The right school. Burden of responsibility
It's that time of the year when panic really sets in for parents. Especially true for those whose children are in the final year of primary school and who are faced with choosing a secondary school for the first time!
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No matter what I write or what I say I know that nothing will ease that journey for you because I had to wade through that same emotional roller coaster 'ride'. Some key information right now is that in the UK you can visit your local authority website looking for School Admissions. Read how to choose a school for your child. The site will ask that you create an on-line application forms and start to enter vital information. NOW! Don't panic! The deadline for completing this form and pressing the send button is 31st October 2014. So really you could be looking at potential school websites and find out about their open evenings. You could be visiting more than one school and asking questions whilst listening carefully to their responses.I guess you might also be keeping some notes in the prospectus that you've collected so that when you sit down to make some choices you have something to refer back to. Now I mention these things because they helped me to get through but hey ho ......each to their own.
Now although I has worked in the education system my experience was mainly post 16 experience. It wasn't until I had one, and then two, of my own that I really looked at those below the age of 5. Yeah yeah I know that I worked as a youth leader and ran an Adventure playground dealing with 5 to 16 year old but I never had to take them home! I was responsible for their play! Their health & safety and not their educational development!
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Choosing schools is highly stressful and the pressure of choosing the right school is a heavy burden. Why? Because our children are gonna spend a lot of time there and we want them to be happy and thrive in a supportive yet challenging environment ( sorry I went into work mode there).
When I went to school I never heard my mum speak about league tables or about the school being supportive and focused on her child's needs. My mum just sent me to the local school By the time my daughters had to go to nursery I was a wreck! The hunt for a good nursery or childminder is soo...stressful. When they quoted their prices I nearly collapsed with child in hand ! Just when I had found a nice nursery that I felt comfortable with and I liked the staff ! (Notice I didn't mention my children at all in that sentence?) It was time to think about primary schools. Anyway I digress.
Choosing a secondary is just like choosing a primary. Its hard. But reputation is key for parents because that's all we can go on. We don't have experience so who do we trust? Who is right? What am I looking for? What is important? What is my child like verse what I would like them to be like (I'll come back to that another time)? Am I sure that I want her/ him to mix with those kind of kids? My friend is sending her child there so it must be good? Schools look good on paper but when I visit my gut doesn't feel right. I can't put my finger on it but I'm not sure. Don't worry that feeling will pass (no it hasn't) .What do I do follow? My gut or logic of my head? And here is the disclaimer: I am not saying follow what I say to achieve great results etc etc etc.....(but that out of the way let me tell you something)
Follow Your Gut!!!!!!!!
At the end of the day if you and your child like the school you are onto a winner. The start of a new journey really. Staff responses were important to me, Being able to talk to teaching staff who showed that they were listening to me was important. I felt that if you listened to me you would listen to my child. Knowing my child was really important. Why? Because I have two children who are very different, they have different interest,they respond and learn differently too. Did the schools that I looked at show me that they could cater to my children's/child's needs? Well ....after 9 visits to different schools I found 2. Now on the council application form they say you had 6 choices. I made sure that the schools I really wanted were put at the top. If supplementary forms were needed I got them. When I visited the schools I signed in to their registers so that when they checked who had attended that my name would pop up. I did this and more for my first secondary school application. How did I dwindle it down? I'll share that next time. For right now my eldest has started Year 9. She loves her school and loves learning. Fingers crossed......
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