Doing the research

What are the factors to consider when choosing the right school for your child? Liz Hewer, Head of St George’s School, Ascot in Berkshire, shares her tips on how to find the one

As well as o ering support and advice to our current pupils and their parents, I see many prospective families considering St George’s as their senior school destination. With experience working in many independent schools, with two teenagers who have been educated in a number of independent schools over the years, and having spent six years as a head, I’ve developed a wealth of knowledge, insight and understanding of the independent education sector. I’m also fortunate to work closely with our outstanding admissions team as they engage with each family to guide them in their school decision-making process. ere are numerous excellent independent schools, and while most will have a similar curriculum and core co-curricular programme, my advice to parents is that they should try to discover what makes each school di erent. One of the greatest bene ts of the UK independent education sector is that there’s choice, however, for all parents, especially those who are new to the sector, and international families, this can mean there’s a great deal to navigate.

Choosing the right school will largely depend on matching a child’s speci c talents and needs while ensuring opportunities to do the things they love. ere are schools that are larger, or smaller and more personal, day or boarding, or you might appreciate the exibility of a school that o ers the full range of day and exible boarding options. You may wish for your child to be taught in a single-sex environment, or you might feel a co-ed environment will suit them. You will want to see the school’s facilities and how this enables a broad co-curricular programme either as a core element of the school’s provision, or an optional extra. For some, the nature of the SEN (special educational needs) support may be of the utmost importance. Outstanding support for physical and mental health and wellbeing are understandably high on many parents’ list of priorities, including counselling support, healthy exercise opportunities, nutritional advice and guidelines around the use of technology and the importance of sleep.

I would recommend parents searching for an independent school to talk to friends, visit school websites and follow virtual tours. Many independent schools have a signi cant presence on social media (o en Twitter and Instagram), so follow schools you

Some parents feel that being taught in a co-ed environment will benefit their children

Haberdashers’ Boys’ School in Hertfordshire provides exceptional SEN support ONCE YOU’VE CREATED a shortlist of schools, reach out to the VARIOUS ADMISSIONS TEAMS AND ATTEND OPEN DAYS OR ARRANGE PRIVATE VISITS

are most interested in and take time to build up your picture of each school. Once you’ve created a shortlist of schools, reach out to the various admissions teams and attend open days or arrange private visits.

All heads want their pupils to be happy at school and their parents to be con dent in their school choice. At St George’s, we o er a broad, ambitious and relevant curriculum and cocurricular programme, balancing academic stretch with support for personal growth and a wealth of opportunities. Learning from the pandemic, we now run regular, smaller, more personal open events throughout the year which allow visitors to see the school in action, meet with me and the admissions team, and talk to our current girls about their experiences of St George’s.

A positive school culture is so vital to each pupil’s feeling of belonging, yet it’s hard to grasp from a website or prospectus. e best way to understand the distinctive culture and fundamental values, and ‘feel’, of a school is to visit in person. Observing how pupils of di erent ages informally interact, including with sta , and talking directly to current pupils helps you to get under the skin of a school. At St George’s, it’s the strong sense of community as pupils of all ages learn, live and develop together across the year groups, before leaving well equipped for higher education and the workplace, that’s best experienced on an inperson visit.

Asking yourself whether you would like your child to turn out like the pupils you meet – o en senior pupils taking a school tour – embodies the intangible parental judgement that is the foundation of making the best decision for an individual child’s schooling.

At St George’s, clubs and homework are built into the school day so that when they go home, girls can unwind

MAKING THE TRANSITION

Parent Lucy Darke explains the senior school admissions journey of her three daughters who are moving from a state primary to St George’s, Ascot for their secondary education My three daughters have all attended our local state primary school in South-West London, so choosing a secondary school felt particularly challenging, given the various options of staying in the state system or entering the independent sector.

The space and the fantastic facilities were key reasons for choosing St George’s Ascot, and from the minute I contacted its admissions o ce I couldn’t have asked for a more bespoke introductory experience.

Coming from a state primary school, there was no guidance on how to apply or how the exams process worked in the independent sector, but Mrs Bertram and her team were painstaking in their explanations of key dates and welcomed the girls to taster days, as well as talking me through what was needed from an administration point of view, including introducing me to the school bus service!

I wasn’t able to fully commit to a year seven place, and it was truly a game changer when the admissions team suggested registering for a deferred place meaning my daughter could take 11+ but then defer entry to year eight or year nine. This took all the pressure o the decision-making process.

Another reason for choosing St George’s was the longer school day; the girls would do their clubs and their homework before coming home. State primary and secondary school finish at 3pm which makes life as a working mum a huge challenge. The St George’s day is tailored to keep them busy and engaged so when they get home, it is just ‘home’ time. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the school to any parent who is currently considering their options, and encourage them to contact the admissions team for some advice.

HAPPY HIGH FLIERS

With an emphasis on STEAM subjects, sports and building self-confi dence, Highfi eld Prep School in Maidenhead is preparing pupils to achieve big things in life

High eld Prep School, part of the Chatsworth Schools family of schools, is known for its small classes, specialist teachers, nurturing environment and access to outstanding local sporting facilities. We all want the best for our children and a High eld education is a rich, yet a ordable experience with a bespoke, personalised approach to teaching children in a kind and supportive environment. e prep school recently extended its co-educational provision, and is now welcoming boys from nursery up to the end of year two, so that more families can bene t from all that the school has to o er. From year three onwards, High eld Prep is a girls-only school, allowing girls to thrive and ful l their full potential. High eld girls leave the school with con dence in STEAMrelated skills, as well as a real self con dence in their all-round academic performance.

At High eld, great value is placed on giving pupils the opportunity to ourish in all areas of school life. Sta aim to create an atmosphere of happiness and warmth, which motivates pupils to work and play to the best of their abilities. Both inside and outside the classroom, a sense of vitality is generated, based on the principle that learning is fun. High eld’s outstanding team of experienced teachers and support sta are committed to making every family’s time there as rewarding and ful lling as possible.

Sport sits rmly at the heart of the curriculum with the busy, vibrant school providing pupils with the opportunity to learn new skills, challenge themselves and work as a team. At High eld, sport is for all and there’s a comprehensive physical education curriculum, which begins in pre-prep. e school has always had fantastic success in sports, which High eld believes is down to its access to outstanding local sporting facilities, its onsite netball court, sports hall and a dedicated sports teaching team.

At High eld, pupils are excited by science, technology, engineering, computing and

the arts, as well as the power and potential these elds have to enrich learning across the curriculum. Teaching sta believe that inspiring pupils to be creative and con dent is Swimming lessons take hugely important if they’re to excel and achieve place at the state-of-the-art in the 21st century. Braywick Leisure Centre High eld girls move on to a range of leading schools aged 11, and all of the girls are well prepared for 11+ and senior-school entrance examinations. e school o ers independent senior school exam-prep classes and mock interviews, and has an impressive track record of girls reaching their senior school of choice, frequently with scholarships. When the time comes to leave, High eld is proud that the girls do so as con dent, resilient and curious independent learners who are primed and Boys can now join the school from nursery through to year two ready to take on any challenge they choose. Nothing holds High eld girls back as they follow the path to becoming fearless females and leaders of the future.

Visit high eldprep.org, or contact the admissions team at o ce@high eldprep.org or on 01628 624 918.

Highfi eld has a bespoke, personalised approach to its teaching