My kids attended private schools for a few years. Based on my experiences the most important factors in a child's success over his lifetime are natural ability and parental involvement.
Just like in any profession, there are some truly awesome teachers out there, and there are some who are not so great. Some days at the grocery store you get the world's greatest cashier who is fast, knows all the produce codes and makes polite conversation without delaying the transaction, and there will also be days where you get the slow, rude cashier who has to ask for assistance several times throughout the transaction. At least that is just a few minutes out of your week. At a school, your child might be stuck with a lousy teacher for an entire year. Personally, I didn't want to keep taking that chance.
For me it boils down to what environment you want your child in. Visit all of the schools in the area and trust your instincts. Also, be sure to bring your child with you as you visit schools. Kids are excellent judges of character. If they don't like the staff, run!
I agree.
In my opinion, you should tour all the schools available (even the ones that you will not be applying to) and make your deicision based on your research.
Here are some factors to consider:
Will the school meet your child's needs?
Will your child do his/her best in that environment?
What kind of peer group is your child spending time with? Do you want your child to be associated with that kind of group or not? Are they being a positive influence or a negative influence on your child?
How many children in the classroom are far beyond your child in abilities? None, some or many?
How much time do you have to pick up the slack? This means afterschooling to fill in any/all gaps in education.
How much "customer service" do you get from your school?
Do you expect the school to be the source of "all around development" or do you expect the school to provide excellent academics and the "whole child development" can be done on your own time - with art, music, sport, field trips etc.
