HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SECONDARY SCHOOL FOR YOUR CHILD A paper by Mrs Ruth Butler, Principal, Grace Lutheran College, BA DipEd Litt B MEdSt MACEL HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SECONDARY SCHOOL FOR YOUR CHILD A paper by Mrs Ruth Butler, Principal, Grace Lutheran College, BA DipEd Litt B MEdSt MACEL As your child is heading towards the age where you are considering secondary education you might be wondering how you will choose the right school. There are a number of questions you should ask yourself as a guide to making this important decision. QUESTION 1: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS? There are differences between the focus of primary schools compared to secondary schools. Primary schools are characterised by: • Protection by adults with close supervision • Close relationships between teachers and parents • One main, generalist teacher • Common curriculum for everyone Whereas, secondary schools emphasise: • Guidance by adults and focus on self-discipline • Decreasing supervision and increasing independence • Increasing importance of relationships with peers • Several specialist teachers • Increasing choice in curriculum (electives) with some core subjects (English/Maths). Think about the difference between a Prep child, almost entirely dependent on their parents and teachers, and a Year 12 student able to drive a car, hold down a part-time job and manage their own study schedule. Do they need the same things? The same environment? The same kind of management by adults? In some ways, yes; in many ways, no. “BUILDING THE BOX” AND “FORGING A PATH” Primary school is a time when parents and students “build a box” for their child. They teach the child right from wrong, how to develop healthy habits, relate to others, learn curriculum basics, be proud of their country, their religion and their family. Children who do not have such positive boundaries often turn into insecure and anti-social adults. “Building the box” is essential for future wellbeing. By contrast, a good secondary school focuses on helping young people to “forge a path” for themselves. Positive values and habits will be reinforced, but there will be a growing emphasis on helping students to become independent, to relate to a wider range of people, to manage ethical grey areas and solve problems that have no clear solutions. Secondary school should feel different from primary school with strong pastoral care to help students feel secure, but with enough freedom to allow them to grow as individuals. QUESTION 2: WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW BEFORE I CHOOSE A SCHOOL? The most important thing to know when selecting a school is: Who is my child, and what does he or she need? What are the things your child is good at and interested in? The right secondary school is going to tick the boxes for your child, not anyone else’s child! Does your child have any particular needs: medical, social, emotional, learning (and that includes giftedness)? You could ask the prospective schools: How will you help my child develop in terms of their special interests, abilities or needs? What if there is more than one child in my family? Ideally, for convenience and sense of community, a school should cater for ALL the children in a family. A school that embraces diversity is also one that teaches students about real life and respect for difference. QUESTION 3: WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO FIND OUT ABOUT A SCHOOL? 2. Good discipline (68%) 3. Encouragement of a responsible attitude to work (66%) The best way to gather information about a school is to ask the opinion of parents and students who attend the school. Other values parents ranked as important offerings Are the children happy? Are they learning well? Do they have the opportunities they need? What do they like best? What do they like least? Positive word of mouth is the most common way by which people are referred to a good school. A word of caution: it is best to ask a number of people what they think. It may be that the first person you talk to had an uncommon, bad experience. A helpful resource is the School’s Commonwealth and State Reporting Annual Report on the school’s website and check out the findings from the parent and student satisfaction survey. QUESTION 4: STATE SCHOOL OR NON-STATE SCHOOL? There are many good schools in the State and Non-State School sectors. Education is a partnership between families and the school and we are fortunate in Australia to have a range of education providers so that parents can choose a pathway that bests suits them. Both kinds of schools should comfortably co-exist. Independent (non-Catholic) schools educate more than 20% of secondary students in the state, and numbers have increased by 39% in a decade. Independent schools provide education to communities with widely varying backgrounds including Indigenous families, new migrants, students with special needs and young people at risk of disengaging from schooling. Are independent schools only for the wealthy? The short answer is, no. Statistics show more than half of all Queensland’s independent schools serve communities with average or lower income families (who may sacrifice a lot to pay the fees) while a significant number of wealthy parents choose State Schools. If you know you cannot afford the school fees of the school of your choice, consider asking