Consider all options prior to enrolment...

ENROLLING a child in primary school can leave parents feeling like they’re making a lot of decisions at once. Yes, you should consider all options when choosing a primary school, as the right school is the one that best contributes positively to your child’s academic development. But do so with an open mind.

Much of the groundwork is already done if another child of yours is attending the school, or has done so in the past. This helps to eliminate much of the decision making process. Aspects such as tradition, accessibility and familiarity with a school also tend to shade a parent’s decision. You may even have attended the school yourself, and while much has changed since, the continuity a school brings to a community is a powerful one that should still feel familiar to you. This may also help in your decision.

Primary schools are the perennial centres of learning for generations of children across an entire community and sowing the seeds of early academic excellence is uppermost in ever parents’ thoughts as enrolment nears. There’s nothing wrong with this so long as you remember that academic achievement has always been higher when juxtaposed with extra-curricular activities that make a positive change to a child’s life.

Children excel in their own respective ways and the important part a school plays in making space for a child to discover its creative niche is valued by a majority of primary schools. Open day’s and one-to-one meetings with teachers are great ways of satisfying any questions you may have. Just trust your instinct and absorb the surrounds as you’ll soon get the right feeling if it’s meant to be.

But while there’s obviously important factors to consider when enrolling a child in a primary school, there’s usually some inessential ones too. A tendency to become overly fixated on detail often inhibits your judgment and ‘feel’ for a school. Some parents think all that’s good about a school can be contained in a pamphlet. It’s not.

There are many positive aspects to a school that cannot be gauged other than when in motion. It’s worth assessing closely activities like sports, arts, nature, drama, music, etc., as these are important to a child’s overall development.

Remember to search for that special feeling and know if and when it connects with you and your child. By the way, choosing a primary school is important, but it’s unlikely to be the most important decision you’ll make in a child’s life. Life and education is all about a voyage of self-discovery of which primary school is but a brief crossing. BLACK Valley School is a co-educational primary school under the patronage of the Catholic Bishop of Kerry. We promote mindful and holistic learning in a unique environment. We embrace and celebrate diversity and teach pupils from many backgrounds and cultures. Our school is nestled in the beautiful Black Valley, between Killarney and Kenmare, at the top of the Gap of Dunloe. The ecology, geography, culture and heritage of the area give our innovative teachers the opportunity to push the most progressive elements of the Irish curriculum to its limits. Each child is valued and encouraged to develop his/her individuality through varied learning experiences and teaching methodologies.