Whether you are a teacher trying to get hired or a parent looking for the best school for your children, here are 6 traits all great schools have in common. They guarantee you a great employer and an amazing school for your children.
1–They have clear policies.
These policies include staff related responsibilities and support, employment conditions and guarantees, promotions and teacher development schemes, parent/teacher/school communication channels, policies guaranteeing students’ well-being, discipline procedures, community support, and the list could go on.
2–They offer after school activities.
Which include a great range of activities which contribute to the students’ cognitive and physical development, as well as recreational options.
3–They have high levels of parental involvement.
Great schools know that unless they have the parents on board, the school cannot thrive. Numerous studies demonstrate that students perform better academically when parents reinforce studying at home. Parents might get involved because they believe in the school’s mission or because they are stimulated to do so via ‘supportive-parents awards’ or by being asked to share their professional expertise. They can be a welcoming board for new parents, organise events to help the community bond together, etc.
4–They invest in staff development.
Great schools believe in their teachers and give them resources and all necessary training to perform at the highest standards. They empower them, mentor or coach them to take initiative, conduct INSETTs and maybe study further or perfect their technique/skills.
5–They have quality teachers and staff.
Great schools have clear requirements when it comes to their teaching staff education and experience. Moreover, they have a passion for teaching, they know how to motivate their students and set high academic standards. Due to their great teaching, the school gets community credibility and becomes sought after which leads to an increase in student numbers. It’s a win-win situation.
6–They have a strong foundation in Early Years/High K-12 Test Scores.
These are factors which speak for themselves. While we should not choose a school based just on statistics and heavily test-oriented, certain numbers can give us clues on where the school is in terms of academic performance.
What else defines a GREAT school? Facilities? Board of trustees? We would love to hear your thoughts!