Not all private schools are run the same. This can be obvious to most parents, but the details on these differences can sometimes fly under the radar. If you have made the decision to send your child to a private school, the next decision will be where exactly should you send them? The process for this is actually quite easy once you start breaking down what you should be looking for in a private school.
What Does Your Student Need?
It is important to identify what exactly it is that you want from a private school. Each private school tailors itself to a different need: some schools focus on teaching religious values alongside its curriculum, some place an emphasis on culinary or visual arts, and others can focus on children with special needs such as autism. Understand exactly what your child needs, and what values you want them to attain from their school. If you want to choose a school for special needs, it’s important to find one that can work best with your child’s Individualized Education Plan.
Private School Tuition and Scholarships
Another factor to consider is the financial cost of the private school. Unlike public schools, private ones usually charge a tuition and/or enrollment fee for your child. While tuition can sometimes cost an arm and a leg, many private schools also offer scholarships and other forms of financial assistance to help overcome this hurdle. Transportation should also be considered here, as some schools may not offer their own method of transportation for your child. Gas and bus fares don’t come free!
Teacher Qualifications
Not all teachers will have the same credentials between different private schools. When looking into different schools, it’s important to see how qualified the teachers and faculty are to meet the specific needs you and your child have. For example, if you’re looking for a school that focuses on special needs, it’s good to have teachers with a special education background. In public school you generally have to take what you can get, but with private schools you get to be a bit more picky about who is teaching your children. Use that to your advantage and find the absolute best teachers for your child.
Finding The School That’s Right For Your Child
You should also consider your child’s opinion on what school they would like to attend. It’s one thing to do all the research yourself, but without your child’s input you may be passing over some important factors. Your child may have their own needs and wants that can sway your decision, or make the judgment much more clear on which private school to send them to.
Plan For An In-Person Tour or Open House Visit
It’s a good idea to attend open houses as they are available, so you and your child can get first hand experience of the campus and what life would be like at these schools. Fortunately many private schools require an open house tour as part of their enrollment process. If a private school does not require an open house tour, then definitely consider taking your child to see the school personally. Pictures aren’t always enough to get a feel for a school, actually seeing and interacting with the campus can bring its own comfort in making the decision to enroll there.
Hopefully after some of these tips, it has become easier for you to decide on what private school is best for you child. Parents may have their own individual factors to look out for, but these are some very simple and basic considerations to make that can benefit any family no matter what their needs are.
