Deciding which school is right for your child is one of the most significant responsibilities you’ll have as a parent. This is a long-term decision that can literally change the life of your little ones. Finding the best primary schools in Australia or the best high schools requires dedication, research, and collaboration with your kids.
Even if you’re anxious about your child’s future and already searching for math worksheets everywhere, or still not sure which factors should influence your choice of school, we listed the three most crucial ones to add to your list. We also added a few other valuable tips to help you choose what’s best for your children with ease. Finding the right educational facility will promote growth, will work to improve the child’s strengths, eliminate the weaknesses, and prepare them for a successful career.
3 Crucial Factors to Consider When Choosing a School for Your Kids
What are the key selection criteria to keep in mind when looking for the best schools in Australia? How to find the best primary schools in Australia and how to find the best high schools? We listed the essential factors you must consider before choosing where you’ll send your child to study.
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Location
Is it vital for you to find the closest school possible, or are you willing to take your kids to school every day if it’s not as close? This is one of the most influential factors that helps parents decide whenever they need to find the best primary school. Before you choose between a local school and a non-local one, check your catchment area and put together a list of schools that belong to it.
You can explore the school zones and enrolment area near your home address if you simply search the web for ‘closest primary school to me’ or ‘closest high school to me’. In general, most parents opt to enrol their kids in a local school, but choosing a non-local one is not off the cards. In that case, most areas have a rule that prioritises kids living in that zone, while kids outside of the zone will have to get their applications accepted first.
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Type Of School
Are you more interested in public schools, or do you prefer private schools? First of all, the school costs won’t be the same. A public school is free for all citizens and permanent residents of Australia, while the costs of private schools can vary a lot.
If you find a private school that you think is perfect for your child, you should consider investing in it. Quality early childhood education is crucial for primary school children.
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Academic Results
Check the school’s academic results to see if they’re worth your attention. Also, try to compare if the school has improved over the years and if their scores have gone up. Finally, remember to compare the scores of various schools you’re interested in before settling on a single one.
If you noticed that their scores have gone up or down from the previous years, try to get answers to why that happened. Next, research how well their previous students perform when they move on to a higher-level school. All the academic results are essential to look at because they will give you an overall picture of the school’s quality.
Additional Tips on How to Choose the Right School for Your Child
In 2020, there were 9,542 schools in Australia. The numbers are overwhelming, and the choice is quite diverse. Since the three factors we listed aren’t enough to make an educated decision, we wanted to include a few useful tips to help you make the right pick.
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Do Your Online Research
These days, you can find everything online. So, for example, if you’re looking for the best primary school in Melbourne or you want to live in Melbourne then visit Melbourne hostel, all you have to do is go online and type ‘good schools guide Victoria’. Schools in Melbourne fall within Victoria’s territory, so you should prepare a notepad and a pen and start writing things down.
Once you find the schools that meet your criteria, your next step should be to visit their website, explore the Victorian teaching criteria, questions, and answers section to see if you find more details about your inquiries, their staff, programs, activities, etc. If you find that the school doesn’t offer good teaching and learning opportunities, you should go back to the good schools’ guide and check the next one on the list.
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Pay A Visit
Aside from online research, visiting the school is also very important. Work with your child to find what’s best for them and to see if they like the potential schools on your list. You can get in touch with the school before going to ask them whether it’s possible for your child to visit a classroom, walk around the playground to get familiar with the outdoor activities that happen during the school year, and ask all the other questions you have.
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Put Together a List of Requirements
Each parent has a list of requirements that schools have to fulfil before they send their kids to study there. You have to make sure that the school has everything your child needs so that they fit well in the environment and feel even more inspired to learn.
The requirements you should focus on include great teaching staff, a school that welcomes parents and their questions, an accepting environment for all kinds of children, types of learning techniques, etc.
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Study The Classes
Get a list of the classes the school has, and make sure that they are exactly what your kid wants. Although most schools have a similar program, there are still differences that you should know about. Also, focus on whether the school promotes extracurricular activities and what kind of electives they offer. It would be a pity to enrol your child in a school that doesn’t even have a football team, when your child is obsessed with that sport and is a great player.
Check out a good careers guide online, to see which classes your kid needs if they’re interested in pursuing a specific career. Then, find a school praised for their results in the fields you’re interested in and their students’ overall performance. It will boost your child’s confidence from the start and help them pursue their dreams.
Conclusion
Parents have to make numerous difficult decisions regarding their kids, and one of the toughest ones is choosing the right school. Undoubtedly, quality education is key, so spending time to figure out which one is the best should be your priority.
But how can you make this whole process easier when there are so many different schools to choose from? You can start by exploring three critical factors: location, type of school, and academic results. Once you make a decision on these three, you’ll have a tight circle of schools on your list. Next, you should also do online research, visit the schools, put together a list of requirements, and study the classes and activities they offer. Finally, remember to communicate with your child and get their thoughts on each potential school before you make a final decision.