if there is a fee remission policy for lowincome families. Why do parents choose Independent Schools? Research by the Australian Council for Education Research (Geoff Masters, 2013) showed that, in choosing a secondary school, regardless of whether it is state or non-state, parents attach greatest importance to the quality of teachers in the school. They also look for schools that are safe, secure and that provide quality student care. An Independent Schools of Queensland survey in 2006 showed that the three most important factors for parents when choosing to send their child to an independent school were: 1. Preparation for students to fulfil their potential in life (72%) by Independent Schools included: • A better all-round education for their children • Strong reputation of the school • Better facilities • Smaller class sizes • Similar values and beliefs QUESTION 5: SHOULD YOU SELECT A SCHOOL THAT IS CO-EDUCATIONAL OR SINGLE-SEX? Parents who send their children to single sex schools often do so because they hope they will do better in an environment tailored for boys or girls, or because they do not wish them to be distracted by students of the opposite sex. Proponents of co-education point to: • The convenience and cost-savings of having all members of the family in the same school • It is more natural. Life is Co-Ed. Students will have to live in families, work, compete and cooperate with males and females throughout life and need to learn how, now. • A good co-educational school will manage the “distractions”. In such schools girls and boys develop natural friendships, and there are far fewer “romantic” relationships in a healthy co-educational environment than you might have imagined. • Many single sex schools do not offer the wide range of courses available in a co-educational school. Research has shown there is no evidence that students do better academically in single-sex situations. A recent report in The Courier Mail (August 28, 2013) quoted Monash University Professor Helen Forgasz: “Socio- economic factors are far more salient in terms of educational outcomes than anything to do with a gender setting of schooling.” The Courier Mail, August 28 2013. QUESTION 6: IS A FAITH-BASED OR NON-FAITH-BASED SCHOOL BEST FOR OUR CHILD? • What voluntary religious or community service/mission activities are there? Both kinds of school have a place in a country where democracy and religious freedom are valued. If you are a member of a particular religion, it is likely that you will choose a school with that religious base. If not, it is still likely that you will consider a faith-based school because you want your children to develop values such as respect and care for others and to have the capacity to make wise ethical decisions. Non-faith-based schools: Most families recognise that it is important for young people to develop their spiritual side to help them appreciate life and community and find strength in tough times. Students often report that they appreciate the quiet time available for reflection during Chapel time or Religious Education lessons. A word of caution: It is tricky for schools to convey values and/or religious belief while remaining sufficiently respectful and inclusive of the different views of students and parents. To check out how well a school achieves this balance, here are some approaches you might make: Faith-based schools: • Read the School Philosophy or Mission Statements. Ask for a copy of the Religious Education programme and Behaviour Management policy. • How often are religious activities conducted in the school – e.g. Chapel, devotions? • Read the School Philosophy or Mission Statements • Do they have a School Chaplain and/or Counsellor? • Do they have an explicit Values and/or Community Service programme? QUESTION 7: WILL A BIG SCHOOL OR A SMALLER SCHOOL SUIT MY CHILD? In general, parents may favour a big school because it offers more subject choice and greater opportunities, or a small school because it may seem a child would have more individual attention. However, a big school may still be able to give strong support to individuals if it is broken up into sub-schools or houses, and has a strong pastoral care system with small Home Classes that meet regularly. In a big or a small school a student may still be in the same sized class or will still only be able to study 6 or 7 subjects, regardless of the large number of subjects on offer in the bigger school. Ask the school: • How does contact between teachers and parents occur? • What do I do if my child has a problem? • How big are the class sizes? Most parents say, that if they really had to decide what is most important to them in parenting, it is to raise happy and good kids; kids who will be able to hold on to relationships, keep down a fulfilling job and make a positive difference in the world. QUESTION 8: HOW IMPORTANT ARE ACADEMIC RESULTS? Obviously, a main purpose of a secondary school is to help each student achieve his or her personal best academically and to develop the knowledge and skills necessary for future career pathways. You will most likely look for a school that has a proven track-record of strong academic achievement at Senior level and demonstrated success in raising students’ abilities in the core areas of English, Maths, Science and Social Science. You will also check the range of subjects available. If you have children with diverse abilities, you may seek a