How can you decide which school is better for your child? If you’re enrolling in a public or private school, or homeschooling, or paying fees, proper preparation is important. When you move through the process of selecting a school for your boy, ask the following questions and use the space provided to write down your thoughts. Remember, you’re searching for a school that can make your child’s and your college experience as satisfying as possible.
Make a list of the four most significant items to you.
When you weigh your school options, you may want to write down four items that are most valuable to you. You will want to apply to and revise the list while you move through the application phase.
Here are four steps for selecting the school that is right for your child Great Lakes College :
- Gather knowledge about schools.
If you wanted to purchase a vehicle, vacuum cleaner, or refrigerator, you might speak to friends and family and research online, in consumer publications, or in other printed resources. Similarly, when looking at classrooms, you can need to make phone calls, gather written materials from various schools, and search through records in the local newspaper to get the details you require. You should look at high school report cards and attend parent fairs and open houses.
You’ll want to hear about education policy and programmes in addition to the schools’ curricula and ideology. Parents will also want to think about the school’s after-school activities, such as athletics, clubs, tutoring, or academic enrichment. You may even inquire whether the school has supplemental training programmes, such as free tutoring, outside of normal school hours as part of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Curriculum vitae
- Is the school’s core academic curriculum solid, including English, history, mathematics, technology, the arts, and foreign languages?
- What extracurricular activities does the school have in addition to the main subjects?
- What proofs do you have that the school is training students to learn effectively?
- Does the school’s programme have a specific emphasis or theme?
- Does the school deliver difficult classes including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and high school honours?
- Is there an education programme for all students at the school? Is it enough for talented students?
- Does the school have extracurricular programmes that complement the curriculum?
- Is there a good English language learning curriculum for kids who really need it?
- If your child has specific developmental requirements, does the school have a plan and the resources required to meet such needs?
Methodology of instruction
- Should the school have a specific teaching and learning philosophy (e.g., community assignments, individual results, regular testing)?
- If so, do you believe your child would benefit from and appreciate this approach?
- Is the school doing everything possible to ensure that each child learns? Is it possible for children to get additional support where they need it?
- Is the school team willing to speak in your child’s native language?
- Is it possible for children with poor English language ability, developmental difficulties, or other special needs to develop and score well on tests?
- What is the stance on homework? Is that in line with your standards about the amount of homework your child can complete?
- Do you want your child to attend a coeducational or a singlesex (all-boy or all-girl) school?
- What is the average class size?
Academic achievement
- How do the school’s evaluation results stack up against those in other students? (If it’s a public school, look at the report card; if it’s a private school, ask the school for information.) On school report cards, look for the ‘Parent Tip.’)
- Have exam grades increased or decreased in recent years?
- What is the school’s explanation for the increase or decrease? How well did children who were close to yours do on these tests?
- How do students who are transitioning to the next stage of education fare in their current schools?
- How many students drop out before finishing the last grade?
- Has the school won any unique awards or recognition?
- Think of your kid and relatives.
Consider what you want a school to provide with your child when you begin the quest for the right school. Perhaps your child has specific needs in terms of language or schooling. Remember to keep this in mind. After all, you are the one who knows your child best than anybody else.
- Go to schools and study them.
Create an appointment to meet the schools you’re involved in by contacting them. If necessary, attend a few classrooms and explore the schools after standard school hours. To have a realistic idea of how a school works, avoid attending during the first or last week of the year.
Scheduling an interview with the school director is a good place to get answers to your concerns. Attend an open house, parent-teacher conference, or other school event if necessary, since this will provide you with useful knowledge regarding teachers, pupils, and parents’ attitudes.
Pay attention to what teachers have to suggest about the classroom. Teachers would be the adults who have the most contact with your kids, so you’ll want to know if they’re well-prepared, committed, and enthusiastic about their jobs.
- Send an application to the schools of your choice.
Once you’ve decided on the school(s) that you think would be the right fit for your kid, such as Great Lakes College, you’ll need to apply to the school(s) of your choosing and enrol your child. If your child is not accepted to their first preference, consider applying to several schools.
You can start this phase as soon as possible and guarantee that you reach any of the deadlines.
Admissions procedures differ from one institution to the next. You might be asked to include a school record, recommendations, or other documents in order for your child to be checked or questioned. It will be beneficial to hear about the admissions requirements for schools such as The Great Lakes College of Toronto. You’ll want to double-check if your details about when and how to apply is right.
Choose one or more schools to which you want to apply
- Which schools do you want to apply to?
- Where would each school’s submission deadline fall?
Until the deadlines, submit documents and applications.
- Have you completed every school’s application in its entirety?
- Have you sent any of the necessary supporting documents (deposit, student transcript, test scores, letters of recommendation) with your application?
- Have you sent your qualifications by the school’s deadline?
Keep in contact
- Have you called each school to inquire about the progress of your child’s application?
- When would you get notification from the schools that your child has been accepted?
- What do you need to tell your child’s school that he or she will be attending?
- When would you tell your child’s school that he or she will not be attending?
