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Day school London

Why you should pick a day school in London

London is home to many top tier educational institutions. Education is important for so many reasons and it’s important to get a quality education that will equip you better for the future. If you live in London and you’re interested in studying in London and picking a day school for your child in London, then certainly keep reading.

In this article, we’ll explain what a day school is, the benefits of a day school and how to pick a day school in London.

 

WHAT IS A DAY SCHOOL?

A day school is used to refer to a school where the students are allowed to be day students. This means that they go home after classes. In the United Kingdom, primary and secondary school hours are usually from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. This differs from school to school however most schools have hours similar to that. In a day school, the pupil goes home when the school closes each day while in boarding schools the pupil resides in the school. A boarding school requires all its students to reside within the school property. Pupils usually live in a “boarding house” and stay till the holidays. Some parents prefer boarding schools while some prefer day schools.

 

BENEFITS OF A DAY SCHOOL

Day schools have many benefits despite the competition of boarding schools. Some of the benefits of day schools include;

  1. Close proximity to your child – Day schools give you the opportunity to spend more time with your child and be around for more of their formative years. It’s important to get to know your child while they’re growing up so you can help guide them into being a great adult. By the time they head off to university they’re probably an adult and you won’t have the chance to get to know them as kids if they’re in a boarding school for almost 200 days a year.
  2. Lower Tuition – Day schools have significantly lower tuitions. Studies have estimated that there’s usually around a £10,000 difference between day school fees and boarding school fees. This is a lot of money that you can save and reinvest in your child’s future.
  3. Involved in day to day activities – Sending your child to a day school is a great day to be involved in your child’s day to day activities. If you’re looking to create a relationship or bond between you and your child then a day school is the best option for you. You’ll be able to talk to your child frequently and monitor their moods so you’ll know when they genuinely need external help with schoolwork or just growing up in general.
  4. A more diverse group of friends – Sending your child to a day school helps them create a more diverse group of friends. If they’re in a boarding school, they’ll probably only be friends with the other students at the school. This doesn’t really give them the chance to meet people from all walks of life and meet people who really challenge their point of view/perspective. It’s important for them to have a diverse group of friends so they can grow and learn more ideas.
  5. Stay friends with current friends – Childhood friendships are often very genuine. Perhaps your child is friends with the neighbour’s child and you don’t want their friendship to end because they seem really good for each other. A day school is a great way to ensure your child has the opportunity to keep being friends with their current or older friends.
  6. More freedom for pupils – The structure of a day school offers more freedom for pupils to explore and learn more about themselves outside the school walls.
  7. Feedback on education to parents – Sending your child to a day school gives you the opportunity to be more engaged in their education. This way they can give you more feedback on school and how they feel about it. This gives you the chance to help them discover and explore what academic fields they love and also help them in the fields they struggle with.
  8. Extra Coaching – Day school pupils have the chance to receive extra coaching from tutors outside the school. Perhaps they don’t really understand how the teacher explains the concepts. They need extra help and when they’re in a day school they can come home and seek help from other educators.
  9. Extracurriculars – Although boarding schools offer extracurricular activities, they might not offer the activity your child is interested in. It’s important that your child explores extracurriculars outside school so they don’t feel obligated to continue if it becomes too taxing.
  10. Siblings and Family – Sending your child to a day school gives them the opportunity to bond with their siblings and other family members. It’s important to cultivate these bonds from a young age. This way you rest assured that your children have a safe space in each other.

If you live in London there are so many benefits (as we have outlined above) to keeping your child in a day school in London as opposed to sending them to a boarding school. Picking a day school in London gives your child the opportunity to experience these benefits. London offers many extracurricular activities, a wonderful atmosphere for students as well as an extremely diverse population.

 

How To Pick A Day School In London

Now that you’ve made the decision to send your child to a day school in London you’re probably wondering how to pick a day school. Well, here are some tips that are sure to be of great help.

  1. Price Range – The first thing you need to figure out is your budget. Of course, a day school is much much cheaper than a boarding school so your budget should have more room for maneuvering. Many day schools in London also offer scholarships and aids. A school like Portland Place school offers scholarships that you can access here.
  2. Location – Next up, we have the choice of locations. This mainly depends on where you live. If you live in Central London there are many day schools available for your perusal. A great choice for a day school would be Portland Place school. It is located in Central London and they offer school tours so you can examine the grounds before making your decision. If you want to book a school tour to tour Portland Place school you can do so here.
  3. Teachers – Now that you have a list of possible day schools for your child, the next step is to see what the teachers are like. This is obviously very important because a huge aspect of education involves formal learning which you receive from teachers. It’s important to know how the teachers teach and how the students react to their classes. A school like Portland Place school has a staff of mostly young teachers. This is great because you’re rest assured that they’re more likely to understand the students and have more energy to keep up with the younger kids but the patience to deal with the older kids.
  4. Track record (exam wise) – Another great way to measure the efficiency of the teachers would be to examine the results of the students. More importantly, the GCSEs results. Portland Place school has its results available for all to peruse on their website. You can view that here.
  5. Student Body – The next deciding factor is the student body. It is important to pick a school with a diverse student body so your child can experience what the world is actually like.
  6. Clubs – Clubs are a great way to make friends outside your grade. It’s important to select a school with a healthy mix of clubs. Portland Place school offers math clubs, cricket teams, and a football club amongst others. Clubs are not just a way to make friends but they encourage teamwork as well which is very important. Clubs are also a great way to get your child interested in physical activity or more educational activities. Either way, clubs are great if you’re looking to introduce your child to something new.
  7. Student Culture – Finally you have to examine the student culture. Are the students happy there? Do they have healthy relationships, are they given responsibilities and are they getting a full education? A great indicator of this is if the students have certain clubs or activities that are run by them for them. This shows that they have the freedom to explore but are also learning about responsibility. Portland Place School’s students regularly write articles for the school website which you find here.

Selecting a good day school in London can be daunting but if you follow our tips, it could actually be a bit enjoyable!