Schools: The 'right' questions when choosing a school

Thinking about the 'right' school is mind blowing.

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As a parent who initially worked in a pastoral role within the educational sector I have sometimes struggled to keep up with the changes.   So what did I do? I got involved. But really what were some of the things I took note of when choosing my children schools? Firstly  I cared about whether my children were going to be happy. I didn't want them to be bullied and I wanted them to be stretched and challenged so they would succeed in their studies. I already expected that they would encounter indifference, prejudice, stereotyping, lack of expectation and assumed that this would come from the staff.  I wanted my girls to leave secondary school prepared and ready to take the next steps in their lives. I knew  I'd  have to help them overcome barriers but setting the right tone was key.

So some of the  general questions that I asked myself when I started visiting  schools were;-

1. Where was the school located and how could we get there? 
2. How many children were there in each class?
3. What did people say about the school?
4. Would there be any support staff in the class and if so who would they help?
5. How would they be teaching my child and what would this look like?
6. Did the school feel right? Did it have positive pictures & images  of adventures that the children might be involved in? 
7.  Did they display images of children succeeding and  how was success celebrated in the school?
8. Did the school go on educational trips and could my children benefit from any experiences on offer?
9.  Did I like the look of the teaching staff? Did they had energy or did they look tired and ready for retirement?  
10. Where the teaching staff new to teaching NQT (newly qualified teachers)  or experienced? Did teachers look  approachable? If they didn't look  approachable to me would they be to my children? 
11. What did the school day look like and how would the school help my children to cope? 
12. Did they do fun things in the class or just focus on tests, Maths, English and Science?
13. How did the school check the progress made by my children and how did they share that information with me and with my children? 
14. If I had further questions who could I contact to ask further questions?

I could go on but

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Some general questions I remember asking about secondary schools (This is where I am  with my children);- 

1. How does the school perform in national GCSE results? Is there an alternative  route offered for children who are not so academic?
2.  Do they offer transition summer schools for learners? If not what activities did  the schools offer to actively integrate Year 7 pupils into the school?
3. What languages does the school teach and how often is this taught each week?
4. Does the school do language exchange trips or do they have specialist language staff?  How is this celebrated within the school?
5.  How many children in each class?
6.  How does the school communicate with parents? What form does this take?
7.  What range of interventions does the school use to support students with particular learning needs? How are interventions monitored and how are results communicated to parents?
8.  When students approach GCSE selections is there a 3 way conversation between parent, school and student?
9. Does the school engage with Universities so that pupil meet students that have progressed to Higher Education and if so do these students reflect the heritage of my children?
10.  What strategies does the school use to tackle bullying or gang culture?
11.  How do you identify gifted and talented learners and how are their needs met?
12.  How does the school reward learners for positive results and behaviour? 
13. What is the diversity makeup of teaching staff within the school? What is the female /male ratio ? 
14. Will my children see teachers, senior managers that reflect their heritage so that they have role models? If not what does the school do to balance this?
15. Can I get involved in the school and in what way?

I remember if I wasn't  satisfied with the responses I would try and ask my question again. This might be when being taken on tours or when speaking one on one with a teacher. If this proved unsuccessful or I left the school with more questions than answers I didn't put the school down on any part of my choices.

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I knew that there was an appeals process  and crossed my fingers hoping  that I wouldn't need to go there.   I knew parents that have gone through this process and had won. I also  knew others who were allocated schools they didn't even choose and who didn't even protest! No sorry .... I mean they didn't officially protest. If your gonna mash up you gums in the playground back it up with action. Get  involved.  Know what you're fighting for and know the  process. That  all I'll say!



Please feel free to post comments/ responses to my blogs or share with parents that are visiting schools.  We are all learning together.