August 1, 2026 · Choosing a School
How to Choose the Right Private School for Your Child (A Checklist)
How to Choose the Right Private School for Your Child (A Checklist)
Choosing a private school is one of the biggest calls you will make for your child. With so many things to weigh, it is easy to feel stuck. This checklist breaks it into clear steps and gives you the specific things to look for, so you can move forward with confidence instead of second-guessing.
Step 1: Start with your child, not the schools
Before you look at a single option, get clear on who you are choosing for.
How does your child learn best? Hands-on and active, or quiet and structured? In groups, or on their own? What is working right now, and what is not? Lost in a big class? Not challenged? A rough stretch with friends? And what are your child's strengths and interests? A school that feeds those keeps a kid excited to go.
Everything that follows gets measured against your child's real needs.
Step 2: Name your family's priorities
Now decide what matters to you. Values and setting, so a religious or non-religious school, traditional or more hands-on. Budget, meaning your honest range (and remember to ask every school about payment plans and aid). And location and schedule, so a drive you can do day after day.
Step 3: Build a short list
Use directories and reviews to see what exists. Read the schools' own sites for depth. Then narrow to three to five that fit your priorities. Our guide to finding the best private school in Atlantic County walks through this.
The checklist: what to actually look at
As you research and visit, run each school against these. The strongest schools clear most of them.
Academics and curriculum. Is there a clear curriculum that lines up with state standards? How is it taught, active and project-based, or mostly memorizing? Does the approach fit how your child learns? Highland, for example, follows New Jersey Core standards taught through hands-on projects, with ideas from Multiple Intelligences and Choice Theory. See our philosophy.
Class size and attention. What is the real class size and student-teacher ratio? How is a struggling child helped, and how is an advanced one pushed further? This one matters most. Here is why: small class sizes.
Teachers. Are they experienced and credentialed? How long do they usually stay? Low turnover is a good sign.
Culture and values. Do kids seem engaged and kind? Do adults speak to children with warmth? Does the place match your family's values?
Support in both directions. Is there help for kids who are behind and enrichment for kids who are ahead?
Results. What can the school actually point to? Highland's: 90% of K-8 students recognized above the 90th percentile on standardized tests. See the numbers.
Communication. How, and how often, will you hear about your child's progress?
The practical stuff. Total cost including fees, plus payment and aid options. The commute and daily schedule. Safety and check-in.
Programs and extras. Arts, enrichment, a summer program. The things that make a happy, well-rounded kid.
Step 4: Visit and compare
No website tells you what a school feels like. Tour your finalists, ideally with your child, and ask the same questions at each so you are comparing fairly. Our list of questions to ask on a private school tour is built for this.
Step 5: Trust the fit
After the research and the visits, pay attention to your gut, and your child's. If a school feels like a place where your child will be known, challenged, and happy, that is the signal. Checklists narrow the field. Fit closes it.
Ready to put the checklist to work? Bring it to a tour of Highland Academy in Absecon. Book your visit or call (609) 652-9500.
Where to start
Start with your child, name your priorities, build a short list, run each school against the checklist, and let the visit decide. Do that and you will not just pick a school. You will pick the right one.
We would love to be on your list. Book a tour or call (609) 652-9500.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important factor?
Fit for your specific child. After that, the biggest driver of the day-to-day is class size and attention.
How many schools should I visit?
Short-list three to five, then tour your top two or three. Visiting is what makes the choice clear.
When should I start?
As early as you can, but many schools, Highland included, enroll all year, so it is never too late to ask. See our [FAQ](https://highlandacademy.org/faq).
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