The typical prep school has twice as many facilities as a state primary. The typical independent senior school, however, has less facilities than the typical state secondary. There’s a complicity in contradiction about school open days. Heads and staff will state that there is more to a school than its facilities. Parents will agree. And […]
School facilities
School facilities include sports, arts, academic, careers, boarding and catering facilities, as well as services such as wrap around care and transport.
But do more and better school facilities mean a better education? And are some school facilities more important than others?
School nursery, day nursery, pre-school or other childcare?
Even for parents with a child starting in Reception, the school nursery is a main reason to choose the school. Why? Consistently in my surveys about 40% of parents rate “school nursery classes” as one of their 5 main criteria for choosing a prep or primary school. For these parents, parents of children starting Reception, […]
The school careers department come of age
The school careers department has a crucial role in pupil employability. When I was at school the school careers department was the small dimly lit room at the end of an otherwise forgotten corridor. Inside there was a coffee table, though there was no coffee. There were a few low armchairs, the ones with the […]
Do better school facilities mean a better education?
School facilities are a means to an end, not an end in themselves. We parents like school facilities. Or rather, we like schools with lots of facilities. Why? Because we assume that such schools provide a better education. So we treat school tours as little more than a guide around the school facilities. We walk […]
What’s so special about a sixth form centre?
Schools are using the sixth form centre to attract and retain a more transient sixth form population. One of the weapons in the school facilities arms race is the sixth form centre. You’ll spot them on your school tour. They are the modern glass edifices thrusting out from between the more tired older brick and […]
Out of hours and wrap around care at school
Schools not only teach, but they provide wrap around care to cover parents’ working hours. If you ever wanted evidence of how far schooling has evolved since we were at school then surely wrap around care at school is it. Out of hours care, wrap around care, breakfast club, after school club, extended day, it […]