The Master of Dulwich College Robert Milne says that focusing on a school’s character and culture is vital to ensure the right fit for your child
How do you get to know a school and the things that really count when you’re deciding if it’s right for your child? There is so much information available – some from schools, some from third parties – much of it useful to an extent. However, within every school there is a culture, an atmosphere, a way of being and acting, that shapes everything and will help your child thrive if it is the right choice for them. Finding that out is the key, but where do we start?
A school’s academic outcomes are a metric that current and prospective families and pupils can see. There is an objective value in the data, but people are increasingly aware of the limitations of comparing schools through league tables alone. We are increasingly comparing like with like – boarding and day schools, co-ed, sixth form only, International Baccalaureate and A levels. This helps when it comes to asking what we might learn from annual outcomes.
Families are also increasingly informed about the varied standards of entry to schools and seem rightly engaged with value added information schools publish. Value added data seeks to measure how much progress a child has made while attending the school. This information is, to my mind, incredibly significant and all good schools should be open about sharing it.
Once exam outcomes have been reviewed, it’s important to find out about the quality of teaching and learning, and above all, a school’s ethos and pastoral care. In essence, it’s about choosing the school that will challenge your child, while ensuring they are known, valued and encouraged. This means talents nurtured, confidence developed, and support tailored to individual character.
These are the questions I always ask myself when I visit schools and, every year, they are the same questions families holding offers to our school ask.
– How will you ensure my child settles, feels known and finds friendships?
– How will you help them develop existing skills and discover new ones?
– What opportunities are there for leadership and feeling part of bigger groups and initiatives?
– How will you know if they are struggling and upset and what can you do?
– What experiences will they have of the world beyond school?
– How will you help them prepare for life after school and remain connected to your school as they get older?
– What personal qualities do you recognise and reward, and what behaviours are unacceptable?
– How will your school continue to invest and evolve?
Each question is really asking about the type of school this is – its values and priorities. Outcomes matter because they give young people opportunity and agency. However, those outcomes won’t be achieved if a school doesn’t look after the child, help them to thrive and be happy, and give them the self-belief and social awareness necessary for a positive life.
I’d argue that the reason why schools and teachers love their work is due to the development of people for the long term – not just until the end of sixth form and certainly not for the accumulation of academic outcomes alone. This holistic and happy approach is what makes a school community flourish, and I believe it is what makes a young person keep thriving for the rest of their life.
Dulwich College dulwich.org.uk
Further reading: Dulwich College on navigating the admissions process
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