
- Is it the sort of school that has lots of school trips and extra expenses that you might find difficult to keep up with?
- Try to be open minded. Around 21% of pupils don't get into the school they want.
Questions to ask your child
Although it's important to remember that the final decision is with you as you're the adult, it's worth asking your child about their thoughts on which school they prefer and why.
- Why do they want to go there? If it's just because that's where their friends are going then you'll need to probe a bit further. Choose the best school for your child not the one where they'll have the best social life.
- Find out what their hopes and dreams for the future are. Although what they want to do when they grow up will probably change by the time they're old enough to work, it's worth finding out if they've got an idea of what they're interested in.
- What extra-curricular activities might they be interested in? Schools aren't just about learning the basics, some kids really excel at arts or sports and if they're at a school that brings out this side of them, then so much the better. Plus, children who aren't as academically successful as other kids may lack confidence if there's nothing else that they're encouraged to do.
Questions to ask the teachers
- How many children in a class?
- Do all teachers have a teaching assistant?
- Would you send your child to this school?
- How do you deal with bullying?
- How do you deal with disruptive pupils?
- How do you encourage kids who don't want to learn or find learning difficult?
- How do you look after kids that are especially gifted?
- What do you do to stretch and challenge children's learning?
- How does the school deal with complaints about the standard of teaching?
By Louise O'Connell
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