www.womanthismonth.com July 2021 61 OPINION | education Aside from academics, what should you look for? Find a balance: some parents will favour sports and the arts over academics, but well-rounded students need a mixture of both to thrive. Look carefully at the school facilities and spaces, ask questions about the number of weekly lessons allocated for drama, art and sport. Find out if the spaces are shared between different sections of the school. Another crucial question to ask is about the playtimes or break times - where do the children eat, and do they get enough time to run off the energy that learning builds? On average, children in independent schools in the UK have 90 minutes of breaktimes per day - this is an important factor in wellbeing and happiness. International schools often mirror the UK independent school timings - longer hours in the classroom should also include extended time for children to socialise and engage with their peers. Choosing a school for your child depends on so many factors, but in the end, it really does come down to the simple question of does the school fit your family ethos and values? If it does, then you will know it when you ‘feel’ it. Julia Knight has been teaching for 18 years in London, Bangkok and, is now a principal in Bahrain. She writes for many education magazines worldwide and offers teacher training and consultancy. You can follow her on Twitter @KnightWilliams. friendships are quickly established and across the whole school rather than from just one year group or class. In UK mainstream, independent schools - the average class size is 16 - this is often attractive to fee paying parents who want a bespoke, boutique style of learning. Smaller schools can build a greater sense of community spirit as teachers, parents and students are able to get to know one another which provides invaluable support to new families arriving. Larger schools can have benefits too, a larger cohort can present more diversity among the student population and allow for more opportunities for school teams and productions. For teachers, the sweet spot is around 18 - 20 students, poor behaviour and disengagement is far less likely in a smaller class as students are more visible to teachers and peers and tend to be more motivated as they receive more attention from the teacher.
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