How to choose a private school for a child?

Today, private schools are a good alternative to state institutions: professional teachers, cozy classes, comfortable children's desks, and attentive attitude towards students ... Of course, all this is present only if the school is chosen correctly. So how do you make this choice?

Check all options

Start the search for an educational institution is already in the spring, 4-5 months before the start of the school year. Find all the private schools located in your city or district (note that you still need to get to the place of study, so ideally the school should be within walking distance). Gather about them a maximum of information through the Internet: the names of the director and teachers, reviews, discussions, groups of graduates, etc.

At this stage, it is worth paying attention to absolutely all educational institutions that you will find. The more they are there, the higher the chance that you will not miss the school of your dreams.

Look around "on the spot"

Having collected preliminary data about all schools, begin a mass check. Select the most interesting and promising educational institutions from the list call them and find out when you can visit the school for interview. Private institutions willingly open their doors to future customers, with this there will be no problems.

During the visit, ask about everything that interests you. Assess not only the answers themselves, but also how willing they are. If the "guide" (director, administrator or teacher) answers vaguely, gets confused or thinks for a long time over questions, it is worthwhile to think: are you being told the truth? It may be better to immediately look at other options - after all, the child will spend many years at the school desk, the most important of which are the first two or three years. Do not take chances.

What to ask?

If the school works according to the international program, immediately ask: is there foreign accreditation, do they recognize the final documents in foreign HEIs?

Find out how many children are in the classroom. If there are more than 15, look for another school: with so many students there will be no individual approach, and therefore one of the main advantages of a private school is lost. At the same time, too few classmates (5 or less) are also bad: socialization is hampered, the chance increases that the child will not find friends.

Learn about additional education: in a good private school, hours of study work with children is not limited. The program should include outreach activities: visits to theaters and excursions, trips to museums, sports events. It is very cool, if children are offered to enroll in some classes like a football or tennis.

And, of course, you need to clarify the cost of training (including additional payments: for class repairs, trips, excursions, etc.). Typically, training in a private school is worth the money spent on it, but the amount of payments is better to clarify in advance.

What to look at?

Be sure to ask for a tour of the school. Look, first of all, on equipping classes. Is there a technology necessary for the organization of the training process? Is it worth modern furniture for the student? It's great if there are growing desks that are regulated for the growth of a particular child. Evaluate the overall condition of the corridors and cabinets: has the repair been done long ago? Is the design pleasant? is it comfortable for the child in such a situation?

Be sure to check if there is a dining room and a gym in the school. Ideally, there should be a swimming pool. Swimming has a very beneficial effect on the development of the child's body. All rooms should be well lit and ventilated, if the school is stuffy, it's bad. In the dining room pay attention to the menu. Is it balanced? Is healthy food for children?

It is very important to ask if the building belongs to the school, or is it rented? In the second case, there is a risk that in the middle of studies the institution will have to move - this can be fraught with deteriorating conditions and unnecessary troubles.

And finally, even if it seems to you that you have already found the school of your dreams, be sure to check all the options. The more attention you pay to the choice of the institution, the better - and more effectively - your child will spend years at the school desk.