How to Choose a School, The School Show
Whether you are new to the UAE, a seasoned expat, whether you have teens or toddlers – choosing a school can be a nerve-wracking decision. “How to Choose a School?” has to be the most frequent question put to the team at WhichSchoolAdvisor.com, so we thought we would dedicate this episode of The School Show podcast to the subject.
Listen as our guests Ian Wallace Principal of Horizon English School, Iain Colledge Executive Principal of Raha International School and Susan Roberts, Director of Children’s Oasis Nursery share their advice as parents and as educators on this complex topic.
As ever, we begin this episode of The School Show with a look back at the big news in education…and this week that means just one thing – fees! With both ADEK and the KHDA having announced school fees freezes, what does the news mean for parents, schools and teachers? Ian and Iain share their thoughts on what the likely effects will be, both in the short and long term.
After our look at the news, the conversation turns to our main topic “How to Choose a School”. Listen as Jenny asks our two guests:
• What is the first thing parents should think about when it comes to choosing a school?
• Does curriculum matter? Why?
• Can parents tour schools at the moment? What questions should they ask on a school tour?
• What's different about choosing a secondary school to choosing a primary?
• What advice do our guests have for families who arrive in the UAE mid school year? How can newly arrived families help their child to prepare and to thrive in school?
• What about arriving during exam years? Can a child arrive mid GCSE/A Level or IB course? Can I switch to IB from the BC for the final year of school (or vice versa?)
For the latter segment of the show, Jenny speaks to Susan Roberts of Children’s Oasis Nursery in Dubai about how to choose a nursery. Susan is not only a very experienced Early Years Leader, she is a Mum whose little girl has recently started her own nursery journey. Susan shares all her best advice for parents looking to choose the right nursery for their child.
We’d love to find out who you would like to hear from on The School Show podcast, as well as the topics you’d like us to tackle. Drop us a line at editor@whichschooladvisor.com to share your thoughts and ideas!
Further listening
