No parent wants their child to struggle at school, and if your child has already had a bit of trouble with primary school, you’re going to be worried about where they’re headed next. They’re going to be 11 soon, and they’re going to need to move on to higher education, and you want to support them every step of the way.
You want your child to go to the best secondary school possible, to make sure they’re high school education gets them through to GCSE and beyond without a hitch! But how can you be sure you’re sending your 11 year old off to the right school? Let’s go through some points below that can help you be sure about your choice of secondary school.
Get to Know the Environment
The first thing to do, when scoping out new schools that you think might be good for your child, is to figure out what the environment of the school is like. Let’s say you wanted to visit Leicester High School for an open evening – what should you be on the lookout for in terms of atmosphere?
Does the place look polished and put together? Do the staff sound like they care? Does the school even feel welcoming and open, like it’s there for each and every student? Go with your gut on this one, and keep an eye out.
Find Out About Their Support Programs
The next thing you’ll want to inquire after is just how much they support children with special needs, as well as any facilities they may have for gifted and talented students. What does the school do to get down to a student’s level, and how much care is involved in their programs?
All in all, you want to get to know how far this support extends, in terms of a child’s social needs, academic needs, and discipline. You want to know that a support program is there for all children that might need it. And once this has been explained to you, how well does it sit with you?
How Involved Can Parents Get?
And finally, you’ll want to get to know just how involved a parent like you can get. Is there a PTA you can join? Does the school reach out to parents with open communication, and pass along as much information as possible about the school’s direction? Do you hear about any news in good time? Are you satisfied with the frequency of grade reports?
Ask yourself just how quickly the school passes along messages; are the lines of communication open, and are you able to get involved? Because you want to support your child too, and it’s important you’re given the chance to.
Your 11 year old needs to move onto secondary school, and they need to soon. Have you found the right place for them? Are you worried they’re not going to fare well? All in all, know what to look for in a prospective school.
