Choosing a school: parent interviews

Learn from parents how they chose private schools for their children

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Choosing a school for your child is a big decision. On OurKids.net, we provide all the information you need on this decision. We also cover related topics such as private school expos and questions to ask private schools.


Recently, we interviewed parents on how they chose private schools for their children. We discussed a wide range of topics, including their goals, research methods used, challenges faced, and plans for the future.

Below, you can read four of our featured interviews. You can also access links to the rest of our interviews below. Finally, read our comprehensive education expert guide to choosing the right school, as well as our in-depth guide to getting into school.

All our parent interviews

Featured parent interviews

Catherine Maule

Catherine has two daughters, Evelyn (9 years old) and Oswyn (5 years old). Our interview focused mostly on Catherine’s search for a private school for Evelyn for Grade 3.

Q: What were you looking for in a private school?
A: Location was part of it. The other main factors were cost, school philosophy, and feel.

Q: Why were you looking for a private instead of a public school?
A: We had a bit of a sense that we could frontload their education. Maybe they don’t always have to be in private school, but if we help develop the right study skills, and the basics, to read and write well, and know their math well, then they could be better prepared for the public school system.

Q: How did you research private schools?
A: We looked at school websites, and created a shortlist of schools to visit. We prepared lists of questions for each of the schools we visited. We met with principals and asked them questions. Evelyn, our older child, also visited the schools we seriously considered for her.

We also met with students at some schools. They talked about their day-to-day experience: what projects they’re working on, their extracurricular activities, etc. Since this was at an open house, they were probably trying to show the best aspects of the school. That said, we did feel they were being honest.

Q: What kind of school did you select for Evelyn?
A: Evelyn is a smart girl, but she’s not always self-driven. We just felt like she would get lost in a classroom of 30 to 35 kids, where everybody is coming in at different levels. We found a school for her that was academic, with a focused curriculum and smaller class sizes. We did have reservations about it, especially its intensity for the grade 3 level, but overall it seemed like the right fit.

Q: How did you arrive at this choice?
A: We weren’t quite sold after my husband and I visited the school. It was Evelyn’s visit that cinched it. She had a three-hour visit and sat in on a class. She also met separately with the principal, who, along with a teacher, assessed Evelyn’s academic skills. They gave us a report on these and outlined an academic plan for her. They were very thorough. Evelyn also felt like it was a good match. She said, “Everybody was so well behaved and working so hard. It was a really peaceful and nice place to be.”

Q: Did any other factors play a major role in your decision?
A: When you have multiple children you’re trying to find the best fit in many ways, for your whole family. You can’t have one child at one end of the city and another child at the other end. We’re in two schools right now, but they’re two blocks away, so it’s manageable.

Q: How is Evelyn’s school working out?
A: It’s been a good fit for Evelyn and for the family. But I suspect that if I started looking again, it’s possible I might find something better for her, knowing her better now too. The school that’s the best fit for your child is probably not a permanent answer.

Q: Do you have any advice for parents?
A: Identify the deal breakers: a school has to tick your necessary boxes first. For example, living in downtown Toronto, we couldn’t send either of our kids to a school in Etobicoke: it would just be too long a commute.

Also, go to open houses. That’s your first contact, your first way to get a feel for the school. Then go for smaller visits, meet with teachers, principals, and others. Talk to parents. Just gather as much information as you can. But don’t cast your net too widely, as you can get overwhelmed.


Jennifer Reynolds

Jennifer has one child, James. James began Grade 9 at a new private school in the fall of 2018.

Q: When did you start your private school search?
A: First-stage research began in Grade 7. Over the summer, we spoke to a lot of other parents who had gone through the process. These conversations were helpful: we asked parents whether they went to all open houses, did private tours, and what else they did in their search. We also definitely used Our Kids resources, online and print.

Q: What were some of the main factors guiding your school search?
A: We considered coed, but felt really strongly that an all-boys environment would be the right way to go. It just fit James’ personality and learning style. That kind of environment would enable him to move around a little bit more and have strong male influences in his life. We also considered cost, whether we wanted a big or small school, and school programs, such as IB.

