Private school choices
It will be one of the most important decisions you will make as a parent, deciding on the right school for your child. Get the decision right and you put your child on a path towards lifelong learning, provide them with excellent university options and prepare them for a successful and fulfilling career.
Even the most involved and informed parents can feel overwhelmed and confused by the choices available. The answers you receive to the following questions will help you gain a sense of the people and culture into which you will entrust your child.
A look to the future tells us in no uncertain terms that our children will face a very different world in the coming years.
At Westbourne School, an independent boarding and day school based in Cardiff, Wales with over a century of excellence behind us, our focus is on enriching young minds, developing a lifelong love of learning and developing critical thinking skills that will lead our children in becoming responsible, confident and independent leaders of the future.
TOP TIPS
#1 Research, research, research
a. Explore the school’s passion for learning…
Teachers matter, even more than you may think!
The calibre and continued professional development of the teaching body will have a direct impact on the quality of the education being provided. The connection well trained teachers then develop with your child, will be crucial to their individual success.
“I can teach to an A, what gets the A* is the connection between me and the student” Miss Lisa Phillips IB Co-ordinator & Head of History
Asking the following questions will help determine how importantly any private school views the calibre and ongoing development of its teachers:
- How many teachers have a Masters Degree or PhD.
- What percentage have taught internationally?
- How are teachers assessed by the Principal?
- Does the Principal teach, or sample lessons at all?
- What is the pupil to teacher ratio?
- How do you evolve the curriculum to ensure best practise?
Ask what unique educational practises the school, as an independent school, employs – they may be less obvious during a tour, but have a big impact on student success? It’s not always clearly obvious what the difference is between one classroom and another.
At Westbourne we form a team of passionate educators, 50% of the faculty have a Masters or PhD and 50% have taught internationally. Dr. Griffiths, the Principal, leads by example in the Senior School by dedicating a percentage of his daily schedule to mentoring and teaching our mathematicians of the future. Mrs Chinnock in the Prep School works exclusively with MAT (More Able & Talented) pupils, as well as leading the Prep School English department.
But don’t just take our word for it, read what our students have to say in the wide range of student case studies you can discover here.
b. Location: just how crucial is it?
Location of course plays a key factor in private school selection with primary and secondary private school areas playing a key part in families house moves with house prices reflecting that accordingly, particularly in the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff, Westbourne’s location.
For parents exploring schools for the first time, the private school sector may well be far more accessible, in both monetary and location terms than perhaps first considered.
Many private schools offer a range of scholarships, at Westbourne we have a wide range of bursary, scholarship and transport options designed to help support our families.
The independent school sector in 2020 is also far more down to earth than many may think before passing the threshold for the first time….particularly within co-educational schools where a balance typically prevails.
Westbourne for example recruits from a very broad catchment area – including internationally, with over 20% of the student body coming from currently 25 different nationalities, many as boarding school students.
Within the local day school catchment area which stretches as far as Porthcawl in one direction to Newport in the other due to excellent public transport links, beyond those the school runs three school mini-buses providing transport to and from school for a further 20% of its pupil base, with students joining us typically from the outskirts of Cardiff and throughout the Vale of Glamorgan,
Boarding also is an option, with weekly boarding school places offering flexibility for both parents and children alike, as well as a host of additional benefits which can be gained from the boarding school environment.
Although the location of any private school is a really important factor, for boarding parents the EXEAT schedule is a key factor, as well as guardianship. To keep things simple, we do not hold EXEAT’s and guardianship is managed by the school, ensuring that parents need not worry about their children being sent off to strangers at weekends, they can remain with friends in the boarding house.
For day students with working parents, the hours of the school day can be an equally key factor in the decision making process.
The traditional school day runs from 9am – 3.30pm, Westbourne runs wrap around care from 8am – 6pm daily, with the addition of a holiday club throughout school holidays for primary school age children, our aim being total peace of mind for all our parents 51 weeks of the year.
c. Clearly identify what is important to you…
It is oft said that a good education is the greatest gift that can be given to children. Choosing the right education for your families specific requirements can often be a process that involves a maddening degree of soul searching.
