Academic approach
A good academic background can give your child an excellent start in life. If your child has special educational needs, or if you feel they may need special focus on a particular area, it’s even more important to pay attention to how the different schools on your list might approach and accommodate these individual needs. Find out about the curriculum, which subjects are studied, and how pupils are supported academically (both individually and within the classroom environment), before selecting a school for your child.
Extracurricular activities and facilities
Does your child have a special interest that they would like to pursue? If you have a promising musician or a dedicated athlete in the family, it’s good to know that their talents will be nurtured in their prospective school. Some schools are famously sporty, whilst others might specialise in the arts, so when choosing a school for your child, pay attention to any subject areas in which they excel. Look at the extracurricular activities on offer, and check whether they have facilities like a swimming pool, sports grounds, music studio, library or drama studio.
School values
You’re likely to choose a school that best fits your family. Does the ethos and teaching style of your chosen school reflect your family values? If religion is important to you, you might look to choose a school that underlies and reinforces your own particular faith. You should also consider whether you would prefer your child to attend a single sex school or a mixed establishment.
Pastoral care
While your child is at school, they will be cared for in loco parentis by the staff. The school years can be a difficult time for some young people, so it’s important for parents to feel that children are supported and looked after, and any issues like bullying will be quickly and effectively dealt with. When choosing a school for your child, take the time to find out about the school’s approach to pastoral care and visit the school to see for yourself if the pupils seem happy and engaged.
After school provision
We all lead demanding lives and often work commitments make it difficult to fit our busy timetables around the regular school day. Finding the right school for your child will involve choosing somewhere that can fit in with everyone’s schedule. In addition to a convenient location, before and after school provision and holiday clubs are vital for many families, so check what’s on offer at your chosen schools. If you are looking at boarding schools, find out what options there are for flexible boarding.
Fees and bursaries
If you are considering fee-paying schools, financial issues are paramount. As well as comparing annual fees, find out what kind of extras you might need to pay for – uniforms, music lessons and other sundries can quickly add up. Ask the schools about scholarships and bursaries, and whether they have flexible payment options to help you manage the cost of your child’s schooling.
Catering
If you’re a parent who has work commitments, you’ll know how hard it is to fit the time to prepare and pack for your child’s lunch each day. At Aldwickbury School, we provide quality catering to each of the boys if they can’t bring in their own lunch. The boys will always have a quality range of dishes to choose from and can also have a say on what they would like to see on the menu through our food committee. Also, we understand that some of the boys will have dietary requirements; you can rest assured that our kitchen team will cater for these needs when preparing meals.
Safety measures in Covid times
Despite the world gradually returning to normality after over a year of uncertainty, your child’s safety is still very much at the forefront of our priorities. We pride ourselves on making sure the correct processes and procedures are in place to ensure your child is able to work in a safe environment during covid times; this is all whilst making sure the boys can enjoy a ‘normal’ school experience at the same time.
Do your research
Don’t forget to find out as much as you can about the schools you are considering, from different sources. Parental feedback can be really insightful when choosing a school for your child, and visiting the school itself is also vital. Prospectuses offer a great way to compare different schools and weigh up their pros and cons.
Aldwickbury School holds regular Open Mornings throughout the year. Contact the Registrar on 01582 713022 to make an appointment. You can also request a prospectus here.
