A Quick Guide for Parents Visiting an International School

August 30, 2019
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Ara Stephen
Posted in School
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You decided to relocate because of a better opportunity and you want to take your family with you. Although noble, you have to think about the things that the family needs to adjust. For instance, if you have children, you will need to look for an international school so they can continue their education.

In the past, looking for an international school was sporadic at best but these days, there are many resources that you can consider. For instance, you can consider consultancy agencies. These agencies can help you find a good school. For more information, you can Click here.

However, if you decide to do things on your own, you should Know more about the place and the education system. There are many international schools around Hong Kong but if you want to find the best one, here’s a checklist:

Plan your visit

The first thing that you need to do is to plan the visit. You can do this by getting in touch with the school to schedule a visit. Essentially, whether it is a full day or half-day, your aim is for your child to spend as much time at the school.

You should expect your child to join the classes and interact with other international students. If you are not bringing your child, you can observe the day-to-day operations of the school. Aside from touring the school, you should also make time to meet the headmaster or the coordinator so you can ask some questions.

Check the students and the classes

When you visit the school, you can get a sense of the students and the classes. You can find out if there is an assembly or after-school activities. It is also important that you know the daily timetable like how long every class lasts and how class transitions work.

While you are at it, you should also map out when is the break. Some schools allow parents to sit or briefly look at some classes. If the prospective school has this policy, you should take advantage of it so you can determine the student-teacher dynamics.

Assess the teachers

Now that you have the necessary information about the school, the next thing is to assess the teachers and the staff. You must get an insight into the approach of teaching as well as the available technology. Your goal is to determine if the teachers encourage soft skills like creativity and public speaking.

Try to ascertain your child’s reaction

More than anything, you have to ascertain your child’s reaction when inside the campus or classroom. As much as possible, do not ask the child. Instead, you have to observe his/her body language, comments, and general attitude during the visit. You can also ask general and open-ended questions just to get him/her talking.

Final words

Keep in mind that visiting a prospective international school is a crucial part of the process. While you are there, make sure that you covered all bases by asking questions when in doubt. Keep in mind that every international school is different.