From the outset having a clear list of guiding principles, ensuring your child is at the very centre, will help remove some of the inevitable emotion that comes with primary, secondary and sixth form independent school decision making.
d. Size matters
Lost in the thousands, or the opposite worry that they won’t have enough friends, selecting a school for its size is a sensible place to start. Class size and teacher to pupil ratio are well researched numbers which evidence the importance of ensuring these are optimally balanced.
An earlier blog post explores this theme in more detail, Westbourne’s approach is to ensure that no class exceeds 20 children, in general many classes are optimised at apx 16 – 18 students, with a ratio of teacher to pupil of 1: 8.
Although challenging circumstances to test any approach to education, the covid outbreak and subsequent government closure of schools in March 2020 impact was softened for students at Westbourne through not only having had an approach to online education established, but also having bespoke class sizes and the ability to retain high levels of 1-2-1 attention throughout remote learning.
e. Engaging curriculum
The curriculum in the independent sector has the advantage of being able to enrich the educational offering beyond the maintained sector, offering new subjects and opportunities to some and a ‘one stop shop’ to those parents who have been spending most evenings ferrying children to various activities.
Beyond breadth of subject choice and co-curricular opportunities the energy and manner with which pupils are taught is of key importance also, going back to the key question at the start of this post regarding igniting that passion for learning.
In the earlier years from Reception to Year 6, to ensure pupils not only have the opportunity to take full advantage of our location near the sea in Penarth but gain a fuller understanding of their natural environment, Westbourne Prep incorporates a vibrant beach school into the curriculum, geography lessons have never been so hands on!
In older years, particularly with Sixth Form choices, selecting a course which truly enables students to achieve their future aspirations is vital. To understand more about the choices on offer at Westbourne, our blogs on the Ultimate Guide to the IB Diploma and IB Vs A Levels help explore the importance of careful choices at 16 years.
f. An independent school’s global outlook
In an ever changing world, where it is frequently referenced that the jobs our children may end up with have not even been invented, the importance of a broad international perspective and the opportunity to see the world beyond our borders is ever increasing.
The independent sector, with Westbourne School as no exception, frequently offers a broad range of languages, our students currently enjoy expanding their horizons through French, Spanish, Chinese and Latin, with an optional Welsh club on offer also.
A key commitment at Westbourne to offering students an international outlook is the IB Diploma studied in Sixth Form, for those confused about what exactly the IB is and how it differs to A Levels, an earlier blog post explains more.
g. Beyond the classroom
Wellbeing and personal development beyond the academic curriculum are key factors to explore when evaluating schools. To ensure students graduate from secondary school as broadly rounded confident individuals, far more is required to build their resilience than acing tests in the classroom.
A broad programme of co-curricular activites should be on offer, opportunities to hone debating and critical reasoning skills, fire up artistic flare and for your child to gain confidence in their physical abilities.
The Department of Education recognises that‘‘there is strong evidence that good quality learning outside the classroom adds much value to classroom learning’’. The Office for Standards in Education explains that ‘‘outdoor education gives depth to the curriculum and makes an important contribution to students’ physical, personal and social education’’.
Westbourne has recently introduced a core tracking system for co-curricular development, the broad range of timetabled activities which take place each day now form part of each students academic tracker, ensuring there is a whole school approach and recognition to whole student development and growth.
h. Will my child cope in the environment?
The ‘fit’ is a crucial part of selecting a school. Ensuring that there are broadly shared values between you and the school, will help your child in gaining consistent messages both at home and at school. It is important to also uncover the anti-bullying policy to understand how the school manages situations when they arrive.
Support is also a crucial question to ask, how much support will their be for my child should they ‘hit a road bump’ or should they have a particular talent, how will it be recognised? For boarding families, ask how the school deals with homesickness in those early weeks and the support in place.
At Westbourne a More Able and Talented (MAT) programme runs from the very early Prep years, ensuring those students with a particular talent have the opportunity to shine, stretch their abilities and crucial ensuring that they stay motivated and challenged to make full use of their abilities.
