One of the most important choices you will ever make for your child, as a parent, is school placement. We’re all aware that our experiences as children shape us as adults and as the majority of your children’s day is spent learning at school, finding the right fit is essential, but no easy feat. When moving house, finding a new school can present a whole other set of challenges, especially if your child’s current school is putting them on the right path towards lifelong learning.

Change is difficult when you’re a kid, but at the same time, we adapt best to challenging situations when we’re young. Though it might be a rocky road to start with, so long as you place your child in a place where they’ll continue on the right path, they’ll be settled in no time. Here’s a list of things to consider when moving, helpful especially when rushing through a quick house sale, along with top tips on how to get this difficult process right.

The Early Years

The quality of education is important throughout the entire timeline, but in the younger years, children are less reliant on independent study so the weight is fully rested on their school and you. When your child is young, their most familiar environment by far is the home environment, a loving space where they feel safe and supported. Going to school can be daunting for young children, as they’re removed from everything they’ve grown to know so far in life. This time should also be exciting, learning new things and responsibility, but if placed in the wrong school, this important experience can turn sour.

Ensure the school you select is a healthy environment, if possible, get in touch with the parents of other children and see how they find it. Visit the school and get a good idea of what day to day life is like at the school, to really ensure it holds the right structure and ethics for your child.

See The Bigger Picture

Standardized test results are always something to consider, most especially in high school and later education, but don’t let good test scores cloud your judgement. There’s more that your child needs than just a system that teaches to the test, which on average only covers around a third of the national curriculum.

When considering a school that has had a recent spike in test scores, examine the results and ask for information as to why grades are rising. Look for a considered answer that makes sense, as this will point to a lasting plan which will ensure test scores continue to rise or stay at the current average.

Teachers Matter

As a parent, it’s difficult to get an accurate picture of how your child’s teachers are going to treat them once they are attending their class, but it’s one of the most important aspects of choosing a school. Good teachers will accelerate the rate of learning amongst their class and be your child’s support in your absence during the school day.

Find out and assess how often new teachers are coming into the school, as if new teachers are constant, that point to some serious red flags. Constantly changing teachers puts the class at a disadvantage as having to continually rebuild teacher relationships from scratch if it’s commonplace for a new teacher to come around in the middle of a term. When teachers aren’t treated as disposable, it’s evidence of a negative workplace satisfaction rate,which will undoubtedly be reflected in how well the teacher is going to teach your child.

When moving with children, from toddlers to teens, it’s a difficult process to get everything aligned for the new move, most especially when you are trying to sell property fast. Being prepared and researching your new area is the best way to combat the potential stress, as when following the above tips, it is a perfectly reachable goal to a have stress free move to a great area and school.