The most important aspects of choosing a school
Few things are more important in a family’s life than the complex issue of deciding on the right school for your child.
Besides being a place where your child has the potential to develop and make progress, they need to feel comfortable and safe in their surroundings.
In this article, we address some of the criteria that you may consider when choosing the correct school for your child.
Remember, we choose a school primarily for the child.
The most important aim when choosing a school is to find a school that is well-suited to your child’s abilities and personality, where they can continually improve while feeling happy. If a prospective first-grader or upper grade student leaves the home cheerfully in the mornings, enjoys every minute spent at school and seems well adjusted, that will be beneficial for the whole family.
What to look for when choosing.
First, it is important that the school’s teaching methods, and pedagogical values are in line with the views expressed and expected by parents.
The readiness, radiance, and personality of educators are also important factors. Ideally, educators who are familiar with the modern methodology of effective education will deal with your child, developing, motivating and supporting him or her in developing his or her skills. At the Brit-Magyar school, for example, in addition to being child-centered, the school also puts emphasis on the quality of each child’s experience.
Of course, the equipment, environment and atmosphere of the chosen educational institution need to be considered too. A well-equipped classroom, a modern and friendly environment that ensures undisturbed learning, can enhance your child’s sense of security.
When choosing a school, the location is also a very important factor.
Easy access of the school can make life easier for the whole family, whether you can drive to school or go home by public transport easily in the afternoon. It is worth thinking about the meal options the school might or might not offer. Are there options for breakfast, lunch or snacks? What is the quality of the food like, how nutritious is it and does it contains vegetables or fruit? Is an alternative available if the child has a food allergy?
For first graders, but also in the upper grades, sports or the availability of special, afternoon classes are also important to consider. The best schools offer an after school programme when regular teaching finishes.
After considering all these aspects, it is also important to think about the costs. Considering the family budget, it is worth deciding rationally whether the public or private schools are accessible for the family.
Should we choose a monolingual or bilingual school?
Bilingual schools are where education is provided in two languages in certain classes and subjects. This can have many benefits for the development of children, who can learn foreign languages earlier, develop deeper executive functioning of their brains, and increase their chances of later academic or business success. The Important questions to ask however, are which subjects are taught in a foreign language, who teaches the language and what type of teaching methodology is used? As an accredited Cambridge institution, the Brit-Magyar School combines the Hungarian Core Curriculum with the Cambridge International Curriculum developed for English and Welsh schools. Children use subject-specific technical terms in both languages, which greatly facilitates their opportunities for further learning.
What else can help when choosing a school?
It is advisable to seek the opinion of other parents. Feedback from fathers and mothers whose children attend a preferred school can be especially insightful.
Go to the open days provided by the schools. In this way, a parent can have first-hand experience of the quality and atmosphere of the school, getting to meet the teachers as well.
Finally, don’t forget to consult the child; which school would they love to go to?
Click here to see the dates of the upcoming open days at Brit-Magyar.
