How to find a good international school

When choosing an international school, most parents will be looking for the same things. They will want their children to be happy, to make friends and to feel comfortable in their new surroundings.

While it may be daunting for your child to begin an education in a new country, international schools often offer a rich and transformative learning experience. Your child will be able to learn alongside students from many different backgrounds and cultures, gaining knowledge which will serve them well for years to come.

It is a good idea to plan visits to international schools in your chosen area, so that you and your child can get a feel for each place before making a decision. Here are some key considerations to make to ensure that, whichever school you settle on, it’ll be the right one.

Your child

Any school you choose will likely have a big influence on how your child develops, therefore it’s important to consider the student body of each school when making a decision. On visiting each school, pay attention to whether the students seem happy to be there as well as how much support they are given inside the classroom.

You may also want to enquire about individual counselling options for extra support for your child.

Many international schools have schedules of planned activities to assist students in beginning stages of the academic year. You’ll be able to find out more about these by visiting the schools and talking to staff members. You can also find out how big class sizes are and how often you’ll be updated about your child’s progress at the school.

The curriculum

From those who are looking for diploma programmes to those who want to find an International Baccalaureate programme at a school such as www.icschool.co.uk, the number one concern when choosing an IB school will be the type of courses offered. Depending on what stage your child is at in their education, you will be able to gather specific information about what’s on offer when you visit your chosen schools.

As well as finding out about what your child will be learning, you can also find out about any co-curricular activities on offer, such as sports, arts and community work. Finally, if your child will be starting secondary education, it is a good idea to enquire as to how many students from each school were accepted into university. Many IB schools can also offer university placement programmes.

The teachers

During your visits, teachers should be on hand to give you further information about the school but also about their own training. It is important to find out that the teachers are certified and you can also enquire as to how many members of staff have gained advanced qualifications.

Another factor to consider is how staff at each school are trained to handle students of exceptional circumstances. Students who are looking to gain support for high ability will need to have teachers who will recognise their skills. Likewise, students looking to find courses in SEN life skills with ICSchool.co.uk should be able to gain the right levels of support during their learning.

These are just some of the questions to consider during your initial research. However, as each school will be unique, it is important to consider the atmosphere or ‘feel’ of each place when making your visits. For some, the decision will be easy and for others it may take some time. Trust your instincts and gain as much information as you can to make the right decision for you and your child.

Useful links

The Good Schools Guide 

Several guides to choosing the right school for your child 

The Good Schools Guide International 

Specific advice for parents choosing an international school 

ExpatFinder 

Lots of information for families who are re-locating abroad

How to: Make Magic with Wooden Pallets

There has been an up rise in the popularity of home DIY projects; recycling old materials to make new decorations and furniture- and why not? It means that your home is filled with one-of-a-kind features and it will most definitely be cheaper than buying brand new furniture.

One trend I’ve noticed is the use of recycling wooden pallets. It’s amazing to see what people have managed to create out of something that’s normally just used to support heavy goods in a stable fashion. Whether it’s inside or for outside the home, there are endless possibilities.

Sofas

If you have a futon or perhaps cushions from either an old sofa, then you already have nearly everything you need. You have the option to choose the height of the sofa, depending on the atmosphere of the room

In this example the sofa is lowered, yet still offers some storage space for books/magazines or anything you want underneath. So think how much you could store if it was raised by one more pallet.

Shelves

You can make at least 3 shelves from just one pallet; just cut it by every two slabs, then remove a slab from one side:

Although they may not have as much surface space as other shelves, these could be used to display lots of little things such as ornaments & photos.
Because of the simple structure, wooden pallets at fantastic for stacking things; sometimes you don’t even have to change anything – just hang the pallets on the wall and they can become a bike or shoe rack!

Coffee Tables

This is possibly one of the simplest bits of furniture to be made from a wooden pallet. Simply sand it, paint it, add wheels or legs, and (if you like) a glass surface.
Although the glass isn’t necessarily essential, it can most definitely put the finishing touch on it. Again – if you used two pallets to make the coffee table it would leave more room for some storage underneath.
In my opinion, pallet beds are the sturdiest ever. Well, they are made to support heavy goods, after all. Well-made beds can also be very expensive nowadays so it’s a great way to re-decorate your home on a budget.