How to Achieve Success at an Independent School

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Sponsored by Puget Sound Independent Schools

“Can you see your child being successful at this school?” That’s the number one piece of advice parents have for prospective families looking at independent schools. After all, most parents’ main goal in choosing a new school for their child is to ensure a well-rounded education and a creative, nurturing environment for learning and growth.

With so many options available to families in the Puget Sound region, choosing the right independent school for your child may seem a daunting task. We polled area teachers, parents and admissions directors for some of their best tips and insights to guide you through the process.

Think About All Factors

School life becomes a huge part of your family’s life, and extends beyond classroom hours. As one parent suggested, “Think about all factors: commute, volunteer hours, parent requirements, the school’s culture of philanthropy, etc. Does this school fit with your family’s lifestyle?” In the end, parents recommend choosing a well-rounded school that meets a child’s learning patterns and behaviors. “While you may love the feel of a school with a very flexible schedule,” one parent noted, “does your child typically need more structure? You have to be on board with the school mission, but in the end the school has to mesh with your child. Can you see them being successful in your choice school?” 

Find the Place Where You as a Family can Love Learning

Teachers know better than anyone some of the anxieties families feel during the school year, particularly during the selection process. Emotions and anxieties can run high during the admissions process and it may seem like information overload. One teacher supplied a few questions you can ask yourself as you go through the process of selecting the right fit for your child and your family: 

• How does a school build a partnership with parents?
• What is the student to teacher ratio?
• What is their teaching philosophy?
• Do teachers collaborate to design curriculum?
• Do students collaborate? What does that process look like?
• How does the school feel, is it engaging? Do students seem to enjoy learning, and school life?
• Do they have access to a diverse range of resources (contemporary book titles, technology, field trips, math manipulatives, etc…) to support learning?

“When we were looking at our daughter’s current school,” one parent whose child is in the K-5^th grade range said, “it ‘felt’ right. It was bright, and we saw lots of smiling faces and beautiful artwork made by the students. The classrooms weren’t traditional—there weren’t desks, and we thought our daughter would thrive in that type of creative environment.” Another parent of a middle school student stated they were looking for specific programs for their children. “We wanted our children to be exposed to all subjects, including complex math, science and technology. We also wanted to make sure they learned to read and become strong writers.” Another family chose a high school that balanced the technical with the arts. “We liked our school’s philosophy of integrating creative arts throughout their curriculum. We felt that this would ensure that our child developed critical thinking skills that were relatable to the world outside the classroom.”

A School to Serve Your Child’s Unique Needs

Many admissions directors agree that when choosing a school parents should be open about their child’s challenges while also celebrating their child’s strengths. “Parents know best if their child has certain needs from a school, and should make sure that the school can provide these services to ensure that their needs are met both academically and socially,” said an admissions officer. Doing so will ensure that there is a balance of opportunities where your child is nurtured through guided learning, but will also be challenged and experience independent successes during the school year.

As one admissions director surmises, “Most importantly, families should stay composed and find the joy in the process—whether that joy comes from learning about new schools or in learning about who their child is as a student. Ultimately, you want to find a place where you can align with the school’s philosophy on education and to put trust in the educators to work with your family and have the best interests of your child at the center of the discussion.”

Puget Sound Independent Schools (PSIS) was founded by admission directors from Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS) member schools. We are an admission consortium that works collaboratively to streamline and make the admissions process more accessible for prospective families with common dates, information, and forms. We host inclusive school fairs and feature more than 40 member schools around the Puget Sound region. Visit our website at pugetsoundindependentschools.org for a comprehensive list of schools, open house dates and more.