school with opportunities for academic extension or optional Vocational and Education pathways. Indicators of a strong academic school include: • A classroom environment where students can learn. • Academic work extending beyond normal directed classroom work, e.g. students working in the library after hours, voluntary study groups, peer tutoring, teachers offering extra academic help. 3. Statistics may be misleading. Newspapers set up Leagues tables of schools based on the percentage of students who gain an OP1-5 or OP1-15. But these statistics are misleading, when you look at other data published on the QSA website. Many schools now have only 50-60% of their students OP-eligible with lower-achieving students discouraged from taking an OP pathway. . A school which has 80% of students gain an OP1-15 when only 40% are eligible has not achieved nearly as well academically as a school who has 80% of students getting an OP1-15 when 80% are eligible. NAPLAN published results can also be somewhat misleading. To check their value, you need to know how many students in the school participated in the NAPLAN tests. Some schools with apparently high NAPLAN results have low participation rates. Some schools with high NAPLAN and OP results select students on the basis of ability at enrolment. NAPLAN tests assess a small range of skills but do not adequately test creativity, problem-solving and other higher order thinking skills that are the real markers of academic achievement. Consider your own child’s NAPLAN results. Do they adequately reflect what you know about your child’s abilities and gifts? How do they compare with other test results and your school reports? Many parents find they are mystifyingly different. A better estimate of a school’s academic success is the percentage of students who get into university each year compared with the • Opportunities for academically-gifted students to be extended. State. “The quality of education provided by a school is best judged • Assessment tasks that challenge a wide range of students. account students’ starting points. A school making a large difference • Well organised curriculum and exams (where relevant). not by its final results but by the difference it makes, taking into to students’ levels of achievement and life chances may deliver ‘better education’, despite its lower Year 12 results.” Geoff Masters, HOW RELEVANT ARE PUBLISHED ACADEMIC RESULTS? Australian Council for Educational Research, 2013. Performance data (relating to OP or NAPLAN results) is useful for schools to help them learn about the gaps individual students may have in their learning and what could be improved in a school’s curriculum. Strong OP or NAPLAN results over time can indicate quality teaching and learning. However, we also know that high results often relate to the high socio-economic status of families (Geoff Masters, Australian Council for Education Research 2013). Check out your school’s Commonwealth and State Annual Report on the School’s website, (School Leavers’ Destination Survey) to see how their statistics compare to the state. Check out the Senior Students Report from QSA in the same report to find out the proportion of students who are OP-eligible and OP-ineligible. This will give you an idea of how focussed the school is on academic or vocational pathways. Parents using OP and NAPLAN results as a way to help them select a school for their children is not particularly reliable. There are at least three reasons to be considered: Ask the school: 1. OP and NAPLAN results are measuring performance of other people’s children, not how a parent’s own child will succeed in that particular setting. 2. Academic results are not always the all-important element of every child’s secondary schooling. • What does your school do to cater for students with learning needs, average learners, and the gifted? • What does your school do to ensure children do not fall through the cracks, academically? • What extra help is available for my child – inside and outside of class time? QUESTION 9: DOES THE SCHOOL CATER FOR MY ACADEMICALLY GIFTED CHILD? Teachers in a good school for an academically gifted child believe gifted children should be extended and the school has targeted programmes in place to help this happen. Ideally this should include differentiated curriculum and assessment within the normal classroom as well as special gifted programmes catering for particular gifts e.g. subject acceleration, competitions, extension electives, special excursions/camps. These students have gifts that are greatly needed in the world to help improve the lives of many. A good school will help all students develop their gifts while teaching them a sense of service and responsibility. expertise with students who are at very different stages of their lives. Primary students from partner schools can adapt more easily because the new school’s values and policies are similar. How important is a Middle School? An effective Middle School (early years of Secondary School) is designed to ease the transition into secondary school, stimulate learning and provide students with a sense of belonging. Middle Schools are normally characterised by: • a reduced number of teachers who enjoy working with young adolescents (typically two teachers covering the core subjects) • strong pastoral care QUESTION 10: SHOULD MY CHILD LEAVE THEIR P-12 SCHOOL OR STAY? Specialist Primary Schools do what they