Choosing a School

The task of choosing a school for your child can be quite time consuming and overwhelming, not to mention nerve-racking. Even the most calm and relaxed parents out there have been known to worry and lose sleep over choosing the ‘right’ school for their kids.

Most parents tend to use their own experiences as a starting point when making a decision about their child’s education and schooling. For many though, the process can very quickly become involved, stressful and exhausting! By arming yourself with a little knowledge and a basic plan you can prevent the exercise from being an awful experience.

When do I actually start sending my child to school?

The first time parents are faced with choosing a school is when their little one is due to enrol in Prep or an early childhood education program.

Kindergarten, also known as Kindy or Pre-Prep, isn’t an official part of school education and it’s not compulsory. Kindy is only part-time and is available for children who turn four by June 30 the year they enrol. Early Childhood Management Services’ Cathy Tighe explains that Kindy is a play-based program and can help to stimulate children’s social, intellectual, physical and emotional development which helps prepare them for school.

If you are unsure whether this is right for your child, Education Queensland’s website offers advice on the process, locations and benefits.

If you forego Kindy, Education Queensland explains the preparatory year (prep) is the first year of school for children in Queensland.

Although prep is non-compulsory, children are legally required to attend school when they are six years and six months old, so they should be enrolled in grade one when they reach this age. In the year that the child is enrolled for grade one, they must turn six by June 30. The enrolment dates at various schools differ.

Tammy Mitchell was previously a secondary public school teacher, and has recently made the decision to send her child to a private school to begin prep next year. “A lucky thing for us was that the private schools interview a lot earlier than the public schools start recruiting... so I hadn’t put all my eggs in the one basket,” Tammy says.

Where to start...

Thinking about, and making a list of, your specific needs and the needs of your child is a good way to eliminate options that don’t fit the family’s ‘mould’. It can also save you time and energy.

When it comes to choosing a school for your child you are basically deciding not only who will educate them but, just as importantly, who will be the best influence during their younger years and as they approach their adult life. Kids spend a large majority of their waking hours in the school environment so it’s understandable that you would like them to be attending a school where the influences are positive and the aspirations you have for your child are mirrored through school curriculum and policies.

Considerations for you...

Existing family circumstances and special factors such as convenience, time, care arrangements and financial circumstances are all things that need to be considered when choosing a school. Finances can also be an issue, not just with the outlay of fees and other school costs. Fuel, bus fares and after school care arrangements can dip into the family budget as well.

It’s as important that YOU feel at home in the school as your children and that the school’s philosophies match your own.

Teachers’ aide Di Feeney’s children have attended both private and public schools. She says there are “great teachers in both systems and in the end it comes down to the quality of teaching and the general feeling and communication within the school”.

“Better funding in the private schools allows more flexibility with resources, facilities, opportunities,” Di says.

“However, how a school works depends on the staff and families involved within the school.

“Nikki [daughter] is thriving at public school but I think her three years at private school was also a very positive experience.

“Every time the girls have changed schools they have just gained greater acceptance and tolerance to different experiences with different teachers, classmates and styles of learning,” Di says.

Considerations for your child...

No-one knows your child better than you, so when you are choosing a school for them consider their particular needs and abilities and whether the school has the appropriate support available.

Independent Schools Queensland executive director David Robertson says factors “...such as a school’s curriculum, its discipline policies, its facilities, what extra-curricular offerings are available, class sizes and pastoral care support” are important considerations.

Mother of two Raelene Eves agrees that (for primary school children) other factors are more important than the curriculum. “Predominantly, I wanted to ensure the school I chose was interested in my child,” she says.

“The school I have chosen (about 220 children) has a good curriculum and good policies, including a mentoring program to help new children adjust.

“With the smaller numbers of children, the principal, teachers and staff know my child and me personally, and I believe that this helpsstop my child getting ‘lost in the system’.”

Education Queensland says other issues or considerations you may want to pursue are school size, assessment and reporting procedures, student and parental involvement, homework and assignment expectations, teaching methods and classroom environment, as well as out-of-school-hours care, fees and levies and appropriate class placement for your child.

Regardless of whether you choose the public or independent system, most schools use guidelines and/or syllabuses set out by the Queensland Studies Authority to develop their own objectives, curriculum and school charter. Outside of the basic subjects, specialist subjects are considered based on the school’s philosophy, its community, whether it has a strong sports ethic, strengths in art or music, religion or a purely academic focus.

However, in some cases it’s the teaching philosophy that’s different. Montessori International principal Chiray Fitton says the Montessori system focuses on developing the character and personality of the child rather than academia. “Everything is interrelated so Montessori tries not to fragment education into separate maths or science lessons,” she says.

What are my options?

Knowing your options is a key factor in helping to decide on the best education environment for your child. Queensland has 1,760 schools comprising 1,300 public primary and high schools, 286 Catholic schools and 174 independent (or private) schools. Approximately 70% of students use the public system and 30% attend non-government or private schools. Home schooling is also an option that is slowly becoming more popular.

