insideKENT Magazine Issue 96 - March 2020 | Page 137

IN ASSOCIATION WITH
EDUCATION
STEPPING UP:
CHOOSING A SECONDARY SCHOOL
BY THE KING’S SCHOOL, CANTERBURY
What should parents consider when
choosing a secondary school?
Observing the quality and range of facilities is an
obvious starting point: are the classrooms bright,
tidy and likely to encourage a positive learning
environment? Are the noticeboard areas along the
corridors appealing and up to date? But more
importantly try to take a “stock-check’’ on the
prevailing atmosphere: do the pupils appear smart,
purposeful, happy? Do the teachers convey a
sense of enthusiasm and positivity? What is the
body language when pupils and teachers are
conversing together?
How involved should the child be in the
decision making process?
In the choice of school, it is much more commonplace
nowadays to involve the child – it is after all his or
her future at stake! By the age of nine or ten onwards
children are likely to have an opinion and parents
would be wise to listen. A school that suits one
member of the family may not be right for another.
And if the choice turns not to work out well – which
is always a possibility given that there are no
certainties in life – then it is that much harder for
the teenager to blame the parents for the outcome!
How do curriculum and qualifications vary?
A majority of schools offer a traditional and familiar
route of GCSEs followed by the 6th Form specialism
offered by A Levels. Some schools have switched
successfully to the broader based curriculum of The
International Baccalaureate Diploma; a few offer a
choice between A Levels and the IB. UK universities
are fully conversant with A Levels and IB
qualifications so both routes have equal value and
merit in building a career path.
What is the greatest challenge for children
moving up to 'Big School'?
Having to move around a much bigger campus but
the children are usually ready for a larger
environment. If they do not already possess one,
they are likely to demand a mobile phone to assist
communication at the end of the school day!
What should parents look out for to ensure
that their child has coped with the
transition and settled in well?
Does the child mention happily the new environment,
new friends, new teachers – even if expressed in the
language of teenage scepticism!
How involved should parents be with their
child's academic progress and personal
development?
Very involved – but allow the children to breathe
in their new school environment: ‘mother’ rather
than ‘smother’ them! It is essential to build a positive
relationship with the child’s key teachers (eg form
teacher, house parent etc). Listen carefully to their
perspective: they are likely to have many years of
experience while the parent may be re-visiting the
teenage years for the first and only time!
What is the best advice you can give
to a prospective parent/student when
considering their secondary/upper
school choices?
Parents are likely to be looking at a range of good
schools – they are all performing the same service
of education in slightly different ways. If one is not
careful, it can become a slightly bewildering process
trying to distinguish the merits of one school against
another. Go with one’s instinct and one is unlikely
to go far wrong.
The King’s School Canterbury aims to anchor a
21st Century education within the illustrious history
of the oldest school in the country, dating from 597
AD. Their philosophy behind the pursuit of academic
excellence is that talented pupils are stretched but
not stressed by enlightened and stimulating teaching.
The lower and middle school curriculum combine
a broad sweep of both the arts and the sciences
which nurture a careful training of the mind. The
vibrant and intellectually exciting sixth form provides
the ideal springboard for strong applications to
Oxbridge, Russell Group and other top UK and US
universities. Extra-curricular activities are equally-
weighted with King’s proud of its knack of developing
individual passions that often become lifelong
pursuits, with sporting, musical and artistic
opportunities abound for every pupil.
www.kings-school.co.uk
137