do extremely well in a safe, stable and nurturing environment served by highly-skilled staff trained to work with young children. Specialist secondary schools are served by dedicated, expert secondary staff who understand adolescents and are specially trained to mentor them on their sometimes challenging journey to adulthood. Stand-alone Primary and Secondary schools can be very effective because they are targeted towards particular age groups. Prep to Year 12 schools need to ensure that the learning environment changes as the students grow older to accommodate to their needs. Children who stay in a P-12 school, often do so because they wish to stay with their friends. Parents need to ask, is this the best reason to choose a secondary school? Most students are very adaptable and making new friends is easy in the first year of a secondary school where everyone is new and looking for friends. And they can still meet up with their old friends on the weekend. This is why many children prefer to move to a secondary school that is quite different – a new school altogether where they can have a fresh start, make new friends, reinvent themselves. Going to a different secondary school can allow a child who has had some social difficulties to make a fresh start. A Seamless Curriculum? The idea of a seamless curriculum P-12 appeals to most parents. Now that the Australian Curriculum is being implemented, primary and secondary schools will be able to provide continuity of learning whether they are separate or P-12. THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS: SPECIALIST SECONDARY SCHOOL WITH SPECIALIST PARTNER PRIMARY SCHOOL. An option that allows for students to stay with most of their friends into Secondary School, but also experience a new environment, is the where a Secondary School has one or more separate, but partner Primary Schools who share a similar ethos. This is the best of both worlds. Both Primary and Secondary Schools can sharpen their • an engaging curriculum • “taster” elective subjects • a distinct Middle School precinct. What is the best age for students to go to Middle School? Some Middle Schools begin at Year 6 or even Year 5 and normally go on to Year 9. The Queensland Government has settled on Year 7 as the entry point for Middle School (and Secondary School) in this State, for good reason. Year 6 students are mature enough to be good leaders in the Primary School and to benefit from the experience. They still like the security of one main teacher and being in the same classroom most of the time. Children are getting older, younger, but most parents would agree, we don’t want to speed up the pace even more. By the time students get to Year 7 they are usually “over” Primary School, and are looking for new experiences, more challenge and are capable of handling more freedom. Ask the school to explain how the Middle School works at their school. QUESTION 11: HOW IMPORTANT IS THE CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAM? In one word, ESSENTIAL. The Search Institute in the US found from surveying 150,000 children in Grade 6 - 12 is they are three times more likely to have positive outcomes with academic achievements, leadership, and behaviour if they: • Are spending three hours per week or more in lessons or practice in music, drama or other arts; • Are involved in activities of a religious community for one or more hours per week; or • Are spending three hours per week or more in sports, clubs or organisations at school and/or the community. Other activities with high positive impact are: • Reading for pleasure three or more hours per week; • Having best friends who model responsible behaviour; • Seeking to resolve conflict non-violently; and • Serving in the community for one hour or more per week. Experience shows that a high co-curricular involvement usually correlates to good or high academic effort and achievement. Moreover, students who are involved in such activities get to know students across age-groups and have a greater sense of belonging and value as a contributor. What about Camps and Outdoor Education? Schools that have a camping/Outdoor Education programme are doing a great service to students. In particular, an experience of three to four weeks based on high-trust adventure and environmental activities is of long term benefit. Are International Connections and Service Activities Important? We live in a globalised world, yet 80% of the world’s people live in poverty. Young people who learn to understand and connect with diverse people across the globe will not only be more equipped for an international workforce, but they may develop a purpose beyond themselves. Kurt Hahn, Founder of Outward Bound said: “Tell young people they are needed: this hardly ever fails.” He also said: “Give young people a moral equivalent to war.” If we want our young people to become less selfish, more motivated, more useful, let them observe first hand injustice and poverty. And give them practice doing something about it. Ask the school: • Do they cater for all levels in co-curricular activities (e.g. sport, cultural), not just the elite? • Do they have plenty of co-curricular options for my child’s interests? • Do they offer camps and Outdoor Education programs and if so, what is their purpose? • Are there any international connections including service trips and sister schools, and what proportion of students study foreign languages? QUESTION 