Questions to Ask When Choosing an Elementary School

An elementary school is elementary not only to the fostering of academic prowess but also to the development of essential social, emotional and cognitive skills. When looking for the right elementary school for your child, you should take several factors into account including the feasibility of the distance of the school from your home and its schedule, to how well the lower school’s ideologies resonate with yours. For instance, Williamsburg Northside Lower School is a Brooklyn elementary school known for providing an emergent curriculum that takes shape according to a child’s interests, ideas and curiosities. If you value your child’s individuality, such a school may be a good choice for your child.

When assessing various elementary schools, you should address certain questions in order to find out if the school is a good fit for your child.

Questions to ask when choosing an elementary school

• ·         Is the school a practical choice?

The first question that needs to be answered is if the school is at a feasible distance from where you live. Another concern to be addressed is if the school’s schedule suits yours. These are practical questions that need to be taken into account right at the beginning of shortlisting lower school options for your child, as they will affect your family's daily schedule for years to come.

• ·         Does the school provide a secure environment?

Enquire about the policies in place to deal with cases of bullying or aggression at school. Get to know the discipline policy of the school and whether it is in keeping with your ideas and beliefs.

The school should have tough security measures in place to prevent outsiders from entering the school premises and to stop children from going out without permission or unaccompanied.

• ·         What are the school’s teaching ideologies?

Get to know the school’s teaching ideologies and the basis on which the school curriculum is structured. Certain schools are focused upon making the child academically proficient while others also lay emphasis on incorporating arts, theatre and storytelling into the curriculum.

Decide if you’d like your child to follow a fixed curriculum or be part of a system wherein individuality is allowed to flourish. The Williamsburg Northside Lower School, mentioned earlier, deems it imperative to respect a child’s innate personality and interests and provides a flexible curriculum that accommodates each student's strengths and interests.

A good elementary school can lay a concrete foundation for further learning and growth for your child. Choosing the right lower school may seem like a daunting task but asking the right questions can greatly assist in making this process a simpler one.