Every parent choosing a school for their child faces one of the most significant decisions of family life. Here are ten things I believe every parent should consider before making that choice.
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I have had the privilege of working in schools around the world, visiting and actively engaging in the social fabric of over 500 schools in every state. These include public schools, private schools, Christian schools, Catholic, Jewish and Steiner schools, as well as comprehensive and selective schools, single-sex and co-ed schools, and specialist schools housing sporting academies and performing arts programmes.
Not only have I been invited to work in these schools, but I have noted tremendous differences in student behaviour, attitudes to learning, school culture and staff commitment. I have been in staff rooms, on playgrounds and in classrooms. In short, I have seen what really happens in day-to-day school life.
As a speaker, my primary focus is always to connect with my audience. I need to understand who they are, what they stand for and what they believe in. Over the years, I have developed a high level of discernment in reading a school’s culture quickly. It is with this depth of experience that I want to share my top ten considerations for every parent choosing a school for their child.
Start With a Vision
Before I answer the question of what to look for in a school, I need to ask you something first. What is your vision for your child?
The answer to that question may be the most significant insight you take from this entire article. By vision, I mean this: what kind of person are you endeavouring to raise? What kind of person do you want them to become? Not just in terms of academic results, but in terms of character traits, values and the way they treat others.
Parents need to hold a clear vision of what their child could become. Notice I said “become” and not “do.” We are not raising human doings. We are raising human beings. The clearer the vision, the easier the decision will be on which school fits that vision.
When you walk through the gates of a school and ask your questions, filter every answer through that vision. Above all, let the vision guide the decision rather than letting the decision make itself.
The school is a partner, not the parent
No school, regardless of how excellent, can replace what happens in the home. The most essential environment for your child is a home that is loving, supportive and committed to setting them on the path of a life of learning. A school is a powerful partner in that journey. However, it is the parent who holds the vision.
1. Leadership
Everything rises and falls on leadership. While the debate about private versus public schooling will continue to distract many parents choosing a school, the real issue of what makes or breaks a school rarely gets discussed. That issue is leadership.
I have seen both private and public schools rise through strong, purposeful leadership. I have also seen schools of both types fall because of weak or absent leadership. Be open to all forms of schools. Choose a school based on leadership rather than type.
The easiest way to assess a school’s leadership is to notice how the school receptionist greets you. If leadership is strong, it will echo throughout every facet of school life.
Glen Gerreyn
A warm, professional and welcoming front office tells you everything. A dismissive or disorganised one tells you just as much. Indeed, for any parent choosing a school, this simple observation is worth more than any brochure.
2. Values
Does the school you are considering share the same values as your family? Are you clear on what values you want to pass on to your children?
Every school in Australia displays its core values somewhere in the foyer. However, the question worth asking is not what those values are, but how the school actually instils them in students. Values on a wall are easy. Values in the corridors, the classrooms and the playground take real work.
When you find a school with a similar value set to your family, make sure those values also strengthen at home. A school and a family working from the same values framework is a powerful combination. Furthermore, if you do not share the same values as a school, do not send your child there. Find one that does.
3. Opportunity
What opportunities does your child’s prospective school offer? Not just in terms of subjects, though that matters, but extra-curricular activities, leadership programmes, arts, sport and community engagement.
I strongly believe that every child has a unique talent or gift. Our role as parents is to find a place where those talents can grow and flourish. Talents without opportunity to germinate are destined to disappear forever. Therefore, a school that offers a rich variety of opportunities is a school that respects the full spectrum of what a young person can become.
Ask the right questions about opportunity
When visiting a school, ask specifically: what does this school offer a student passionate about music, science, entrepreneurship or community service? The breadth of the answer will tell you a great deal about the school’s philosophy toward developing the whole child.
4. Discipline
What procedures does the school follow regarding disciplinary matters? How do they handle disputes? How will you hear about it as a parent if your child has a behavioural issue? And what can you do to support the school in those situations?
A word of warning here. Your child may, at times, face unjust treatment. Life is not always fair and not everything will go their way. However, your role is to help them develop resilience and, where appropriate, allow them to serve the given consequence. After all, a parent who fights every battle on behalf of their child inadvertently teaches their child that they cannot navigate the world on their own.
5. Sense of Community
Everyone wants to belong. It is one of the most fundamental human needs. In an age of social media and digital connection, we are seeing more loneliness and disconnection than ever before.
A school with a genuine sense of community can transform a child’s experience. Make this a priority when you are choosing a school. A strong community improves student wellbeing, builds lasting friendships and develops resilience in ways that academic results alone simply cannot. Walk around the school. Watch how students interact with each other and with their teachers. That culture will become your child’s daily reality.
6. Openness to Spirituality
Please do not misread this point. I am not talking about religious fundamentalism or militant atheism. Both extremes preach intolerance in their own way. What I am talking about is a school that nurtures open-minded, curious children who become genuine seekers of truth.
Information fills our heads with knowledge, but often leaves our inner lives feeling empty. We must reflect on life’s great mysteries in order to develop a healthy soul. A school that creates space for wonder, for questions that have no easy answers and for the development of a moral imagination is one that truly invests in forming a whole human being.
7. Commitment to Social Justice and Community Service
No parent wants to raise a self-centred, narcissistic child. We live in a global community and, as global citizens, we must foster empathy in our children from a young age.
Empathy is more than a feeling. It creates a desire to act on behalf of those less fortunate. Moreover, parents and schools must together teach, model and develop empathy for it to grow into genuine social transformation. A school that connects students to the world beyond their own lives understands the kind of citizens we need to raise.
8. Tradition
Sadly, our throwaway consumer society has lost its sense of tradition. We hand nothing down and pass nothing on because we consume and discard everything. Whether it is a story, a song, a poem or a custom, we need to connect with those who have gone before us.
Tradition fortifies us. It reminds us that we belong to something larger than ourselves. In addition, it motivates us to keep learning, growing and moving forward. A school that honours its history and holds ceremonies with meaning is a school that understands the long arc of human formation.
9. Distance
Be practical, where possible, about the time your child spends travelling to and from school. Your child will spend approximately 78,000 hours in school from kindergarten to Year 12. Adding unnecessary and exhausting travel to that already significant commitment is worth considering carefully.
If you have little choice about the distance, commit fully to your child’s education and find ways to make that travel time meaningful. Some of the best conversations I have had with my own children happened in a car going somewhere. As a result, what feels like lost time can become some of the most valuable time you spend together.
10. Cost
Cost is a very practical consideration and obviously an important one. There will always be costs beyond school fees. Public education is free, but it is not cheap. Uniforms, textbooks, excursions and extra-curricular activities all add up.
However, I personally cannot think of a better investment than our children. Every dollar we invest in their formation, their character and their education returns more than any financial vehicle ever could.
A note on school data
Additional information about individual schools is available from resources such as the MySchool website. While there is useful information there, I would not recommend making such an important decision based solely on data. Data is important, but only if you are raising a robot. You are parenting a human being, complex and profound and multi-dimensional. Let the data inform your decision, but never let it replace it.
Do you want to build a stronger school culture for your students? I deliver powerful, values-driven seminars to parents, students and staff across Australia. Book a school seminar or visit The HopeFULL Institute to learn more.