Choosing a Primary School: A Teacher's Guide for Parents

Out of the various Gurgaon top schools, you would want to choose the best for your child’s future. The main question you should ask yourself as a parent is that on entering through the gates of the school do you get a happy and positive vibe. Nowadays, there are many primary schools in the city. Each school has a different feel, but if that feeling is an uncomfortable one it is better to be cautious. Certain schools might have their own art and craft studio or a separate area of tree plantation in the playground or it could be a performance stage put up in the hall which are great assets to improve your child. Every parent would like to get their child enrolled in the top school of city. Just make sure that they actually get plenty of good reviews from parents and concentrate on your child’s holistic growth and not just on academics, maths and literacy.

An important tip is to try a face-to-face tour at the school’s reception by organising it on call beforehand, only a chat with the office staff won't say a lot about a school. Make sure to frame some questions to ask the head teacher but not too many. You need to check if there are any untidy cloakrooms or improperly kept library or any bad playground equipment or space. You must make sure to see it all.

• The lobby

When you are in the front entrance of the school, you get a feel of what's exactly going on. Your tour will never be timed to coincide with the breaks but if there are any children running about, see what they are doing. If they have been on a dutiful errand, for instance delivering registers, then such schools may encourage a systematic and responsible attitude.

However, if they play and fight in the lobby without any consequence it really puts a very less impressionable story and might mean a careless approach to discipline. Most lobbies will bear a safeguarding rule or policy and staff photographs, but if you see pictures of children as well then that is better. Nothing would make a better role model for a child than other fellow classmates or children.

• The Headteacher

He or she is the main head of the school and all involved with it will look up to them for inspiration. The best headmasters of the top schools are cool-headed, composed and astute decision-makers  who put sheer trust in their colleagues and environment to symbolise where their ship is headed.

When inspecting any potential primary schools of Gurgaon, don't fear to  inquire as to how many disciplinary problems they've had in the recent times, how they have resolved it and watch for their reaction.

• The classroom

Recently, cramped classrooms are actually very common and class sizes are shrinking in reality. Ask and try to quietly enter into and inspect one of your child's prospective classroom at least for a considerable amount of time or a couple of minutes while the lesson is going on. Some teachers make use of every spare inch of the wall with good vocabulary choices or maths numbers or techniques to put to use that look good at first but to certain children might appear quite confusing or daunting. Make sure to inquire what certain acronyms and posters on the class board signify or stand for and how have they potentially helped in practice.

Displays on the boards of the classrooms should be kept up to date and they should be meaningful. So, if there is one acronym on a particular topic, counter check that it's at the very least a recent one if not a current one but it should not be old or only for namesake.

• The staff

Teachers most of the given time will be on their best behavior when parents visit but don't be annoyed if they happen to not notice you because as a matter of fact they have got a lot going on. But try to carefully assess their stress levels. Symbol of a healthy relationship between school staff is actually where each and everyone will make a point of just saying a cordial hello to each other. If you happen to see this, be very impressed. Make sure to ask for how much duration the teaching staff has been at the school. If all seem new and a lot of them are newly qualified teachers, then serious upheavals might have been afoot or unfavourable decisions could have driven the majority of staff away.

At the end of the day, primary schools need to have the feel-good factor for the positive growth of your child. However, even if it is known as the best school but if it does not have a vibrant positive feeling it’s probably not a suitable one.