Choosing a school for Babygirl

Over the last few months, I have begun the journey of selecting a school for Babygirl.  Yes, I know!  She is going to school next year and time has truly flown.  She has come a long way from the chubby 13 month old that we brought home and has flourished into a loving, eloquent and funny young lady.

As I have started to navigate the school system from the perspective of a parent it has been an interesting experience.

1.  The pressure on parents

I rather naively headed off to my first open day with my mental checklist and in a very relaxed state.  I was heading to one of the local schools that had been awarded the most coveted "Outstanding" category by Ofsted.  I was met by a crowd of anxious and stressed parents whose questions revolved around the likelihood of their child getting into the school rather than what the school would provide for their child.  It was at this point that I suddenly became aware of the pressures that parents are under.  In a world that judges your parenting skills against an extensive list, I had not realised that the ability to fight your child to get into a "good" school was so high on the list!

2.  The myth of "Outstanding"

In my humble opinion, this intense concern about getting their child into an "outstanding" school meant that some parents were missing some of the more important questions like, "what are your values as a school?" and "how do you support less able students?"  As a result, I fear that many parents were blown away by the "outstanding" categorisation and therefore did not scrutinise the school as closely as perhaps they should!  In fact, I was not impressed by this particular school at all.  I found it a cold place and was disappointed by the lack of effort on the part of the headteacher to share their vision for the education of my child.  I got the sense that as they had the "outstanding" label that they felt that they didn't need to make the effort.  Whilst I am a believer in good academic performance in schools, it is my desire to find a school for Babygirl that offers more than that!  Education is not just a process to pass exams but should be a process that helps to prepare every child to thrive in their adult life.

3.  The need to know your own child

As I visited various schools, it became apparent that essentially my choice needed to be based on the needs of my child.  Each school offers slightly different packages and it is well worth taking time to consider what your child needs and whether the school you are visiting will meet those needs.  Some schools spoke of academic rigour and discipline, whilst others emphasised the need to recognise the talents and abilities of each child.  The key message is usually presented by the headteacher which leads nicely into my next and final point:

4.  The importance of the Head

This is crucial and often overlooked.  I am speaking as an ex-teacher and I know the impact that a headteacher can have on the education on each child.  The headteacher sets the tone - their actions can determine what is emphasised in your child's education and how stressed the teachers will be too!  A stressed and overworked teacher is not good for your child's education.  Whilst the education system means that most teachers are stressed and the attitude and work ethic of the headteacher can either reduce or enhance that stress (just a side note!).  Anyway, I found it helpful to listen to what the headteachers said and what their philosophy of education was.

So the decision has been made and the application has been submitted.  Now we wait...... I'll let you know how it goes!