Education experts agree the best schools provide high-quality teaching that fosters a lifelong love of learning, according to Robin Kirkham, executive principal of ACG Strathallan.
For parents, it can be difficult to know how to whittle down the many options to the one that best suits their child.
Kirkham knows the many questions likely to come up in such a discussion. "Is the local school best, or just easiest? Should the school you choose match your child's personality? Or provide programmes to match their academic strengths? Or academic weaknesses?" he lists.
Pooling the experience of the ACG independent school group's four principals, Kirkham has come up with the 10 questions they believe every parent should ask when choosing a school for their child.
They are:
1. What do you do if a student is struggling in class?
2. How would your teachers stretch my child if she/he is getting bored in class?
3. How do you help students become responsible for their own learning?
4. How do you guide post-high school education pathways?
5. How do you communicate with parents and students?
6. How will this school make my child feel welcome and settle in quickly?
7. How do you deal with bullying in the school?
8. How do you help students cope with the pressure of academic work as well as extra-curricular requirements?
9. How do you balance learning v testing?
10. How do you review your own performance and improvement? Sure, schools are reviewed by the specialists at ERO, but ask how else is the school governance and leadership testing strategic direction and practices to equip their students?
As well as the educational priorities, the Ministry of Education's website recommends parents think about practical things - how the child will get to and from school, after-school care, and where your child's friends are going to school.
It advises parents to "get a feel" for the school - to see if they feel welcome, whether the teachers are keen and well-informed, and consider values such as friendly, open and respectful communication between teachers and children. Finally, it recommends checking the school's Education Review Office (ERO) report.
