CONNECTOR.AE 28 CONNECTOR.AE 29 Kids And Education Kids And Education Tips To Choosing The Right School Education is a vital part in the growth and overall development of a child. At school, they are able to tap into their skills with the help of their teachers, find their career paths, learn valuable lessons, socialise with peers and develop accordingly. Learning can help empower children, and the right guidance received in school can help them climb up the social ladder in life as well as in school. However, making a choice on which school to attend is an overwhelming one that can make the decision-making process difficult for parents, as each child has different needs and ways of learning. With multiple options and curricula to choose from in the UAE, the options are vast and narrowing a list can be a tedious process. To help ease the trouble, Connector, in conversation with schools in Dubai, has come up with a checklist to ensure the best school is found for the child. One of the best ways to find the right school for a child is by visiting various schools, as each school has multiple key strengths and skills they focus on. Jeff Smith, Principal at Dunecrest American School said, “Visit the school properly and have a walk around the school. The best information comes from your sense and feel about the school, as you walk around, what you see the interactions are like between the staff and the students, what is on the walls, what sort of information that tells you about the work that the children are doing, all the types of activities the children are engaged with. You might see things that give an indication whether they are involved in projects.” While compiling a list of schools to visit, an essential element is doing research. Rather than visiting the school without any prior knowledge, checking the school’s website and seeing whether the programmes are in line with what the child requires is important. Alison Roberts, Head of Marketing and Admissions at Swiss International School The staff at a school are the backbone for providing quality education to students. While at the school, talk to teachers to determine if they are passionate about helping children grow, find out what their qualifications are and how happy the teachers seem with the school operates. This gives a stronger sense of the working of the school. Mark Ford of The English College said, “Knowing who owns the school can VISIT THE SCHOOL: CARRY OUT BACKGROUND RESEARCH: LOOK INTO THE TEACHING STAFF: On visiting, it will be easier to make a decision in terms of whether the child will thrive in that environment after meeting the staff and having a look at all the available facilities. Dawn Rennie, Head of Admissions at International School Partnerships, which manages Nibras International School, Star International School and The Aquila School said, “We understand that choosing the right school for your child has to do with the right feeling, so our advice for parents is to plan a visit to the school. Your visit will give you and your child an opportunity to tour the facilities, meet with the Senior Leadership Team and teachers, and get a feel for the school’s environment.” Dubai said, “Aim to do as much research in advance of a school visit, so you can ask specific and relevant questions that will help you form a decision, what curriculum does the school offer, what are the unique elements of the school, what areas of the curriculum is the school particularly strong in and what kind of environment and culture would suit my child?” provide insight into its mission and values. Research the background and qualifications of the teaching staff, including where they are from and their experience level. Additionally, look into the staff turnover rate to see if there is consistency in the quality of teaching. It is also essential to consider the class sizes and student-to-teacher ratio to ensure your child receives the attention and support they need to succeed.”
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