Schooling
Admitting your kid into the best child school is an exciting feeling like no other. This is a big decision that will help shape his/her entire life and create the foundation for the future ahead. When your child approaches the 3-year-old mark, it is now time for you to pick one institute from the list of best schools in Gurgaon where, as a student, he/she will not only be receiving her education but also be striving for excellence.
And as you may have already heard from your friends and family who are parents themselves, choosing the right school for your child is never a one-day job. In most cases, it is not even a one-time decision. The flurry of options available today does bring out the best of most schools but also creates confusion and conflict of choice among parents. That age is long gone where the child was merely admitted to alma matter of one of the parents. The 21st-century demands more and thus, your selection criterion has to be rigorous.
So, here is your ultimate guide. This post will first cover the selection process first and then discuss how to confirm admission into your selected school. On the surface, the ensuing processes may seem hectic but, in the end, all your work will be worth it when you will notice your child achieving way beyond your own expectations. Let’s get started then.
How to pick the best school for your child?
For maintaining a focused approach, segregate the entire selection procedure into two primary categories. Then, approach the involved parameters step by step to gradually build up to your ultimate decision.
Category 1: Evaluating your personal dynamics
Most parents skip this step in the rush to find the best schools in Gurugram. However, you must keep in mind that your search is not for the best school for all students but for you and your child only. Every student comes with a unique learning need. Every family has a unique dynamic. If you or your child is expected to adapt as per the school’s regular functioning, it is possible that both the student and you may soon become averse to the institution. But, if you follow the reverse approach from the very beginning, that is, find a school that will suit your needs, the concluding decision will have a higher probability of being favourable. Hence, judge the following three personal parameters first before you start listing school names.
- The toddler’s personality
Yes, your toddler has a specific personality as well. Some babies are over-curios by nature. Others are silent and observant. Some are aggressive with their demands. While others are a bit laid back. Now, if your selected school fails to feed the curiosity of your child to the level his/her personality demands, the student will soon find the classes monotonous. And the reverse will happen if you admit your laid-back child to a happening school where things can soon become overwhelming. Hence, your toddler’s personality is the first essential step to selecting a school for him/her. As evident, the school’s ethos must match his/her temperament.
- Learning preferences and habits
Start taking notice of how your child is learning. Is he/she fluent with the dialogues that play on television? Or is he/she good at singing songs that were playing over the radio? Does he/she spend most of his/her time with the toys? Or does he/she constantly follow you? The answers to these will help you to identify your child’s learning preferences – visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or instructional. Accordingly, your school selection should come in where you must check whether the institution is predominantly giving lectures to teach or has an all-inclusive approach. Learning mismatch can become a huge educational roadblock later.
You may want only the best for your child but you cannot go overboard when it comes to finances. It may so happen that you go through the entire selection and admission procedure without thinking about budget and after a few months, you are having to switch schools due to financial constraints. The psychological effects then, both on you and your child, will not be positive and it may become a glitch in the student’s educational journey. Thus, it is always better to evaluate your budget first and then go for school selection. Jot down only those names that fit your preferred slots.
With these personal factors evaluated and sorted, it is now time to actively look into schools, which takes us to the second category of the selection procedure.
Category 2: Assessing schools
You probably already know how to go about this process. Make a list of your preferred schools, look into their facilities, and decide, with the above three personal dynamics, as a foundation, which school can be the best fit for your child. Although, even if the procedure may appear simple, it requires greater diligence from your end to pinpoint the right school. The quality of your decision will depend on the specific parameters you are choosing to look into and to what depths you are willing to do your research. Here are a few characteristics that you just cannot leave out.
Or the board you select and feel can give your child the necessary academic propulsion. The top CBSE schools in Gurgaon have their own fame for a reason and CBSE, as a central board, has become modernistic in a lot of respects. Here, you should keep aside all your biases and compare each board for their merits. Then, put your convenience into the mix to come to the final decision.
Another aspect that requires your attention in the curriculum parameter is the school’s approach towards STEM education. The school you select must be following STEAM instead of STEM where Arts receives equal prominence due to its involved benefits. The STEAM curriculum is vital for 21st-century students and you cannot overlook this nuance while picking your schools.
The learning and teaching approach that the school follows should sit above the curriculum slab. Think of it as the “how” of receiving education. Keep your eyes and ears open for the following terms and, if required, talk to the teachers inquiring how do they apply these techniques in their classrooms.
- Personalised learning where the lessons are planned as per the student’s individual needs.
- Activity-based learning or learning by doing.
- Skill-based learning where soft skill development gets equal priority as knowledge growth.
- Inquiry-based learning where students are encouraged to ask questions and critically analyse situations.
The best CBSE school in Gurgaon will obviously follow a pedagogy that will involve more such learning techniques but for the sake of simplicity, you can restrict your search to these only. The above four are typically enough to create a solid pedagogy.
No curriculum or pedagogy can get their right hold without the assistance of proper infrastructure. Application-based learning needs well-equipped laboratories. Personalised learning needs smart technology in classrooms. The school’s infrastructure must be the best to ensure the right education for your child so that learning is never limited to lectures and notes. Look into the school’s libraries, sports facilities, classroom ventilation and corridor openness along with laboratories and smart boards. Every feature has its own contribution to educational hygiene factors and the more, the better.
