It’s that time of year when parents are visiting schools, attending open days and trying to make one of the most important decisions they will make on behalf of their children: Which school is going to
give my child the best possible start in life?And for many parents, the decision can come down to very practical things — the school fees, academic results, the quality of the classrooms, sporting facilities, safety, class sizes and perhaps even how impressive the school looks when you walk through its gates. But should we be looking beyond what we can immediately see? Because a good school is not simply one that produces children who perform well in examinations. We also need to ask whether our schools are developing children who can think critically, communicate effectively, solve problems, work with others, manage their emotions, deal with failure and adapt to a world that is changing incredibly quickly. With technology and artificial intelligence transforming the workplace, some of the skills our
children will need in adulthood may not even be the skills we were taught when we were at school.
So, as parents attend open days this month, what should they actually be looking for? What questions should they be asking teachers and school management? And how can parents tell the difference between a school that simply looks impressive and one that is genuinely investing in the development of the whole child?