An independent approach to the school of life

Families who choose to enrol in the sector have a huge range of options across the country

SCOTLAND has a panoply of independent schools to choose from. There are well over a hundred of them across the country. All have a good web presence and can easily be found with a simple internet search, and most are members of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS). This organisation provides lots of useful background information and outlines details of all its member schools.

At primary-school level, it’s the parents who make the choice. At secondary school level, the children themselves are far more likely to have an input. Perhaps siblings or friends attend and like a particular school, or perhaps it’s rather more a case of following the herd. Parents may need to keep a cool head when weighing up the options.

Those who are looking at this time of year may well have made a choice last summer that has turned out to be less than ideal. Whether that’s because a child feels unsettled or unchallenged or, for a far more simple reason such as a house move, there will be families who are busy contemplating what next.

Technology has made it much easier to get information. Websites offer an outline and most parents will only visit schools that they have already researched carefully. Sites generally also offer an option to phone or e-mail with questions, and SCIS is a useful question and answer resource. The site includes downloads of leaflets with advice on things like pastoral care, admissions, fees and a guide to help parents to know what to look for when they do visit.

Independent schools are not homogeneous. Each comes with a different history, its own unique perceptions of what makes for a top-quality education, different sizes, locations and overall ethos.

Every parent wants their child to gain academic success, and some choose an independent school mainly because of its record in that arena. At Glenalmond College in Perth, warden Gordon Woods says: “At the heart of what we do is the academic life of the school; we value, develop and support every pupil’s academic ability, nurturing excellence at the highest levels and guiding those who find work a little harder.

“The whole ethos of the school is geared towards the development of intellectual curiosity and an interest in learning for its own sake. Glenalmond’s William Bright Society, for example, aims to expand the academic horizons of higher-achieving pupils by presenting a programme of regular lectures, discussions and extended reading.”

Overall standards of academic achievement across the independent sector are consistently higher than within the state sector, but as John Edward, director of SCIS, explains: “Our surveys show that this isn’t why parents come to our schools. In fact, the choice is far more about the more intangible elements concerned with ethos, the work environment, extra-curricular activities, the whole school experience and the investment that is made in each individual child.”

While many parents will opt to send their children to a local independent school as day pupils, others want to take up a boarding option, whether weekly or full-time. If you are contracting the care of a child to others for 35 weeks of the year, then you want to know not only that ordinary, basic needs are going to be met but that there is a sympathetic, emotionally supportive atmosphere at the school as well.

The boarding school ethos has changed radically over the years. While some retain a reputation for traditional discipline, most strive to create a friendly, family-oriented atmosphere. For example, St Leonards headmaster, Dr Michael Carslaw, says: “Our boarders receive the very highest levels of pastoral care, giving them a safe, nurturing environment in which to make the most of what St Leonards has to offer.

“According to the latest Care Commission inspection report, St Leonards offers its boarding pupils ‘an outstanding, Scottish, boarding experience’ with the quality of care and support and the quality of the environment rated as ‘excellent’.”

Choosing to send your child or children to an independent school, whether as day or boarding pupils, is a big commitment. It’s one where families need to assess the financial implications and ensure they have the means to pay for an average of seven years.

Alan Steel, an independent financial adviser based in Linlithgow, warns parents off the various fee package products commercially available: “They are inefficient, give guarantees that are expensively calculated, and are themselves expensive thanks to charges and commission.

“For years and years my advice has been to utilise tax breaks allied to collectives – unit trusts and the like – and ISAs. Handy too if grandparents can be persuaded to chip in along the same lines, using their ISA allowances which are free of Capital Gains Tax and high rate income tax.”

For some parents the choice of a residential school has more to do with the needs of their children than factors such as academic achievement. Young people with Asperger’s or other disorders on the autism spectrum, dyslexia, limited sight or hearing and a whole range of different motor disabilities need very focused one-to-one attention.

Donaldson’s School for the Deaf is in this sense a “state” school that provides very specialised facilities, whereas Falkland House School is totally independent but takes its referrals from local authorities in Scotland and the North of England.

Assessments by educational psychiatrists and other experts will hopefully lead to a balanced, practicable recommendation for a referral to the right institution. All special schools need a high ratio of staff to pupils and they all operate on individualistic one-to-one learning plans that are specifically designed to maximise the potential of each child.

There is another group of schools that fit into none of these given categories. Here parents can examine the kind of opportunities offered within the Rudolf Steiner educational philosophy, or that of Maria Montessori, the educationalist who put a very clear emphasis on encouraging children to be effective leaders in their own learning.

Here are a few important factors to bear in mind if you’re considering sending your child to an independent school in Scotland:

Do your own research. Look at websites, read the school prospectus, consider the fees and affordability.

On your first visit, pay attention to the intangibles. You can check academic records easily but your response to how the children behave, what the overall atmosphere is like and whether the children seem happy will be more intuitive.

What are the staff like? Don’t just talk to the head but to key teachers and, if you plan to board a child, housemistress or housemaster who would be responsible for your child’s welfare. Expect more than a warm, polite welcome. You want to see someone who will care for your child in an empathetic and respectful way.

Check out the overall curriculum and the exam results.

Ask about class sizes.

Ask how discipline is maintained.

Check how much information and involvement you will have.

Look at all the buildings and equipment available. Don’t forget the extra-curricular elements.

In boarding schools, look closely at the accommodation and facilities. Can children personalise their own room?