Top 6 Ways to Find a Private School Jewel

Private school jewel – Learn more with My education Compass! Are you thinking about sending your kid to a private school jewel? 

If so, you should carefully consider your options. Visiting several different schools and speaking with administrators, instructors, and other staff members is crucial. 

To identify the best school for your child and family (or to choose from among the schools you may have been accepted to), you’ll want to ask them many questions.

Top Questions To Ask a Private School Jewel

1. What Is Your School Philosophy Or Vision?

Finding out a school’s philosophy or vision is crucial. A school’s philosophy is frequently expressed in its mission statement and implemented through a “strategic plan” (for further details, see the School handbook). 

Ensure this aligns with your personal, educational values and ideas.

Naturally, it would be best to learn more about how the school’s guiding principles are implemented. What matters is how it is incorporated into the curriculum, instruction, and student life.

Critical inquiries to make:

1. What foundational ideas underpin your school’s philosophy?
2. How do these align with the mission statement of your school?
3. How are they used in the school environment and classroom?

Look for a school’s mission statement and thoroughly read it. This should make it crystal clear to you what the school’s overarching vision is.

2. What Type Of Student Are You Looking For?

Students with a wide range of intellectual, social, and emotional qualities are typically accepted by institutions. But many specifically target particular student groups.

For instance, they might favor pupils with a particular academic specialization in the humanities, sciences, or math. 

Beyond academics, they tend to children who are socially conscious, athletic, all-around, autonomous, ambitious, or actively involved in student life.  

Always research the type(s) of pupils a school is seeking. This should enable you to assess your child’s likelihood of fitting in.

Critical inquiries to make:

1. How would you describe your ideal student?
2. What sort of academic emphasis do they usually have?
3. What interests and objectives might they have other academic ones?
4. How does the perfect student you envision fit into your school’s mission or guiding principles?

Don’t try to mold your child into the ideal student that a school has in mind. The school could not fit them well if they didn’t meet this model.

3. What Curriculum Do You Use?

Ensure your child has the appropriate academic and learning profile for the school. You should discover as much as possible about its curriculum to accomplish this.

Learn about the school’s curricular requirements and expectations. It would be best if you also inquired about the curriculum’s methodology and whether it is more teacher- or student-centered. 

This method should support the learning requirements and preferences of your child.

Critical inquiries to make:

1. Do you adhere to or exceed the educational requirements of your native province (for example, Ontario or BC)?
2. Do you follow a particular instructional strategy, and if yes, what is it? For instance, is it a Reggio Emilia, Montessori, Waldorf, or IB approach?
3. At what educational levels is your curricular approach implemented in the classroom?

A helpful hint is to drop by one or two classes. Thanks to this, you will better understand how teachers implement the curriculum in various circumstances.

4. What Are Your Class Sizes And Student-To-Teacher Ratios?

Education quality can be significantly impacted by class size. The fact that many private school jewels have smaller class sizes and lower student-teacher ratios is a significant advantage. 

More individualized care, differentiated learning, and student engagement are frequent outcomes of this.

However, not all private school jewels place a high premium on differentiated learning. It would help if you based your choice on how schools make the most of small class sizes and high student-to-teacher ratios to improve education.

Critical inquiries to make:

1. What is the class size and student-to-teacher ratio for my child’s current and future classes?
2. Do you provide differentiated instruction and individualized learning, and what does that entail?
3. Do you employ teaching assistants, and what are their responsibilities?

Don’t be scared to pose direct, detailed inquiries. For instance, you might inquire how teachers modify their lessons to accommodate the unique learning requirements of kids with learning problems like dyslexia.

5. How Much Is Tuition, And What Does It Include?

The cost of private school jewels varies greatly. In Canada, annual tuition fees can range from $10,000 to more than $100,000.

There can be expenses in addition to tuition. You might have to pay extra in some schools for items like school supplies, meals, extracurricular activities, field excursions, and uniforms.

Critical inquiries to make:

1. What is the annual tuition?
2. What exactly is covered by education, and what is not?
3. Are there any necessities (such as textbooks, uniforms, etc.) not covered by the cost of tuition?
4. What should my anticipated yearly expenses at your school be, considering both tuition and additional fees?

Many schools provide financial aid, such as bursaries or needs-based subsidies. Find out if your family qualifies for financial help and how much, if any, they can anticipate receiving during your child’s enrollment.

6. What Extracurricular Activities Do You Offer?

A large number of private schools provide a variety of extracurricular activities. Sports teams, after-school and lunch groups, science and art classes, and volunteer opportunities are just a few examples.  

A school should ideally provide extracurricular activities that appeal to your child’s interests and needs. 

For instance, you might prefer a school with a competitive soccer team if your child is an eager and accomplished soccer player.

