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Education
Talk to other parents who already have
children there.
All independent schools, whether they admit
it or not, spend a lot of money on marketing
and websites. Plus the time when school
visits are expected is the time when the
school is brushed up and you are likely to be
shown the best bits. But if you know parents
who have an elder child in the family at the
school, they will be able to tell you more. Ask
them if their child is happy, getting the results
they want and generally thriving. Of course,
some parents may not be honest if their child
is struggling, but ask the right person and you
should get an honest answer.
Ask you own child.
It seems obvious to involve your child as
much as possible when choosing a school,
yet their opinion is often overlooked.
However, your kids are probably the ones
in the know about which schools are most
suited to them. Many will have discussed
with their peers what schools are available
and they will have sourced information from
siblings and other students who have already
visited prospective schools. Asking them
what they think could not only give you useful
information but also help them feel involved
in the choice right from the start.
Match the child’s talents to what the
school offers.
There are many ways a child will end up
happy and successful and going to the best
possible school is sometimes actually not
the best way. If, for a variety of reasons, your
child struggles academically, placing them
in a school with high academic expectations
might well make their school years a less
than happy experience. A school with slightly
lower academic standards may actually be
good for them. Equally, if your child has a
talent which is now academic, it might be
worth looking for a school that specialised in
that area. It might be their talent doesn’t turn
into a career, but school should be primarily
about building confidence and encouraging
their talents will certainly help do this.
Look at Ofsted a little deeper.
Statistics produced by Ofsted are of course
very useful when choosing a school and there
is no getting past a bad report or a fall in a
school’s standings. But there are also some
ways in which marketing departments at
schools can use the statistics in its favour.
For example, it will only ever quote positive
results in its literature. Be sure to look at
the range of results. And when it comes to
Making the right choice
The days of being signed up to a school within the first few years of your life
are now pretty much over. Independent schools are becoming more and more
like business, all vying for the best students and the customers, the parents,
have a range of options open to them. But choosing a school shouldn’t be
simply a case of aiming for the school with the best exam results.
specific claims about exams, check how
many students took the exam. A school
might have 100% A* pass rate for Greek, but
if only one student took the exam, this is a
misleading result. Get as much information
from Ofsted as you can.
Don’t forget out of lesson activates.
As previously mentioned, school isn’t just
about what happens in the classroom.
Building a child into a confident adult takes
more a than just good teaching. Activities
outside of learning can build confidence
and give a child a wider world view as well
as learning vital skills for later in life such
as teamwork, keeping fit and taking on
challenges.
Don’t fall into the trap of choosing a
school just because it was right for you.
The school you go to stays with you for life
and becomes a big part of your personal
history. Families often align themselves with
a certain school and sometimes the tradition
stretched back several generations. However,
times change and each child is different. Your
school may have been great for you at the
time, but it does not automatically follow
that it will be the best place for your child.
Do all the checks listed above and if your
old school is still a preferred option, that’s
great, but make sure it is the right place for
your child, not just a way of reliving your own
school years.
Reputation and academic achievement might
be important things to look for in a school,
but they should never be the only matters
taken into consideration. At the end of the
day what you want is a happy, confident
child. Including their talents and asking their
opinion are vital ways of making sure you
make the right choice for everybody.
The Oxford Finishing School
The enduring image of a finishing school is a room full of well-dressed ladies balancing
books on their heads. But today, finishing schools are as much about international business
relations as they are posture.
Etiquette expresses itself through kindness and consideration for the people around you.
And knowing the correct etiquette can often be the key to doing business or walking away
with an unsigned contract. In the past, finishing schools were very much about how to
attract a husband and then live up to his expectations. But now women no longer rely upon
a man for their wealth and self-esteem, the function of finishing schools have changed.
However, with international relations now essential for business, etiquette has never been
more important.
At the Oxford Finishing School, you can choose from a range of courses and workshops
that help build self-esteem and leave your mark on everybody you meet. It is never too
young to start learning manners and the youth etiquette course at Oxford Finishing School
is a good place to start. Etiquette, Dining and Social skills for Girls 13+ day course is
designed to help you develop the four pillars of a polished image: grace, elegance, strength
& confidence. All of these qualities relate to the inner being of the individual and have
nothing to do with the size of your bankbook. These are qualities that must be groomed
and nurtured; they cannot be bought.
When it comes to purely social etiquette, there is also a course that can help. The Oxford
Finishing School has designed a course specifically for caring mothers who want their
children to become the best they can. This course involves mothers and children learning
social etiquette, manners and proper behaviour together. It is believed that a workshop
where mothers are present during a course with their children has a much bigger and
everlasting effect because they can help to embrace what they have learned during the
course at home.
But getting back to business, The Oxford Finishing School can help you be better than
the rest. Business Etiquette is about building and fostering business relations based on
integrity, trust, loyalty, best practice, and cultural/regional sensitivities. Proper Etiquette
sets a tone for clients and customers that the business has a productive and successful
environment, and the impression created when everyone displays professional manners
helps the company’s credibility and profitability. The course takes in international
networking, deportment, dressing for success, public speaking, managing meetings and
many more essential business etiquette skills.
If you want to know more about any of Oxford Finishing School’s courses and workshops,
visit
