I
f you’re considering a boarding school
for your child, it’s well worth paying
the school a visit before reaching any
final decision. But what should you
ask while you’re there? Julianna Yau
helps guide the discussion.
Reading the brochure of a school
and physically visiting are completely
different – the former gives you a brief
understanding of the school from the
school’s perspective (i.e. what the
school claims and wants you to see)
and the latter allows you to gain first
hand exposure of what the school really
is like. A school visit is the best time
for you to figure out if the school would
be a good fit for your child. Below is a
list of questions that you might want to
consider when visiting a boarding school.
About the School
You most likely have already researched
the school thoroughly, hence your
reason for visiting in the first place, so
use this opportunity to confirm your
understanding and ask anything that
was unanswered through your research.
Some questions that you might want to
consider include:
• What is the academic curriculum
that the school follows?
• Which sports are available
to students?
• Are there extracurricular activities in
which students can participate?
• What are the entry requirements /
admission process? Are there any
particular qualities that you value
most in a student?
• How big are the classes? (see if
you can visit any classes, especially
of subjects that you are most
interested in.)
• What do students do after class during
the week? What’s a typical day like?
• Do you have any contacts in
universities / industries? (Also
enquire about which universities
their students go on to attend)
About Boarding
The most important part about visiting a
boarding school is to see the boarding
environment. Ask about the possibility
education
of visiting the dormitories. Most schools
are more than happy to arrange this
so try to see a few of them to get a
representative picture of the living
situation. You may also wish to ask
about any boarding rules (e.g., when
and how you can contact your child)
and support mechanisms in place for
students (e.g., homesickness).
• What proportion of the students
are boarders?
• How many international students
do you have? (You can also ask
about the distribution of nationalities
of students).
• Are there any support mechanisms
in place for students who
are homesick?
• What’s the food like? (You might
want to enquire about the possibility
of trying a meal there)
• What kind of weekend activities can
students participate in?
• When can I contact my child?
Others
In addition, you might want to also ask
the following:
In case of emergencies:
• What type of medical facilities do
you have?
• Where is the nearest hospital?
• Are there trained staff on duty 24/7?
Local environment:
• Where are the nearest shops?
• How far is the city centre from
the school?
• Can students leave the school
campus and what are the rules
associated with that?
Hopefully the above questions will act
as a great starting point in acquainting
yourself and your child with the school.
Then, if you decide to apply to a
particular school, it’s time to see if your
child will be offered a place.
Julianna Yau is director of Ampla
Education. To discover more about their
boarding school application services, visit
www.ampla-edu.com
Summer 2019
49