Critical inquiries to make:

1. What types of after-school activities do you provide?
2. When and how frequently do these behaviors occur?
3. Do I have to pay extra for these extracurricular activities, or are they part of the tuition? What would the additional cost be?

Find out what extracurricular activities are available at what ages to determine your child’s suitability. Ask if there are any further participation requirements (like making the soccer team through tryouts).

7. What Are Your Teachers’ Qualifications?

The teaching profession dramatically influences the quality of education. However, not all private school jewel have committed, enthusiastic, and qualified teachers.

Learn more about a school’s instructors’ education and experience. As this might demonstrate a school’s dedication to supporting the success and development of its teachers, you should also inquire about the chances for professional development offered to teaching staff.

Critical inquiries to make:

1. What degrees and training have your teachers received?
2. What additional qualifications and attributes (such as teaching experience, commitment, passion, etc.) do your teachers possess?
3. What options do you offer teachers for professional growth, such as workshops, seminars, conferences, advanced studies, etc.?

Talk to your teachers about their educational ideas, teaching methods, and classroom rules. Attend a few classes to observe how these things work out for yourself.

8. How Do You Integrate Technology Into The Classroom And Curriculum?

Education is becoming more and more reliant on contemporary technologies. Classrooms in many schools are furnished with laptop computers, interactive whiteboards, e-readers, and other technology. 

Some educational institutions, particularly those at the higher levels, also offer elective or mandatory courses in technologically oriented areas, including computer science, programming, robotics, and graphic design.

School representatives frequently discuss the school’s technical resources during admissions discussions. However, finding out how students and teachers use technology to improve the learning process is crucial.

Critical inquiries to make:

1. What technology resources do you have, and how, if at all, are they accessible to students?
2. Each educational level’s use of technology in the classroom is different. How is this done?
3. If you teach any types of technology skills, what are they?
4. What courses in terms of technology do you provide, if any? 

Ensure the school’s perspective on how technology should be used in education matches your own.

9. How Do You Measure Individual Achievement And Progress?

In specific ways, every school assesses students’ progress. Even institutions like Montessori, Waldorf, and Reggio Emilia preschools, which prefer to avoid grading at the lower levels (and possibly even at the upper classes), keep tabs on their kids’ progress.

It would help if you researched how a school measures the development of its students. It would help if you kept an eye on this because it’s essential to know how your youngster is doing.

Critical inquiries to make:

1. Do you assign grades for tasks like assignments and exams? If yes, how frequently?
2. How can you determine a student’s development if you don’t mark their work? What metrics do you employ?
3. Do you use any self-evaluation tools, such as student rubrics?
4. How and how frequently are parents informed about their children’s development?
5. Utilize your report cards. If so, how often are they distributed?

Check that a school has a system for monitoring your child’s progress if it doesn’t grade assignments.

10. What Is Student Life Like?

The experience of being a student is crucial to education. You want your kid to be content, successful, and involved in class. Additionally, you want children to establish and nurture close friendships with their peers.

Learn everything you can about college life. Look into students’ social, emotional, and intellectual experiences at school.

Critical inquiries to make:

1. What methods do you employ to foster a thriving and harmonious community at your school?
2. Do you often hold events and activities that promote community?
3. How can you develop enduring bonds with your peers?
4. How do you handle behavior and social interaction issues, such as bullying, taunting, and exclusion?

Interact with students to obtain a feel for school life. Talking to parents about their children’s experiences is another smart move.

11. How Can Parents Get Involved In School Life?

Parents are critical of their kids’ education. Many parents get active in their children’s daily school life by assisting in the classroom, participating in parent committees and school boards, and other ways in addition to helping pick the ideal school for their children.

Knowing how a school welcomes you into their community is vital since children learn best when their parents are involved in their education. 

You should seek out a school that allows you to get engaged in various ways and maintains an open line of contact with parents.

Critical inquiries to make:

1. What volunteer possibilities exist for parents?
2. Does a parents’ organization exist? What does it do if so?
3. What activities are held throughout the academic year to involve parents?
4. How do teachers interact with parents?

Speak with present and former student’s parents and school employees. This should help you get a solid idea of the school community and how you may participate.

12. How Is Your School Operated And Governed?

Independent and private school jewels are run differently. They can be for-profit, not-for-profit, or nonprofit in terms of finances. 

Boards of directors, owner-operators, and school directors can govern them. Independent academic or governmental groups can also accredit, oversee, and finance schools.

Learn everything you can about how the school is run. Inquire about the structure of the leadership team and who is in charge of what decisions.

Critical inquiries to make:

1. Are you a school that is for-profit, nonprofit, or nonprofit?
2. Do school employees report to an owner-operator, a board of directors, or other people or groups?
3. Who do I contact if I have inquiries concerning my child?

Finding a Private School Jewel…

If your school has accreditation, learn about the organization that granted it. This can provide you with essential details about a school’s academic standards, goals, and ideologies.