International School Parent Magazine - Autumn 2021

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academic programmes, as most of ushave not studied the curricula available toour children. So it can be challenging forparents to see the future implications ofchoosing one curriculum over another. Atthe same time, those implications can befar-reaching.It’s a case of thinking about, particularlyfor older students, which curricula will bemost advantageous to a particular student.One programme may be a better fit forsome students than others, leading to betteracademic results.For example, if a student is strong in allcurriculum areas, the Swiss Matu could bea great option because they have to do theirfinal exams in all school subjects. However,the IB could also work well as it covers sixsubjects, and so the student studies acrossthe curriculum right up to the final exams.However, if a student is particularlystrong in one area, like the Sciences orHumanities, the English A-Level, or theAmerican Advanced Placements may be abetter solution. They enable a student todrop the subjects in which they aren’t sostrong. So there’s a tactical advantage forthose students to study a curriculum wherethey can leave the weaker subjects to oneside because it will mean that their chanceof academic success is much higher.Vocational qualifications are alsobecoming more widely available ininternational schools. In recent years, theInternational Baccalaureate Organisationhas offered the IBCP. The careers program,as it is known, combines IB academicsubjects with the vocational BTECqualification. In most areas of Switzerland,now, you can find an international schooloffering the IBCP. The IBCP is in subjectslike art and design, hospitality, andbusiness. These programmes are growingin popularity and leading students towardsvocational degrees in higher education.In essence, we advise parents to look atthe curricula available in each school andfind out which will play to their child’sstrengths in the best way possible.How important is the philosophy andethos of a school?If they’re not aligned, or if they’re not closeto the families’ beliefs, ethos, principles,then the mismatch between family andschool can be much more likely.It may be that the school has a verycompetitive environment academically,where students win academic rewards forgetting great results. This might be a perfectfit with a competitive, driven student. Yet,for another anxious student, it could bedebilitating and damage their confidence.Try to find out if the school is particularlyprogressive and laid back? Or is the school’sdiscipline strict and demanding? Whichis the best fit for your child and family?This could make a massive differenceto the happiness of a particular child atschool. For example, we have some parentswho love rigorous schools that place a lotof value on politeness, organisation anddiscipline. However, a child who isn’t veryorganised, and maybe very chatty, will findit harder to succeed in that school. If theywalk down the corridor and their hands arein their pockets and lose points, that canbecome an issue. And yet, another childmay find that precisely the environmentthey need to excel.Are there additional factors to considerif a student has special educationalneeds?If your child has any special educationalneeds, whether they’re dyslexic, dyscalculic,have autism spectrum disorder, or anydiagnosis that affects learning, parentsneed to question each school on the kindof support available. I would say that thesupport available for those students isdifferent, depending on the school selected,so much that this extra support needs to bethe primary consideration.Most schools say they are an excellentenvironment for children with specialeducational needs or learning difficulties.But ask, specifically, how many teachers arethere in the Learning Support department?How much support, in terms of hours aweek, would your child get in your school?What are the other types of school supportthat are available? For example, is thesupport in your school, in class, pull-in help,or is it out of class, pull-out help? And ifthat help doesn’t end up being enough foryour child, what would the school thenpropose? Ask for concrete examples of thesupport children with similar difficulties getin the school.How can parents tell how much pastoralsupport is available in a school?All students need strong pastoral support,especially today, as the number ofchildren with anxiety-related difficulties atschool has increased. Rates have soaredamongst students of all ages. This meansunderstanding the type of pastoral supportand psychological support available in theschool is very important.Ask detailed questions about the pastoralsupport structure. For example, who isresponsible for your child’s wellbeing?How many times does a staff membercheck in with each student every week?How does that happen? Is there a schoolcounsellor available for students? Is therea school psychologist? Are these roles fulltime? And if so, what is the ratio betweenINTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN 2021 | 62
the number of students and the amountof psychological support? If your childneeds emotional support or counselling, isthis provided within the school, or will theparents seek it externally?Parents need to pin down the schools onthe detail of their pastoral support because,in my experience, some schools will haveextensive support structures in place, andsome schools will have a lot less. However,it is hard to tell how comprehensive thissupport is from the website, literature, orschool visit.Sometimes, a child with emotionaldifficulties, learning challenges, or anxietyissues may get on much better in a smallerschool environment. This is because theywill know everyone when the classes aresmaller, the teaching faculty is smaller, andit might be a less intimidating environment.However, it tends to bethe bigger schools that have amore substantial infrastructure ofsupport. So, again, this is something thatparents will need to weigh up very carefully,as they make that school selection for theirchildren.When should parents start their schoolsearch?The simple answer is the earlier, the better.If you have anyquestions about schoolchoice, International SchoolParent is hosting a freeschool choice webinar withAlex on 8th November2021. Please refer to ouremail newsletter for moreinformation.Remember to keepto the applicationdeadlines. Leave enoughtime to prepare all necessarymaterials beforehand and apply as earlyin the academic year as possible. Youmay also need to pay admin fees for eachapplication, and most schools will offerplaces based on the date of application.So, the earlier you can apply, the morelikely you are to gain a place.Alex is the founder and Managing Director of TutorsPlus. Her team of teachersand education consultants support students and parents across Switzerland andinternationally.TutorsPlus has teachers trained in all school subjects helping internationalstudents towards academic success. They know all international schoolprogrammes inside-out and truly work magic to draw out each student’s ability.You can reach TutorsPlus at 022 731 8148 or info@tutorsplus.com.INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN 2021 | 63
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International School Parent Magazine - Autumn 2021

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