Types of schools

State

Education Queensland is responsible for providing education to all Queensland kids. Although the Department of Education and Training says school principals and parents and citizens associations may charge fees or ask for donations to fund resources, state school are generally regarded as free to Australian citizens.

Catholic

The National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) explains that Catholic schools provide education for Australian students with a religious foundation.

“Like all Australian schools, Catholic schools are accountable to governments and their local communities for meeting all the teaching and learning requirements of the state,” NCEC says.

“They also have distinctive goals and features which derive from a core of philosophical and theological truths.”

Independent

Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ) explains that non-government schools are also called independent schools. “Independent schools in receipt of Commonwealth and state funding are incorporated non-profit organisations,” ISQ explains.

Where am I?

Queensland public schools have zoning restrictions which means if you live outside the school’s catchment area you are usually put on a waiting list in order of application. Particular criteria such as whether siblings attend the school and whether there is a child protection order in place are two of the main factors used to consider admissions.

Zoning rules do not apply to independent schools but Independent Schools Queensland executive director David Robertson says it’s important to contact the school and find out about enrolment procedures. Like public schools, independent schools often give preference “...to siblings of enrolled children, children who live in the local area and children who attend the local affiliated church if it’s a religious school.”

Research... 

Once you have considered your specific needs it’s time to look at your options.

“By researching school options and seeking as much information as possible parents can be more confident they will enrol their child in a school that best meets their needs,” David Robertson says.

Research doesn’t necessarily mean countless boring hours scouring through piles of thick school prospectuses, brochures and reports (although they do have heaps of valuable and helpful information). Researching a school for your child can be interesting and fun. Websites are a fantastic source of information and you can even get a ‘feel’ for the school simply by browsing the different pages within their site.

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) has developed the My School website to enable parents to browse both private and public school profiles.

My School provides information about the socio-economic status of the student body, student attendance rates, staff numbers, national literacy and numeracy testing results and contrasts these results with other schools.

Open days and interviews...

Open days are fantastic because you can walk around the school, look at the facilities and meet the staff and other parents. You can observe the students and how they interact with each other, whether they appear happy and whether they act appropriately towards visitors and teachers.

Coast mum Sharlene Latcham was faced with having to choose a new school for her son recently. “I attended several schools to look at the grounds and to meet teachers and staff so I could get a feel for how each school would suit our needs,” she says.

“I was also really impressed with the interview process. This allowed us to meet the head of Middle School personally and questions

were directed to both of us so my son felt he had a say...the research was definitely worth the effort,” she says. Mum Kim Timms also met with the school before making the decision to enrol her son.

“The deputy principal who interviewed me volunteered heaps of information on their teachers... their commitment to building infrastructure, their commitment to all curriculum subjects, additional projects, and their sustainability projects. We also discussed fees and levies and explained how the levies get distributed across the many projects they had going and will be starting,” Kim says.

Ask your friends...

Word of mouth can also be helpful. If you have trusted friends and family who send their children to a particular school, ask them why they are happy with the school and their opinion on other aspects such as the curriculum, the teachers, communication with parents. Ask if they have had any negative experiences, and how they were handled by the school administration. Kim Timms did just that. “Reputation was key to my decision,” she says. “I spoke to a lot of local people to gain a feeling about the school.

“I asked what they had heard and... if they believed it was a good school.”

Last but not least...

Once you’ve got things a little clearer in your head, where practical, it’s a good idea to include your child in the decision-making process. Talk to them about your ideas and ask for their opinion and input. Listen to their concerns and you will almost certainly find they will be more accepting of the change and more likely to embrace the new environment when they get there.

It may be time consuming initially but the hard work and research pays off. Not only will you feel confident in your decision but, when they bound through the door after the first day, throw their bag on the floor and announce that they’re ‘starving’, you will know they are happy too!

Questions you may want to ask... 

• How available are teachers and staff to parents?
• What’s the staff/student ratio?
• What are the behaviour management policies?
• How is bullying handled?
• What is the homework policy?
• How many children per class?
• How does the school support students with specific learning, language and/or cultural needs?
• What are the schools reporting and assessment policies?

Other things to consider... 

• Does the school offer scholarships or bursaries?
• Is the school single sex or coeducational?
• Are there special arrangements to help you pay fees?
• Do you want a separate primary school, secondary school or combined?
• What is the school’s reputation?
• What are the school’s values?
• Does the school have a sense of community?
• Were you made to feel welcome?
• Are the staff and students happy?
• Is the school well maintained?
• Does it have air conditioning?
• Are there plenty of undercover areas for play?

For more information

Queensland Studies Authority: www.qsa.edu.au 

Education Queensland: Sunshine Coast South District Office: 3881 9600 or visit: www.education.qld.gov.au
Independent Schools Queensland: www.aisq.qld.edu.au
Aussie Educator: www.aussieeducator.org.au
National Catholic Education Commission: www.ncec.catholic.edu.au
My School: www.myschool.edu.au