When it comes to finding and applying for your child’s perfect elementary school, everyone has their own approach. It can be overwhelming when you see the sheer choice of schools to choose from. To help you to navigate through this minefield, here’s a few tips to get you going in the right direction.
Think about all the options you have
There are many different types of elementary schools out there, ranging from full boarding schools to local public schools. Cost is also a consideration, as most state schools are free, private education comes at a price, but have premium programs and facilities. You need to consider how much money you have to spend on your child’s education, how far you're able to travel to school and what sort of education you want them to get before you start researching the schools you want to visit.
Smaller classrooms give your child a better chance of learning
One key factor to think about when you look for your child’s school is the size of the classes. Fewer children in each class will give your child the chance to learn in a less crowded environment with more attention and support from teachers. A good example can be seen through at amsschools.org which is a network of Arizona-based charter schools that have much smaller classes than traditional schools. If you look into websites like this one, you should easily be able to find out the necessary information including class size.
Visit every school you’re considering
If a school is far away, or you think you really like it just from the website, it can be easy to decide not to bother visiting it, but this is a bad idea. You need to make sure that you’ve visited each school that you’re thinking about sending your child to so that you can see the facilities, the teaching staff at work and how happy and engaged the other pupils look. Remember that websites, brochures and other literature are designed to ‘sell’ the school to you; they showcase the best elements of the school to encourage you to apply. As such, you need to get first-hand experience of each establishment, and take your child with you so they can get a feel for your shortlist of schools and figure out where they’d most like to study.
Apply to your chosen schools promptly
Once you’ve figured out where you’d like to send your child, you need to apply as quickly as possible so that you can secure them a place. Ask for an application form or the online link when you visit each establishment so that you have them ready even if you don’t end up applying to all of the schools you explore. Fill each application out as thoroughly as possible, including all the information they ask for and anything else you think will help to secure your precious child a place.
Choosing the perfect school for your child is an exciting time, so remember not to put too much pressure on yourself and enjoy the process. It’s a new chapter for both you and your child, so try to enjoy the experience of spending time with them before they move into this exhilarating new chapter in their life.