Q: How many schools were on your shortlist that you visited?
A: We initially considered about six or seven schools, but narrowed it down to a shortlist of two. We visited both those schools.

Q: What did you do during the visits?
A: We went to open houses, information days, and one-on-one tours, during the school year. We spoke with the admissions team to get a sense of what the school day is like. The whole family also went to homecoming, sports events, and other events, to get a sense of the school community.

Q: How did you make your final decision?
A: When it came down to our final choice, we made a list of pros and cons. But the biggest thing is that we cancelled all our plans on the Sunday before we had to make the final decision and walked around the two campuses.

At one school, the doors were locked, so we walked around outside, and we sat on benches and talked about what we liked and what we didn’t, and whether we could see ourselves there.

We then did the same thing for the other school. We walked around the giant football field and track, and the big hockey arena. I think James saw himself more in the second school. He liked the bigger space. The space represented the opportunity to meet new people and try new things, to explore and dream. We let James make the final decision to pick that school, though we gave him our input.

Q: What challenges did you experience?
A: Finding the right school, applying, jumping through all the hoops: it’s a huge investment in time. It was also a long process for us, because it started in grade 7 and continued through most of the next year. It takes up much of your time and energy, and it distracted James from his school work at times.

Q: What advice do you have for other parents?
A: I think the importance of different resources changes along the way. Peer-to-peer was most important at the beginning: talking to other parents who have been through the process. But open houses and tours became more important later on. So, go to all those things. Understand what each school values and if it’s the right fit.


Lisa McCabe

Lisa has one child, Liam. Liam attended two private elementary schools, one up until Grade 3 (the highest grade of the school), and one from Grade 4 to 6. He started Grade 7 at a new private school in the fall of 2018. This interview focuses on the decision to send Liam to the two private elementary schools.

Q: When did you first consider private school?
A:
In senior kindergarten.

Q: Why did you consider private school at the elementary level?
A: I had actually originally thought he would be in the public school system and Liam had attended French immersion in SK at a public school. But it became apparent that it wouldn’t be for him. So the teacher reached out and we had some conversations. We came to the conclusion that he might be better off in a private school with smaller classrooms and more challenging programs (Liam was already bilingual).

Q: Why did you pick these two elementary schools?
A: For grade 1, I found a school with smaller class sizes and more individualized learning. I liked the school’s approach to learning how to read, and their art, theatre, and music programs. They performed little plays, and there were opportunities for children to interact more, and they had more field trips.

For Grade 4, I was looking for an all-boys school. I visited and met with a school, and they said they’d like to have Liam for the day. So he went for the day while he was still in Grade 3. Compared to the other all-boys school we visited, this seemed like a better fit. It had a warm and welcoming environment, plenty of sporting activities, and presented the opportunity for Liam to grow academically. It also helped that the school was in our neighbourhood.

Q: Were any resources especially helpful in your search?
A: We enlisted the services of an experienced education consultant, a former private school principal, in our search for the second school. She helped to identify Liam’s strengths and challenges and narrow down a list of schools that might be a good fit for him. We also used Our Kids, which allowed us to compare and analyze schools.

Q: Do you have advice for other parents?
A: Selecting a school is a very competitive process, and that should be taken into account. Putting a young child through this process can be very taxing. For example, what if a child is super set on one school and he doesn’t get in? What does that say to him about who he is, his academics, his educational ability and acceptability? It’s important to apply to a number of different schools, which is why, for high school, we had plans A, B, C, and D. You need to help your child manage his expectations.

Child-specific advice on school choice
For child-specific insights on choosing a school, read our guide. We explore how school choices crucially depend on kids' unique traits, such as their mental and academic focussocial tendenciesactivity level, academic interests (such as art and STEM), and learning and developmental propensities (such as giftedspecial needslearning disabilities, and social issues).

To get school-choice advice customized to your child's unique traits, create a child profile through your user account and read our seven ways to choose a school based on your child's needs (i.e., overall fitmore academic challengesocial strugglesacademic strugglesintensive learning interestsuniversity preparation, and special needs.). 

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