What Parents Should Look For while Picking a School

Choosing a school is one of the most important decisions a parent makes — not just academically, but emotionally and developmentally. In a world of rankings, boards, and glossy brochures, it’s easy to focus on labels. Yet, the right school is less about what it claims to be, and more about how it shapes a child’s thinking, confidence, and values over time.

This guide outlines key factors parents should consider when selecting a school and explains why educational philosophy

#1. Start with the Child, Not the Curriculum#

Every child is different — and the best school is one that understands this.

Before comparing boards or facilities, parents should take a moment to reflect on their child:

• What excites them about learning?
• Do they enjoy asking questions or prefer clear guidance?
• Do they need more encouragement, structure, or creative freedom?

A school should support a child’s natural strengths while gently helping them grow in areas they find challenging. When learning feels engaging and supportive, children are more confident, curious, and motivated.

Choosing a school that recognises and nurtures your child as an individual lays the foundation for long-term success — both inside and outside the classroom.

#2. Teaching Quality Matters More Than Infrastructure#

While environment aids the learners growth teachers lead the growth. During your visit try to interact with the teachers and try to understand the following:

• Are teachers able to explain the learning process instead of just saying "We are teaching trignomatry". An ideal response should look like" we are learning angles and ratios can be used to....."
• Do teachers have a strong understanding of skills. Try asking "What skills are students developing here?"
• Are the teachers constantly updating to meet the current standards. Discuss about the in class activities in a ongoing unit. See it the teaching process grab ateention of the current generation learners.

#3. Observe How Learning Happens in Classrooms# Parents should ask to see classrooms in action — not just facilities.

What to look for:

• Students speaking, questioning, and discussing
• Activities involving collaboration, writing, thinking, and creativity
• Teachers guiding learning rather than only lecturing

Good sign: Students explain ideas in their own words.

Concern: Silent classrooms focused only on worksheets or copying from the board

#4. Notice Student Confidence and Voice#

Children’s behaviour often reveals more than explanations.

What to observe:

• Are students comfortable speaking to adults?
• Do they ask questions freely?
• Are mistakes treated as part of learning?

Confident student voices usually indicate a safe and supportive learning environment.

#5. Notice Student Confidence and Voice# Assessment reveals what a school truly values.

What parents should ask:

• “How do you know a child is learning?”
• “What happens if a student struggles?”
• “Do students get feedback beyond marks?”

#6. How assessments are executed# Assessments are key tools for learning. The top schools across the globe use multiple tools to Assess:

What to look for:

• Projects, presentations, reflections
• Feedback that helps students improve
• Focus on progress, not comparison

Red flag: Assessment discussed only in terms of tests and scores. While tests might be considered important they dont aid with skill devlopment

#7. Notice Student Confidence and Voice# Education isn’t only academics. Look for:

• Sports, arts, debate, music, movement
• Time for play (especially in early years)
• Real exposure vs token “activity periods”

Balanced children become resilient adults.

#8. Personalised learning and Emotional Development# The cookie cutter classroom teaching will no longer work with the AI world. Kids are Look for:

• Projects that show uniqueness rather than near copies of other kids in the classroom
• Personalised support and Individual Education Plan(IEP) process for kids
• Real exposure vs token “activity periods”

Balanced children become resilient adults.

Making the Right Choice

Choosing a school is not about finding the “best” one on paper — it is about finding the right one for your child. When parents know what to observe, what to ask, and what truly matters, they can make confident, informed decisions.

There are other factors you can also consider :

• Class student strength
• School Placement records
• Current parent feedback
• Available resources for specialised training like Woodworkshop, Visual Editing, Robotics etc