I absolutely agree with Chody's statement regarding NAPLAN results. Whilst I believe the individual results of a student are somewhat informative, the school results are often skewed and I don't believe they are a reliable indicator of a school's overall educational performance.

When choosing a school for our kids, we very much relied on 'gut feeling'. Go to the open days of the schools you are interested in. Pick the ones you like the most and make an appointment to meet with the principal. At the interview for the school we ultimately chose for our kids, the principal spoke extensively about 'the child as an individual'. Many other school's spoke about the school as the model and the requirement for the student to fit that model. (Ok, they weren't quite that blunt, but the underlying belief was clear!) A square peg never fits a round hole! I wanted a school where my children were valued for their own strengths and supported in their weaknesses, where they have the opportunity to explore their own interests and pursue their individual goals. A lot of the private school's in Melbourne place a massive emphasis on extracurricular sport. What if my children were not athletes? Are they less valuable than the student who excels at football? There is also a huge academic push, and I think NAPLAN and My School has brought this further into focus. Who hasn't heard of school's excluding lower performing students from NAPLAN? I have also heard of school's asking below average students to leave prior to VCE so as not to affect the school's VCE performance results. So, what if my kid is not an academic? The answer for me... a school which values the child as an individual.

We took a walk around the school with the principal and I was very pleased to note that he knew the name of every single student. The kids all looked happy and engaged. They were cheerful and confident, happy to stop and have a chat. They spoke well and respectfully, and they all spoke glowingly of the school. No grunts or single word responses! When we reached the ELC area, a horde of 20 odd children ran towards us, all calling the name of the principal. In his suit and tie, he got down on his knees and held out his arms. The children hugged him and climbed on him and again, he knew all their names.

The teacher's all seemed bright and happy, they were very eager to explain the activities in their classrooms and seemed very proud of all their students and their achievements (big or small). The classrooms themselves were bright and airy and filled with smiling faces.

The school's academic results were good. There are plenty of school's with better academic results. But the goal of our school is to support each individual student to reach their potential... the child as an individual. No one is excluded from Naplan, including student's with additional needs or learning difficulties. But at the same time, the school was quite forward in telling parents last year (when my DD sat Naplan) that whilst the results are of some interest, they are not a measure of a child's value or intelligence.

Ultimately, the school we chose just felt 'right'. I am pleased to say, seven years later, that the school followed through on all it's promises and my children are now two of those smiling faces.