School Selection

We now needed to make a school selection. And soon! Spots were limited and fill quickly!

We toured five schools during our visit and we were able to eliminate two easily: The first had only one spot available for one of the boys and the other, although offering a wide variety of opportunities, seemed a bit large for the learning atmosphere we desired for them. It kind of reminded us of the Hogwarts School from Harry Potter, actually!

We narrowed our favorites down to three and mapped them out with our new home. One of the unique schools that we loved, Terra Nova, offered an excellent program with an impressive focus on the individual child and outdoor/environmental learning, but unfortunately it was too far from our house.

That left us with: The Ryleys and Wilmslow Prep.

The Ryleys was the first school that we toured. It sits in Alderley Edge, the next town over, and was quite impressive as well. It was smaller in size than some of the other schools we visited and we received a lovely tour of the school and property. This was the school I learned that both boys would have to skip a grade, which was intimidating and scary to hear, but it caused me to be intent on selecting the proper school based on which one I thought might facilitate their transition best. We really liked this school. And, there was availability here for both boys.

http://www.theryleys.com

Wilmslow Prep was also in the next town over, and we were quite impressed with the warm welcome we received from the headteacher and staff. We were given a lovely tour and felt comfortable with the school and on property. We were especially drawn to the uniqueness and small size of the school which allowed for closer relationships among students and teachers.

http://www.wilmslowprep.co.uk

WPS offered a nurturing environment that I could easily picture our boys adapting to and excelling in. Their focus on formal learning, yet emphasis on allowing children to learn by exploring and having fun, was a big appeal to us. But what ultimately sealed the deal for us was how reassuring they all were about how well the boys would do despite having to skip a grade.

So we went with Wilmslow Prep! The boys were really excited when we showed them pictures of their new school, and especially of the new school uniforms they would get to wear - complete with ties and blazers! :)