This is definitely a no-brainer parameter. When it comes to your child’s safety away from home, you must look into every aspect precisely before deciding on a school. Be sure to remember that every other educational brilliance will fall apart if the environment is unsafe for your kid. Without both physical and emotional safety, you cannot expect your child to learn anything at school.
During your preliminary visit, start by checking the integrity of the school’s boundary wall and continue your surveillance to verify for the presence of CCTV cameras, fire detection systems, security personnel, and cybersecurity measures. The best CBSE school in Gurgaon will be best with their security as well, not just with education.
Child psychology researches have proven time and again that parents’ involvement in their children’s education has a positive impact on academics. Students with active parents have performed better than those children whose parents delegated the entire responsibility to the school. You will thus want to play your part in your child’s education and must pick a school with an open line of communication between you and the teachers. Both of you need to exchange notes regularly, help each other to up bring your child, align your methods as per a common consensus, and guide the student as guardians. Parent involvement is necessary. And good schools acknowledge that.
As much as possible, look into the staff experience and talk with the teachers to find out more. Also, check for regular training programs that the school arranges for its teachers and what all steps do the institute takes to maintain a proper educational benchmark from the teacher’s side. These will generally come to your notice during your school visit or principal’s address and they are also your platforms to raise valid questions. A lesson is always as good as the teacher who teaches it and thus, including teachers in your research phase is again important.
Or how the school performs on an annual basis both in academic and non-academic spheres. Start with education and look into the school’s history of performance in boards and then include the extra-curricular activities to ensure that the institute is not too much marks-oriented. The top CBSE schools in Gurgaon will maintain steady performances in both areas and will always look to involve their students in a variety of competitive activities. The students of such schools will generally be high-achieving owing to their interest and passion and not because of any internal or external pressure.
Many parents initially argue that location and timing do not matter if the school is one of the bests in the country but in the long run, they do become important factors. Students need to arrive in school with their energy reserves full. If they are travelling for more than an hour every day, soon they will become averse to the very idea of going to school. Timing is also crucial, especially in the initial years. You will want your child to be in school neither too early nor too late as that toddlers need their optimum rest during their growing years. Institutes that have multiple branches spread over the whole city can be your best bet. With this, even if you relocate in the future, you will not have to switch schools.
With this, you will typically be left with a handful of shortlisted names. Now comes the task of picking up application forms and ensuing the admission processes.
How to ensure admission into the best school?
Your in-depth research has taken you to the right doors. It is now time to enter one of them. For this, you will not have to embark on an extensive journey as the research phase but ensure that you take a few actions right. Here is the list for that. Follow it step by step and admit your child to one of the best school in Gurgaon.
- Prepare as per the school’s philosophy
The school’s curriculum and pedagogy will have already given you a clear picture of what the school expects from its students. That should serve as your starting point in preparing both yourself and your child for the upcoming interviews. If STEAM was the institute’s priority, encourage your child to practice his/her favourite music number along with revising the alphabets. If inquiry-based learning was one of the school’s preferred pedagogy, allow your child to continue to ask questions during the lessons. Avoid trying anything more. Keep it simple.
- Practice a few mock interviews
No parent will ever want their child to lose their voice right in the interview hall. But, unfortunately, this is a common scenario. It is natural for your child to feel daunted by this new environment with a stranger asking random questions and other children waiting in the lobby. They may also contract the emotions that other students are feeling and become anxious about the whole process. To keep these in check, practice a few mock interviews away from your home and request your friends to ask questions to your child. This will ease things out for him/her and he/she will be ready for the D-day.
- Keep your focus on your child’s strengths
Good schools do not expect their interviewing students to answer all their questions right. Neither are they looking for a flawless student whom they do not have to train at all. The teachers will know that your child will come with his/her own set of strengths and weaknesses and they are trained enough to pick out the gem from among all. So, during your home lessons, stick to your child’s strengths. Try not to go overboard and pressurise the child to learn something that is not his/her forte. Ultimately, your child will be going to school to learn. The interviews merely test the current level of existing knowledge.
- Control your emotions in the interview hall
The interviewing teachers do take note of your reactions while asking your child questions. How you treat your child in those few minutes will play a massive role in deciding the student’s admission fate. Sure, you have spent a lot of time and energy behind finding the right school and sure, you will want your child to get into this school as you know this is the best, but do not act disappointed if your child cannot answer a question. Neither should you push your child to remember and appear dominating. With not many parameters to go on, the top CBSE schools in Gurgaon take your parenting style into account as well while shortlisting children for admission.
And that should do it. You have now done all that you can do to ensure that your child gets admitted to the best child school that currently stands in your city. Leave the rest to the natural flow of events and trust your child’s intelligence and potential.
But do not rest here
As you will also hear of cases where many parents have changed three to four schools before they have finally settled on the best child school. Whatever research you perform will always be from the outside and you can only get a deep insight by actually spending time with the school. Have the heart to switch if things are not working out. If you’re in Gurgaon then you can get a list of best schools in Gurgaon online. Take admission into your second preference.
Alpine Convent School is that best school in Gurgaon in terms of education and infrastructure. When your child studies in Alpine, he/she becomes a life-long learner and receives an education that guarantees future success. The school offers a perfect balance of extra curricular and academic excellence. Choosing the school will provide your child with an enriching life, and you will see him/her outperform in every aspect.
