Sometimes having no choice is great.
Choice means you have to decide one or the other.
No choice, you make the most of what's there.
We have allowed ourselves a choice between two schools.
It could be more, but based on the preliminary research, and taking with friends who have had their kids at one of the schools, and the other offering the PYP (Primary Years Program) we decided two would be enough.
You will recall in Phase 4: The Search for a New School, MissM's criteria. This is how it stacks up.
|
MissM’s
Criteria
|
Tuesdays School
|
Wednesday’s
School
|
|
Home made
lunches
|
Lunches
cooked on site
|
Home made
lunches
|
|
No uniform
|
Lovely
uniform
|
No uniform
|
|
Different
Teachers
|
Yes for
specialist subjects
|
Yes for
specialist subjects
|
|
Lots of
expats
|
About 1/3
of the school
|
99% of
school
|
|
Swimming
pool
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
iPads
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Girls Only
|
No
|
No
|
|
No
Boarding
|
No
|
No
|
|
Mummy
involved
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Tuesdays school is stunning. State of the art, brand new (well, 4-5 years old) buildings (the school has been around since 1904 and has evolved into a co-ed independent school). About 1/3 of the pupils are expats.
After a tour, and asking lots of questions we left satisfied that this would be a good choice for MissM - they cap classes at 22 children per class; the music room was very impressive; there's a school choir, and a large funky art room. There's huge playing fields, swimming pool and indoor gym. A range of after school activities are on offer, and there's a homework/supper club til 6pm which is of real interest to me especially.
We had time to talk about the curriculum offered, and how the new children are eased into things; we discussed assessments, reviews and more. We shared with the Head our time in the UK, and she assured us all that would be taken into account and that there would be several meetings in the first few months with us and her teachers to ensure she is immersed well.
We left feeling satisfied that we understood why friends were so happy here. In fact, they have said that if they ever returned to Dublin they would happily re enrol their kids 'in a flash'.
MissM was able to join a few of the children at Wednesdays' school and joined them in their classroom. While this gave us time to chat with the Head of School, it gave MissM time to re-experience PYP and boy, did she come out of the classroom smiling.
She met a girl from Holland, one from Spain, and two from America, 'they are all like me mummy, no one's from here'
Sadly tho the school is lacking in facilities and resources. There are only 53 children enrolled so composite classes are offered. The Head of School was delightful, and spoke with MissM as much as us; we had a chance to sit in her office and really discuss things which we didn't get at Tuesday's school. While the classes have electronic white boards (why is that such a USP these days?), and the kids use iPads and Macs on a daily basis, the library is in need of books but is in the process of being digitalised, the art room was empty (OK, to be fair it is the last two weeks of the school year), the classrooms were alive with artwork and projects, PYP buzz words and Unit of Enquiry work.
So much was familiar to all of us, yet it tore at our hearts that the school was so small and under resourced and not presented as well as it could be. We commented a parents and friends working bee one or two weekends would be all it would take to smarten things up (the landlord could paint the building for a start). That's goes against the warmth and professionalism of the Head who walked us around. I feel disloyal even writing this, because the heart'n'soul of the school was incredible.
Our heads are with Tuesdays school, tho they are yet to officially offer us a place, but our hearts are with Wednesdays school tho 53 kids is ridiculously limiting both academically and socially.
We really hope the decision is left with us to choose, and not made for us as I'm not sure we can make one today
With friendship
x
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