Five things to consider before switching schools

Is there a suitable time for moving your child from their current school? The answer is no. Switching schools depends on the circumstances in which you want to change schools in the first place.

Whatever the reason you want to switch schools, there are many considerations you have to consider, as switching schools can directly impact your child.

Is your child unhappy at the school they are at? Do they need to make progress academically? Do you want to be happier with the school’s safety measures? These are some of the questions you must ask yourself before changing schools.

Whatever the question, switching schools is not easy, so we’ve come up with the following tips to help you before you change schools.

Get your child’s buy-in.

You are undoubtedly the right person to decide which school will be best for your child’s well-being. However, your child will be the most impacted by your decision and must adjust to the new school environment. The best way to get their buy-in before the transition is to help them feel involved in the decision to get excited about their new school.  

Before you switch your child to another school, discuss their current school and share your concerns with them. After all, they will be the ones who have to attend the new school.

Identify why the old school was a bad fit.

Find out why you want to remove your child from their current school. Getting to the nitty-gritty details of why your child should switch schools will help you identify a school that is the right fit for your child.

Finding the right school for your child takes a lot of research and asking the right questions. For example, a school with bigger groups might not be the right fit if your child needs smaller groups and a lot of individual attention. Before you switch schools, check as many boxes as possible from your list of school requirements.

Find out how the new school will address any academic gaps.

According to a study by the University of Notre Dame Professor Jennifer Warlick, switching schools can sometimes harm academic performance. Whether a child is performing well academically or not, changing schools may impact their academic performance; therefore, you must check how the school will support a new learner.

Build a rapport with your child’s new teachers.

Get to know your child’s teachers, as this will help your child adjust to the new school. Building a relationship with your child’s teacher is paramount, as you can work together to address any issues your child may have had in the previous school. Research by the University of Missouri has found that learners perform better when teachers and parents work together.