Relocating with children: School search
Estimated reading time: 3:15 minutes
School search
When it comes to relocating with your family, the exact location within that country should be a key consideration – you will need to decide which area is best when it comes to commuting for work, and more importantly, for your children’s school. It can be difficult to find the best schooling options in your home country, let alone abroad, and the process can be somewhat overwhelming. However, by taking these tips into consideration, both you and your child can be confident that you have made the right decision. Here at Santa Fe Relocation, we’re taking you through the process of relocating with children and finding the right school for them.
Look around, don’t settle
You wouldn’t go on holiday without doing your research, so why let your children attend a school you know nothing about? When it comes to finding a school for your children when moving abroad, it’s crucial that you take time to look into the options available. Do you want to enrol your child at an international school to mimic their current education and curriculum, or are your children young enough to be integrated into a local school? Should you opt for private or public schooling? There are a great number of options to consider.
We don’t just mean a couple of hours’ worth of research, either. You should starting conducting an examination of the schools, colleges and universities near you months in advance of your move in order to ensure your child is able to happily pursue their studies. It is important to remember that the best international schools in particular often have waiting lists which can be six-months long, if not even longer, so it is important to keep this in mind when it comes to your family relocation.
While you can scour the internet for information, it’s just as important to take word-of-mouth recommendations into consideration. Talk to expat communities in the area you are moving to in order to gain an insight into where they send their children. By doing so, you’ll gain a greater insight into what the school, college or university has to offer and whether it is suitable for your child.
Touch down!
When you arrive at your new home, it’s a good idea to visit a few of the schools that have made it to your list. While it’s important to do your research, visiting a school and seeing how it runs first-hand can be the making or breaking of your all-important decision. However, it’s important to keep in mind that open days will always showcase the chosen place of education at its best.
Fortunately, almost all schools will have open days at the beginning and end of the school year. While it is not always possible to coincide these open days with the date of your arrival, you should aim to attend as many as possible or at least gather all of the information and supporting materials in print or digital form, to help make your decision.
Ask schools questions
Open days can be overwhelming enough at home, let alone abroad. When it comes to finding a school for your children when moving abroad, we suggest making a list of the questions you want to ask in order to ensure you don’t experience a mind-blank when put on the spot. Before speaking to the children who already attend the school, you should ask the teachers how long they have taught at your chosen school, how they welcome new students and the actions taken to deal with disobedience. By doing so, you’ll get a better feel whether this is the right school for your child.
Even though choosing a new school for your child can be a challenge, by taking these tips into consideration, you can be confident that you won’t face more hiccups further down the line. To find out how we can assist your move, get in touch with a member of our friendly expert team, today.
