How to choose the most suitable Inter/national plus school ?

Choosing a school for your child is a very delicate matter. Who knows your child best? You do. Who most understands your family needs, values and dreams? Nobody other than you!

As an increasing number of international schools come into the town, and the choices become ever more complicated, it will be a long process of researching and comparison, getting to know with their educational philosophy and approach to teaching and learning, their community, selection criteria and assessment process.

Do your homework

Before choosing a school, parents should prioritise what is most important to their child and family, taking into consideration academics, language(s) and other extracurricular activities. Practicalities such as bus schedules may factor into the decision process but often become less important than they may first appear to be.

Make personal contact​

Visit the school if possible. It is advised that families should visit more than one school, because it’s only through comparison shopping that parents learn what they most value in an educational setting. This can be time-consuming so parents are encouraged to spread visits out over a year or more.

Talk to real parents

If all goes well on the visit, seek out parents whose children went through the programme, and talk to them about their experiences.

Talk to real students

Again, some schools have taken to “presenting” their best students to prospective parents at school tours and other events. Of course, these students have been cherry- picked and trained to follow the script.

Talk to them, but also seek out “real” students; those who passed, those who failed, and those who left. You may hire upper secondary students to help with your children’s homework or babysit and observe how they conduct themselves. This can give you interesting insights, especially if you are evaluating a secondary school.

Making an application only after having done your homework, visited the school and talked to parents and students means you’ll be much more likely to accept an offer if and when it comes, and feel comfortable doing so.