EDUCAT ION
F irst im p ressio n s VISITING A SCHOOL CAN HELP YOU DECIDE IF IT’S RIGHT FOR YOUR CHILD – BUT WHAT SHOULD YOU BE LOOKING FOR? CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS INVESTIGATES
and grandparents. For a start, many more of them work. According to government figures, seven out of ten parents in two- parent families are in employment, almost half full time. “For many families, the point at which the children come along is part of a more deliberate life plan, which includes two working lives and careers,” says John Attwater, principal at King’s Ely. “As a result, the process of finding a school is taken on as any other major project would be in their professional lives.” Savvy and focused, they bring the same professional perspective when it comes to looking for schools that they apply to other areas of their lives, and will often have carried out a huge amount of research before turning up at their first school open day. They’ll want to ensure that it’s as natural for their daughters to opt for STEM subjects as their sons, and that schools are constantly re-evaluating the education on offer so it’s transformational and inspiring, as well as meeting the needs of tomorrow’s careers. Within all this, they need to demonstrate that kindness and caring are as much a part of the timetable as robotics and rugby.
QUESTIONS PARENTS ASK SCHOOLS
Do you provide wrap-around care?
How early can I drop off my child (for working parents)?
How do older pupils travel to school?
hen it comes to sizing up a school, nothing beats a visit. However good a school looks online (and all, invariably, radiate star quality), seeing the staff, facilities, headteacher and pupils – in all their 3D glory – gives you real time, real life insights no online presence can match. Go along to an event this academic year and schools will be ready and waiting, conscious of the need to cater for increasingly clued-up parents who are far clearer about what it is they want their children to gain from the educational experience than previous generations, and far less likely to accept what they’re told at face value. These highly evolved parents live different lives from their own parents
What clubs do you offer?
How does the pastoral care work?
Which is right for my child, single sex or coed?
Do you offer evening meals?
Can my child flexi-board?
Where do pupils go when they leave?
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