Expert advice on picking the right high school for your child
Families often stay local for primary school but all bets are off for secondary schooling. Experts explain the questions you need to ask to make the right choice for your children.
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Choosing a secondary school is one of the biggest decisions families make.
But where to start? Schools have timetabled open days and tours from this week.
For some families the choices around primary school have determined the secondary school their child will attend.
Children going to private schools may have had their name down from birth, be following a family tradition or attended a feeder school.
Many private schools now get families in earlier with intakes at Year 5 with families, worried they will miss out, taking up offered spots.
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For others there will be a range of factors, including cost. With Year 7 private school fees at Xavier and Strathcona nudging $30,000 and Melbourne Girls Grammar School $33,000 before extras, cost will preclude many families.
Proximity to the school and the family situation, including whether an older sibling will collect younger siblings, may be a factor.
Others will want their child to attend a religious school or a single sex school.
Families, which an eye on a scholarship at an elite school, will be hothousing their child with tutoring to reduce fees.
McKinnon Secondary College principal Pitsa Binnion, who heads one of the state’s most sought after government schools, says first and foremost families need to be impressed by the principal.
“It is really important that they are saying something that resonates with you and your child,” she said.
She said families should be clear about the school’s values and relate to the school’s stated education agenda.
Ms Binnion said a high expectation and pride in the school among the school cohort was important.
“What is the school saying about its teaching and learning?” she said.
She said families should look for a strong extra-curricular focus with music, art and language offerings so different qualities were developed in different children.
“Have a look at what the students are doing when you walk through. Is it a safe, orderly place?” she said
“What are the relationships like between the teachers and the students?”
McKinnon is a high achieving zoned school which is bursting at the seams with a new campus under development.
Ms Binnion said the school drew children from nearby suburbs due to the zone.
She did caution that there was not a one size fits all approach. Not all the children from one family will always be catered to at one school.
While good facilities were head turning, she cautioned against getting “bamboozled by fangled dangled stuff”.
While her school does very well academically, she said its biggest achievement was a 96 per cent retention rate of students.
Gonski Institute of Education director Adrian Piccoli said the first school to visit was the one closest to your house. He said convenience and a sense of community in going to a local school were important.
“Going to the same school as your neighbours’ children is good for both your child and your local community,” he said.
“When neighbours know each other they tend to look out for each other and therefore build a greater sense of community.”
Mr Piccoli, who has just written 12 Ways Your Child Can Get The Best Out of School, said walking and riding to a local community with friends was a great growing up experience.
He said parents sending their children to a school away from their suburb needed to consider travel time, attending school assemblies and even the logistics of picking up a child for a dentist appointment.
He said walking around a school gave a sense of how a school operated.
The shopping list:
IF a private school is on the agenda, can you afford it or have you put your name down?
GO to open nights and day tours while the school is in operation and check the “vibe”.
DO you want a single sex school or a co-ed school?
HOW many students at the school? This may influence VCE choices. If the school is small do they collaborate with nearby schools?
IS your child happy to go to the school?
BE wary of picking a school primarily because your child’s friends are attending as friendship groups change.
SPEAK to families and students attending the school. They will be the best advocates.
HOW accessible is the school and how will they get there? Will they take public transport or will you drive them? Will you be able to manage the logistics.
IF children need to help with younger siblings will they be able to get back from school in time?
DO you live in the zone for the school you want your child to attend? Get across this as schools are very strict on proof and checking.
IF you are looking to the future be aware that school zones change.
LOOK at the subject offerings as some schools will have an emphasis on arts, drama, STEM, sport and other areas.
CHECK their academic record but make this one measure as personal development of students is arguably as important.
SEEK out details of school policies around bullying and other issues.
LOOK at what support services they have for children around special needs and wellbeing.
IF you want all the add-ons such as a Year 9 extension program and a rowing program consider a private school, although schools such as Melbourne Girls College have a rowing program which costs far more than the school fees at $3200.
ARE you happy for your child to wear a school uniform and follow strict grooming rules? While these are usually attached to private schools some government schools are equally strict.
CHECK out the school website and social media but bear in mind that cashed up private schools will have a dedicated marketing team while the cash strapped government sector often won’t.
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