HOW TO CHOOSE A SCHOOL

When choosing a school, the question most parents want answered is: will this school provide my child with a good foundation for the future and an environment in which to thrive and develop? The reality is no one can answer that question. Many parents feel the responsibility of choosing a school for their child weighs heavily on
their shoulders. Australia has almost 10,000 schools spanning the government, systemic (eg Catholic), and private education sectors that offer a huge variety of education choices, especial y in metropolitan areas. So how can parents make an informed and confident choice about which school would best suit their child?

The Australian Scholarships Group (ASG) has prepared this comprehensive tip sheet and summary checklist to provide parents with some guidelines about selecting a school as part of its mission of supporting children and families. As a not-for-profit friendly society of more than 30 years and formed from a co-operative of parents, ASG specialises in education benefits programs.

• Use your knowledge of your child to consider the key characteristics of an ideal learning environment for your child based on his or her personality and particular qualities. Start writing a list.

• What are your views about education? You may have strong philosophical or religious views that wil influence what you would look for in an educational setting for your child. Schools offer a wide range of school philosophies and practices. Be aware that you need to match your child’s needs with your preferences. Add your preferences to the list.

• Armed with an understanding of the type of school that might best meet your child’s needs and your own preferences, you can begin to put together a list of desired qualities that you seek in a school community. Refine the list as you gather more information.

• School location – long daily traveling and inconvenient travel arrangements can make children very tired
• Philosophical or religious focus of the school
• The education curriculum offered
• Your affordability of the school fees and associated costs
• The predominant emphasis of the school – academic achievement, social-emotional wellbeing, balanced individual, etc
• The facilities offered by the school and its focus – science, sports, performing arts, etc
• Class size and structure
• Reputation and education performance of the school

• Collect brochures and reports from the schools
• Compare information about schools from the Internet – check out the school’s website, as most schools now provide information online to their school communities
• Ask other parents for feedback
• Visit the school and meet with the principal and teaching staff
• Check newspaper articles about the school and its relationship with the community

• How far is the school from your home? Consider how your children will get to school every day, especial y
if you're not in a position to drive them.
• Also, your child will want to play with classmates after school and on weekends so distance is a
consideration.
• Choosing a school that is close to your home will help you and your child integrate into the community.

• Consider the total costs involved in sending your child to the school of your choice, not just school fees.
• Total costs include tuition fees and levies, requisites, clothing, incidentals, computer and internet costs.
• ASG provides a free online secondary schooling costs calculator that enables you to explore the total costs associated with sending one or more of your children to government, systemic (eg Catholic), or private schooling and presents a year-by-year view of the impact of those choices.

• Try to understand the school’s policies and support available for students
• Observe the interaction between teachers and students
• Speak to students of the school and their parents

• While specifics differ from state to state there are guidelines that schools must adhere to within each state and stage of education in respect to core curriculum subjects.
• Ask schools for detailed explanations about what knowledge and skil s they will be working to develop in your child, how they wil do it, and how you can help.
• Is the school teaching government-developed courses or their own?
• What is the range of academic and elective courses on offer? Is there a balanced or skewed offering and if so do you support this emphasis for your child?
• If your child excels or has difficulty, how would the school assist him or her?
• Does the school have policies on social development, such as a Buddy program?

• Does the school have a homework policy?
• How much homework should your child expect to receive?
• What commitment is required of your child for extra-curricular activities? What opportunities and choices are available?
• Does the school participate in representative cultural and sporting activities?
• What is the school’s technology policy – when will students start using computers? Wil you need to buy or hire a computer for your child?

• However the school reports its students’ progress, you need to understand the process and what it means for your child’s performance and development.
• Does the school rely on grades that compare your child within the class or report progress against set criteria or both?
• Does the school provide annotated samples of your child’s work to illustrate emerging skil s and areas requiring attention?
• What other methods are used to communicate with you about your child's learning, such as regular parent-teacher interviews? Are students welcome to attend the regular interviews with their parents?
• Are the teachers happy to discuss your child's progress without appointment before or after school?
• Is your presence in the classroom welcomed and do the teachers allow you to observe lessons? (This is a real test of a school's openness.)

• Regardless of the affiliation or philosophy of the school, it is worthwhile finding out about dominant attitudes of the principal and staff.
• Read the school’s charter or philosophy statement and its parent newsletter to assess these qualities
• Can you detect the school’s core values and the climate of the school? How does the school celebrate and showcase its values and attitudes?
• Talking to students’ parents can help you assess the school’s level of inclusiveness, acceptance, welcoming attitude and whether students feel listened to, comfortable and enjoy attending school.
• Does the school celebrate diversity or does it encourage conformity? How do you feel about it?
• What is the attitude towards competition between students?
• How does staff engage children who are very bright or gifted?
• How do they help children who have chal enges with school work or sport?
• Some schools ensure teams contain a mixture of students to provide a taste of success for al while others value individual excel ence above other values.