One of the most important decisions you’ll make in your child’s life is where to send him or her to school. If you’re relocating to Dubai, you’ll need to find a school before the new term begins. Here are six tips to help you find the best education for your children.
Check the Reviews
When you begin the search for a new school, you can check the reviews given by the government to all private and public schools in the country. The Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau rates schools and places them in one of the following four categories, depending on key factors:
- Unsatisfactory
- Acceptable
- Good
- Outstanding
Ask to see the accreditation reports when touring schools that you’re considering for your children, so you can find out the rating and information about their curriculum.
Check Curriculum
Because Dubai has citizens from all around the world residing there due to their jobs, there are schools with curriculums for those countries. There are schools with curriculums for students from the United States, Canada, Australia, India, and Great Britain. When compiling a list of schools to consider for your children, research them online to find schools fitting UK curriculum standards.
Enrol Early
As soon as you know your family will be relocating, you need to start searching for schools and checking their availability. Many schools have waiting lists, and you may only be able to get your child in if someone else cancels their enrolment. If you wait too long to apply to Kings’ School in Dubai, then you may have to choose schools based on availability instead of quality standards.
Consider Your Child’s Needs
If you have an athletic child, or one who is academically gifted or who has special needs, then you will want to find schools which will accommodate their talents and needs. Ask about the type of programmes and extracurricular activities the schools have for their students to challenge them or accommodate their special needs. Get your child’s input when considering schools, as they need to be happy with the place where they will be spending most of their day.
Visit Each Campus
When you narrow the list of schools you’ve researched down to just two or three, you will want to visit each campus and observe the teaching styles in the classrooms in which your children would be. Take your time in accessing schools, making the visits on separate days so you can tour the facilities, check in on several classrooms, and speak to instructors. Try to imagine the schools from your child’s viewpoint to determine if you think they would like the ones you’ve chosen.
Ask Questions
Make a list of questions to ask administrators to find out how teachers are selected, and to verify their educations and their accreditations. Ask how discipline is handled in school, how bullying is dealt with, and other issues affecting your children.
Everyone at the schools should be willing to answer your questions. Start the search process before leaving the UK by going online to research possible schools for your child.