What Parents Look for In Schools (A Checklist)

Key questions Notes Score/

5
Does this school offer the type of curriculum (i.e. activities and/or subjects)    
that will suit my child?
How interested are the students in what they are learning?    
How well are students achieving?    
How well are students progressing?    
What information does the school use for deciding how well students are    
doing?
What do students know about their achievement and what they need to do to    
improve?
What do their parents know about their achievement and what they need to    
do to improve?
What information do parents receive about how to support their child’s    
learning?
How / how often does the school report to parents?    
What does the school’s charter say it wants to provide for its students (its    
vision or mission statement)?
What are the school values? Are they reflected in how you feel when you walk    
into the school?
What is special about this school compared to other schools?    
How does this school look after the students who are most like your child?    
How do people at this school behave (including towards each other)?    
What happens if a student has a problem or gets into trouble?    
What sort of relationship does this school have with its local community?    
What opportunities are there for parents and to be involved with the school?    
What is the school doing to make sure it keeps improving?    
How well do students cope when they leave the school?    
What does the school do to help students do well when they leave the school    
(“transitions out”)?