As a parent, choosing the right school for your child’s unique needs can be difficult. After all, there are so many factors to consider. From reading Ofsted reports to finding out what extracurricular activities they offer, it is important to do your research and find out everything you need to know before you are able to make an informed decision. Keep reading to find out our top tips for choosing the right school for your child.

Choose your priorities

Before you start looking at potential schools, it is a good idea to list what you are looking for, placing them in order of importance. By understanding what your priorities are, you'll know what are your must-haves and what you are willing to compromise on, as well as being able to filter schools accordingly.

Important things to consider include:

• Location
• Cost
• School size
• Boarding options
• Pastoral Care
• Facilities
• Academic results
• Extra-curricular activities
• Curriculum 

Do your homework

Once you understand what you are looking for, do your homework. Research potential schools and find out everything you possibly can about them. Does the school have a positive learning environment? Do pupils feel encouraged? Do they get good results? The list of questions is almost endless. The school website is a great place to start. 

Check the stats (& make sure you understand them)

A big part of choosing a school is often its results and academic track record. Of course, this isn’t always necessarily representative of a school, but it does give a good indication of the quality of teaching it offers. Check the school’s previous Ofsted reports, their academic results in recent years and any other data it may display on its website to gauge its performance. 

Visit potential schools

Once you have carried out your research, create a shortlist of potential schools and pay each one a visit. Whether it is a set open day or a specially organised visit, you’ll be able to get a better feel for the school than its website could ever give you. It also gives you and your child the opportunity to meet teachers and current pupils to whom you can ask all of your questions. 

Speak to other parents

More often than not, you’ll be able to speak to parents of current pupils at a school. This will give you an insight into the parents’ perspectives, as well as them giving you any advice they may have to offer. 

Trust your instincts

When it comes to choosing the right school for your child, trust your instincts because when you know, you know. The right school will feel right for both you and more importantly, your child. It will tick all of or most of the boxes and it’ll be clear that it’s the right choice, especially after a school visit.

Visit Rendcomb College

Throughout the academic year, Rendcomb College holds a number of events for those looking to join our school. Our Information Evenings offer attendees the opportunity to meet our subject teachers, Heads of Department, Houseparents, pastoral team and current pupils. It is the ideal insight into life at Rendcomb College and we hope that you will be able to develop a better understanding of the exceptional environment that we have here.

To attend an Information Evening, please contact our Admissions Team on admissions@rendcombcollege.org.uk or 01285 832 306, and they will be delighted to put the arrangements in place for you.

If you’d like to find out more about Rendcomb College, please do not hesitate to get in touch - our team should be delighted to answer your questions. Please drop us an email at info@rendcombcollege.org.uk or give us a call on 01285 831 213. Alternatively, you can visit us on one of our open days throughout the academic year.