State owned (called "state" schools in the UK, "public" schools in the US), meaning they're supported by the state and tax-payers
Private not-for-profit, meaning any proceeds - whether fees or donations- go back into the school for facilities, materials and salaries
Private individually owned or owned by a corporation, meaning all funds go to the individual, company or subsidiary they've set up to handle those funds. The school is then funded by that entity, which entirely controls whether there is ample or inadequate money available to run the school.
If you are looking at a privately owned school you should make sure that there is a good working relationship between the owner or education group and the head/principal. After-all, the owner/education group is more likely to be profit orientated, particularly if they have invested heavily.
You should also establish if the school has a proper PTA, ie: one that is active and influential, not just a group of well-meaning parents organising coffee mornings and cocktail parties. In addition, is there a proper board of governors (or equivalent) and established accreditation? Just being an IB World School isn't full accreditation by an independent organisation.
If the school you have chosen, or possibly has been chosen for you by the organisation you are working for (or an agency working for them) doesn't have the above, you need to ask yourself: how and to whom do parents address serious concerns?
For example, what's your recourse if you child is threatened with expulsion if you continue to air your dissatisfaction of a teacher? Or, what if you are not being informed about serious incidents that might effect your child's safety? Perhaps another child's behaviour is seriously disrupting your child's education. If you aren't happy with the answers perhaps you should look at a different school.
Need help? Perhaps you suspect your child has some learning difficulty and you would like advice on what you should do. Or perhaps it is becoming clear that your child's current school is not working for him or her, and you need help to find a mainstream school which has better SEN provision, or to find a special school which will best cater for your child's area of need. Our SEN consultancy team advises on both special schools, and the mainstream schools with good SEN support, from reception through to the specialist colleges for 19+. Special Educational Needs Index
Find top international, British, IB and American schools in over 40 countries. The Good Schools Guide International publishes impartial and forthright reviews of international schools across the world.
We examined the value-added from KS2 to GCSE for 2022 to see which state selective grammar schools added the most value to their offspring. A note of caution - the more highly selective a grammar school, the less scope there will be to add value.
Grammar schools are state-funded, academically selective senior schools. The education a child receives at grammar school is paid for by the state unlike at private schools which provide education for a fee. There are currently around 163 located in 36 English local authorities, with around 167,000 pupils between them. Northern Ireland has a further 67 grammar schools, but there are none in Wales or Scotland. A word of caution: there are private schools that have the word 'grammar' in their name but this is purely for historical reasons.
At specialist music, dance or performing arts schools, the arts aren't optional extras. They’re intrinsic to the school curriculum. Students are expected to fit in high level training and hours of practice alongside a full academic provision. It's a lot to ask any child to take on, but for those with exceptional performing ability this kind of education can be transformative.