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Top tips for choosing a school for your child

Choosing the right school for your child is a deeply personal decision. Many parents will have specific ideas of the sort of school they would like their child to attend, one which reflects their own values and offers the best environment to support their child’s individual needs.

This is a collaborative post, so I may have received payment for including one or more of the links it contains about choosing the right school.

To help you with the task of deciding on the best fit for your child, an independent school in Surrey has shared their top tips.

How to make sure you’re choosing the right school

Choose a focus

Every school will offer core subjects such as English, maths and science, yet some may offer extra specialisms throughout their syllabus. You will want to find a school that supports both yours and your child’s goals and ambitions. If you have high hopes for your child learning a second language, look for a school that focuses on foreign language acquisition within their curriculum. If your child is particularly sporty, or musical and wishes to refine their skill, you should find the best school to support them with this goal.

Attend Open Days

Once you have narrowed down your choices you should visit the remaining schools you are deciding between. A school may seem like the perfect match in a beautifully presented webpage or prospectus, though you won’t know if it is the real deal until you go and see for yourself. You will be able to get a feel for each school and have an opportunity to talk to staff and ask any questions you may have. Visiting potential schools is the best way to draw useful comparisons between contenders, allowing you to make the most informed choice.

Look at league tables

The potential for academic achievement is likely to be your primary concern when selecting a school for your child. League tables indicate how well students at each school are performing academically and offer a useful guide when choosing a school. However, it is important not to let league tables alone make your final decision as this data doesn’t necessarily paint the whole picture. You should focus too on how well children improve academically whilst attending the school and what systems are in place to manage and encourage progression.

PIN image of a classroom with desks and blackboard for tips on how to choose the right school

How did I do?

Did you enjoy this post? If you want to read some more you might like 10 Things I’ve Learned In The First Terms Of Being A School Mum. Or how about 10 Tips To Prepare Your Child For The Start Of School. Or head to Arthurwears for 10 Questions To Ask When Choosing A Primary School. If you want more funny real-life parenting, head to my Mum Life section. Or for UK travel and day out inspiration click on my Travel Section.

If you like a bit of social media madness, pop over to my Facebook page where you’ll be able to have a laugh at what ridiculousness goes on in my house with three very small boys on a daily basis. Warning – there is often sarcasm, and usually swearing. There are also great travel reviews and some AWESOME giveaways. Feel free to join my Twins, Tantrums and Cold Coffee – Shits and Giggles Parenting Group too, where everyone shares their hilarious stories.

And if you want to work with me, feel free to give me a shout here or at helen@twinstantrumsandcoldcoffee.com and I’ll get back to you.

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