12: WHAT ABOUT BULLYING? No school is totally immune from bullying. The important thing is, how bullying is being addressed in the school. There are many sophisticated processes around now to help staff cope with bullying. One approach that is often successful is known as Restorative Practices, where victims and offenders are brought together in structured mediation to help resolve the conflict fairly and peacefully. The emphasis is on helping people see the perspectives of others, making them accountable and educating them in ways to change their behaviour. Behaviour Management. An effective and humane behaviour management policy balances mercy and truth, kindness and fairness. It preserves the dignity of all students, is educative rather than just punitive and has clear processes that follow the principles of natural justice. Ask the school: • What does the school do to help prevent wrongdoing? • How does the school investigate and follow up on a serious incident in the school? informed by knowledge of their child and prediction about his or her ability to thrive in that environment. After all, they put the hard work into the relationship with the school and pay the fees (for an independent school). If your child does not seem to share your view, you could take them to Open Days, celebration events, or an interview with the School Principal. If you know any students their age going to the school you like, invite them over. It helps if you have plenty of time to help them change their mind gently and get used to the idea. Many young people have mixed feelings about their new secondary school, but the vast majority of them adjust quickly. In the first year of secondary school there are many new students arriving together and it is easy to make friends. QUESTION 15: WHAT FACILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO MY CHILD’S EDUCATION? Facilities and the latest technology help provide a good education in specialised subjects but quality education is dependent more upon the quality of teaching that takes place. Thanks to generous capital funding for all schools by Commonwealth and State Governments most schools have adequate facilities and provide good access to information technology on site or through laptop or tablet computer programs. • What exactly does the school do if bullying is reported? QUESTION 16: SHOULD I CONSIDER CONVENIENCE? QUESTION 13: HOW IMPORTANT ARE QUALITY TEACHERS IN MY DECISION? Easy, safe travel to school is important to most families. Does your school have its own bus transport for example? Recent research has shown time and time again that quality teachers make the most difference to student outcomes of any factor including home and school. The attributes of the student make up about 50% of the difference, and quality teachers 30% (John Hattie). Does the school have provision for students to remain after school to do homework or study if parents are late to collect them, or if they have to wait for siblings to finish training or rehearsals? An advantage of independent schools is that they have more power to recruit the kinds of teachers they want and are also freer to manage unsatisfactory performance. Check out the Commonwealth and State Annual Report on the School web-site about teachers - for example, professional development and teacher retention rate, which are indicators of how committed they are to their job and the school. Ask the school: • What do you do if a student or parent complains about a teacher? • What do you do if a teacher is not very good at his or her job? QUESTION 14: SHOULD I CONSIDER MY CHILDREN’S VIEWS? Most parents believe their child should be involved in the process of choosing a school and their opinions should count. However, in the end parents also recognise that they must make the final decision, Does the school communicate clearly with parents about organisational details? These questions can often be answered by referring to the school website. QUESTION 17: HOW IMPORTANT IS THE “FEEL” OF THE SCHOOL? What finally tips many parents and students in favour of a particular school is its “feel”. The warmth and friendliness of the people you meet, the sense of order and calm and the care that has been spent on the grounds, may all point to a positive emotional and social climate for the school. Students may sense that they could belong here. Similarly, many parents say they have chosen a school because of the students or past students they know who are fine young people, or great employees. “I hope my son or daughter will turn out like that student,” they say. Or maybe they know some great teachers who work there. Many would like to meet the Principal before they make a decision. In education, it is always the quality of the people involved that is the most important thing – not the buildings or the documents. After you have viewed the school and the website and read the documents, make your decision based on the people. As you consider all the information gathered, ensure you and your child are comfortable with the decision made. Ask as many questions as you can, research and visit the school to see for yourself how it operates. If you would like further information on quality secondary education visit glc.qld.edu.au References: Hugh Mackay, 2007, Advance Australia…Where; Lovat et al, 2009: Values Education,Quality Teaching and Service Learning, Australia Hattie, John, 2009: Visible Learning, Oxford