For those who may find certain areas a little more challenging, our individualised approach to education ensures that no student gets left behind. Supportive extra lessons and support are available as part of the school day.
i. Check the stats
There is a wealth of publically available data on schools, from League Tables to Ofsted (England) and Estyn (Wales) Reports which provide a ‘health check’ to how effective and successful a school is.
In Wales, under Estyn school’s are evaluated on 5 core factors:
- Standards
- Wellbeing & attitudes to learning
- Teaching & learning experiences
- Care, support & guidance
- Leadership & Management
The highest obtainable grade on each one is Excellent, we are delighted at Westbourne to hold a 5 Excellent Grade, the highest achievable grading for a school.
School League Tables, for those parents looking at Secondary and Sixth Form, are a further source of key information, certainly for parents considering the long term university options for their child.
Published by The Sunday Times each November and The Daily Telegraph in August, schools are listed by their performance in A Level/IB grades, with further awards for School of the Year by the Sunday Times.
Westbourne has been 1st in the UK Smaller School League Tables for the past five consecutive years.
#2: In person
Much of the above can be done via the internet, the joys of modern parenting ensures there is a wealth of resource and desk research that can be done before narrowing your choices. The tips below involve a little more interaction, but are crucial in making the right choice.
a. Ask around: word of mouth
Word of mouth is a powerful tool, however it’s always worth bearing in mind that every child is different and their needs and your values may not always be in line with the person giving feedback.
For those who are new to the area, online reviews are a useful resource, student testimonials via YouTube or blog give a handy insight into school life, directly from the source.
The social media sites of schools are also a fantastic showcase of what goes on day to day, as well as providing a wealth of comments.
b. Open days
Open Days are a great opportunity to visit a school without any committment. Typically you will be given a tour, the chance to meet with the Principal, staff members and existing pupils.
Take every opportunity to talk with students directly about their experience, children we find are fabulously unscripted and will give you a warts and all view of school life. If a school doesn’t have pupils available during an open day, then ask why.
Some schools will also have existing parents available during open days who can give an additional useful insight.
At Westbourne, as well as two Open Days each year (October and March), parents are warmly welcomed to visit the school at a time that suits them, conducting private visits and tours throughout the year, the open access policy is very much in place once a child has been enrolled at school.
c. Taster days
Open days, private visits and desk research done there is one last hurdle you should expect any prospective school to jump and that is the offer of a Taster Day. The most important person in the process is the child, so ensuring they have the opportunity to try the school for at least a day is fairly key in making the right decision.
#3: The nitty gritty
a. Fees
Fees are one of the main concerns of many parents when committing to an independent school education. Ensure you are fully aware of the fee incease policy of each school and also ask what would happen if your circumstances change. Many schools, including Westbourne, offer scholarships for talented students, there are also often bursary awards available should a parents circumstances alter in the short term.
For those with more than one child, ensure you enquire about sibling discounts also, many schools offer some support for further children.
b. Admission dates
So you’re all set and have your heart set on the perfect school for your child…it’s crucial you check the application dates for the year of entry. Many schools will open their Reception, Year 7 and Year 11 applications at the start of the preceeding academic year, so making a diary note of those crucial dates is all important to ensure you don’t miss out.
Some independent schools, including Westbourne operate a rolling admissions calendar, enabling students to transfer in mid-term, should they be relocating, subject to availability.
c. Entrance exams
Most independent schools, depending on their admissions policy and the pupil year of entry, will ask pupils to sit an entrance exam to gain a place.
Some schools will set dates in advance and there will be a single opportunity to sit the examination, others, like Westbourne operate a more flexible, rolling exam schedule.
For entry into Reception – Year 6 Westbourne pupils for example are invited to join the discussion with their parents regarding a place and also for a Taster Day.
In Year 7 onwards, pupils will sit a non-verbal reasoning test, in Year 9 onwards through to Year 12 entrance tests include, English, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning, this is fairly typical for an independent school and enables the school to see how well taught the student has been to date, as well as identify academic potential.
Good luck!
We wish you the very best of luck in your search for the right school for your child. To find out more about Westbourne, simply drop us a line. We look forward to hearing from you!
Discover more about independent schooling at Westbourne.