How to choose the best school for your child

1. Start with the school's website — a 10-minute test

A school's website is the one part of its work you can inspect from home, today. How a school runs it tells you how it runs everything else: whether information is kept current, whether parents' time is respected, and whether the school itself is comfortable with technology. If a school cannot maintain its own digital front door, it is not ready to prepare your child for a digital future.

• Open it on your phone. Does it load quickly and read well, or is it slow, broken or zoomed out?
• Are this year's admission dates, age rules and documents published — or last year's?
• Are fees published by class, with what they include? Hidden fees online usually mean surprises later.
• Are board results shown with the year they belong to, not just "100%" with no date?
• Can you apply, or at least enquire, online — and does anyone call back?
• Is there a notice board, calendar or news that was updated this month?
• Does the address start with https (the padlock)? A school handling children's data must use it.
• Does it say what it does with your child's data (a privacy notice)?

2. Digital learning in the classroom

Your child will study, work and live with computers and AI. Ask what the school actually teaches, not what it owns.

• Is there a real computer lab on the timetable for every class — and from which class?
• Do older students learn coding, data and how AI tools work, and how to use them honestly?
• Are classrooms set up for visual, interactive lessons, and do teachers actually use them?
• Is there teaching on cyber safety: passwords, scams, sharing photos, online bullying?
• Is screen time balanced with reading, sport, art and outdoor time — especially for young children?

3. Digital for parents: how the school runs day to day

A digitally ready school saves you trips to the office and keeps you informed without asking.

• Can fees be paid online (UPI, card, net banking) with an instant receipt?
• Is there a parent app or portal for notices, results, the calendar and messages to teachers?
• Can you track the school bus live?
• Can admission documents be uploaded from your phone, and can you see where your application is?
• Does the school reply on the channels parents use, such as WhatsApp, within a day?

4. Results — with the year and the source

Look for board results by year: pass rate, first divisions, students above 90%, and how many cleared competitive exams such as JEE and NEET. A single number without a year tells you little. Rising results over several years tell you a lot.

5. Teachers, class size and how children are known

• How many children are in a class, and in each section?
• How long have the teachers been at the school?
• How does the school tell you about your child's progress, and how often do you meet teachers?

6. Safety on campus and on the bus

• CCTV, controlled entry and visitor passes
• Female attendants for young children, separate washrooms
• A medical room and a trained person on campus
• Buses with GPS, a helper on board and a driver the school has checked

7. Fees, transport and the commute

Add up the full year: tuition, one-time admission charges, the bus and any coaching. Check how long the bus ride will be from your stop — a short, reliable commute matters more to a child than most facilities.

8. Visit — and ask these questions

• Can I see a class in progress, not just the reception?
• What does a normal school day look like for my child's class?
• How do you support a child who is struggling — or one who is ahead?
• What happens if my child is unwell or upset during the day?
• Who do I contact with a problem, and how quickly will they reply?

How Mayo International School measures up

We hold ourselves to the same checklist. Everything below is on this website for you to check:

Questions parents ask