Choosing a primary school for one’s child is one of the first major decisions a family has to face. We are not simply choosing a school; we are choosing a place where our child will spend five significant years of their life five years during which they will grow, learn to read and write, build friendships, encounter their first challenges, and discover a great deal about themselves.
How, then, can one determine which school is the right one?
I believe that attending an open house, listening to a presentation on the educational program, or visiting attractive classrooms is not enough. While these things are certainly important, they are not sufficient.
You need to truly get to know a school.
First and foremost, I believe it is important to understand its history. How long has it been around? What has its journey been like? Who built it, and what values has it managed to preserve over time?
A school’s history especially when it is part of an educational group that supports children through various stages of their schooling is a significant factor. It means having access to an educational approach that has evolved over the years, spanned generations of students, and can be recounted by those who have experienced it firsthand.
And this brings me to a point I consider fundamental: talking to other parents.
This means going beyond conversations with the school’s administration, management, or teachers. You should seek out families who have already entrusted their children to that school, listen to their experiences, and ask questions even the simplest ones, or perhaps the kind you might not feel comfortable asking during an official meeting.
How did your child fare? Were they happy to go to school? When you encountered a difficulty, did you feel heard? Would you make the same choice again?
These questions reveal far more than any brochure ever could.
And, of course, you must observe. Observe how people speak to one another, how teachers address the children, and how parents feel a sense of belonging to school life.
Look for empathy, humanity, and that capacity for welcoming others qualities that cannot be written into a formal curriculum.
Sometimes, it is within the nuances of a conversation that a spark emerges a sudden, intuitive feeling that makes you think: “This is the right school for my child.”
It may seem like a daunting task, but I believe it is far simpler than we imagine. Because when we choose a school for our children especially when they are young and about to begin their primary education we do not choose with our heads alone.
We also choose perhaps even primarily with our hearts.
Guided by this conviction, at Daisy our primary school we have chosen to open our doors to families beyond just the scheduled introductory meetings.
We regularly invite children to spend an entire day in our classrooms alongside their future peers. It is a valuable opportunity for them to get to know the teachers, experience the daily rhythm of school life, and begin to feel part of a group.
We also invite parents to join our assemblies, celebrations, and the various gatherings where our school community comes together.
Why?
Because we want them to be able to speak freely with other parents, get to know other families, and observe the relationships that have developed over the years. We want them to truly experience the school’s atmosphere, rather than feeling like mere guests being given a formal presentation.
A school is certainly composed of qualified teachers, curricula, educational methods, and organizational structures. But, above all, it is made up of people.
And it is these people with their warmth, their openness, and their humanity who transform a school into a place where a child can feel welcomed and grow with peace of mind. I do not believe a school should try to persuade a family to enroll their child at any cost. Rather, I believe it should simply present itself as it truly is, giving parents the time and freedom to determine whether it is, in fact, the place they are looking for.
At Daisy, this is precisely what we strive to do.
We open our classrooms, share glimpses of our daily school life, and connect families with one another because we know that trust is not built through a polished presentation, but through genuine acquaintance.
And when a parent, having gotten to know us, says they can truly imagine their child being happy among these people, I believe they have already found the answer they were seeking.
After all, choosing a primary school means entrusting someone with five years of your child’s childhood.
For a decision of such significance, reason must find all the necessary answers yet, very often, the final word belongs to the heart.
Nicoletta Coppo
