The right school search for your son or daughter can be a difficult process. It can be directly, you may be lucky enough to have elementary schools that act as a feeding school and all the details are arranged for you, but what if it doesn’t happen, what if you need to make your own settings and do your own research. Where did you start and what can you do to help yourself?
1. Maintain an open mind – it’s very important when you start a search for middle school you remember. You may have prejudices about certain schools based on their reputation, children you know today go there, or the quality of their sports team. The first thing to remember is that there are no prejudice problems. What’s important is that your child gets the best education and do that you have to start with open minded and consider all options. Don’t discount anything from the start!
2. Speak with elementary school – the next phase of your search for high school must consult with your child’s elementary school. They will already have schools that children suggested to go, but even if this is not in the list of your choices (you might leave the area or consider an independent school) your elementary school will still help you. It is their duty to bring children at a young age, and prepare them for their next education phase, so they will always help you find high school.
3. Consider what your child wants to do at the GCSE / A-Level – may seem far from, but actually not. Your child will start their GCSE study three years after they start at school, and therefore will need an idea of their subject choice after about two and a half years. When you start your search, remember that some schools get better results in some subjects than others, and indeed some schools offer different subjects if your child’s ambition is a little less mainstream!
4. Talk to your child – don’t forget that it is your child who will attend school, not you, so make sure they join in the search for high school with you. What you think is an important factor may not be as important as them and vice versa, so it is important for you each emerging with a list of key points and discussing it correctly. They may tend to follow their friends but wherever they go to school, they will meet new people – they join the group of years with around 3-5 times the number of children in it whether they follow their friends or not.
5. Visit as many schools as you can – Search for high school by actively visiting them. It sounds clear, but few people use this. All secondary schools have open days or open nights, and even if you cannot succeed, contact the school and create your own settings, they will always be happy to see you if you are considering going there.
