What's most important to you when it comes to your child’s education? Share with the GDST for the chance to win a £300 John Lewis voucher!

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We all know that education is important and the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST), a family of 25 schools across the UK, would like to know what’s most important to you when it comes to your children’s education. Please share your thoughts below to be entered into the voucher prize draw.

When thinking about 'what makes a good education', what do you think is most important? Are strong academic results what make a good education? Or do you think there is too much focus on exams in schools? Does a well-rounded education involve sports and creative arts? Does learning languages and communication skills give children better life skills?

Whatever you think is important for your children’s education, please share it below and you will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 John Lewis voucher.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Terms and conditions apply

A safe place to learn and reach their full potential without the fear of being bullied

Your child needs to be in an environment where they are happy, and comfortable and promotes learning.

I think what is important is they are taught in a way which they can understand and they are offered support if they start to struggle, both at school and at home.

That they are supported, inspired and challenged. One of the key things for me when choosing a school was the pastoral care. But is also vital that my child gets the additional support she needs to progress.

That they are happy in themselves

That they are happy and enjoy learning. We are lucky in that our daughter enjoys school and learning. I would hate for it to be a chore for her.

Encouragement is the best way forward for my daughter - she loves being told she is doing well, it makes her work harder.

Good results and a good mix of sports/academic are valuable, but the most important feature about a child's education is that they feel comfortable being at the school. If they have good friendships and good solid support from staff, the journey will be so much easier!

My daughter missed four years of school due to a chronic illness. It is then that you realise that education has to take a back seat and they just learn what they can when they are able to.

Stability - as a forces family this is so important with the kids schooling.

Creative skills are definitely very important as we want free thinkers who can create and invent and develop - not robots. I think well rounded and balanced education in a variety of settings is best overall

To be well rounded. Not just academically but be taught to have an edge, self believe and confidence.

As an ex GDST girl. Certainly the experience I got at school.

I just want my kids to be happy at school as they spend so much time there. They’re only young but by the time they’re finished with education I’d them to have to have some knowledge of a lot of different things and lots of experiences notched up.

Quite simply their happiness. Without that it does not matter how good an education the school provides, or how well they perform at inspection. If my child is not happy they will not take in anything and they won't develop. Thankfully my child is at a school that nurtures their natural talents. I'm a strong believer that no one can excel at everything, so find the talent that belongs to you.

There's no one-size-fits-all answer. Both my daughters are so different and what suited one wouldn't suit the other, so I think a broad curriculum giving each the optimal chance to find their strengths and passions along with a few challenges is what's best. Turning out happy confident young people is as important as academic results.

That they grow as a whole person, learn respect, manners and an all round education. Most importantly that they are happy (most of the time).

My child's happiness is most important which is to do with their well-being at home and school. Schools/teachers need to know the students well to ensure they get the best education they can. Offering a range of subjects and extra curricular activities which will inspire children is also important.

An education that gives them a love of learning, teaches respect and encourages them at what they are good at, while also pushing them in their uncomfortable areas, for a rounded education. So not much then 

I may be a teacher but the most important thing for me is that my children are happy in school. There is too much pressure placed on schools to meet results and progress 8 targets, therefore the poor students then are pressured to ‘achieve’. Whilst academic achievement is important, i would far rather my two children continue to enjoy all their extra curricula activities and receive a well rounded education. I want my two children to be enthusiastic about learning and interested in what they are studying and not simply focused on doing ‘book work’ because the school is aiming to improve their league table position next year.

What is most important to me is that my dd feels valued and supported in school. She is very bright and with those two things is able to naturally succeed. Without them, her confidence would fall massively and she would struggle.

I agree with the majority of other posters that your child being happy is the most important thing.

After that it's about good and fair discipline to create a learning environment and then supportive and good teaching to bring out the best in each child.

A well rounded curriculum, including the arts is also valuable.

That they are happy learning.

That my child is happy and understands what they are learning. Its pointless spouting out facts and figures if they dont understand all the back ground to go with them.
We make learning fun at home so my youngest isnt put off by it.

knowing how to work hard, to strive, to persevere and to have determination... it doesn't matter what at!

Mmmm... now this is a difficult question as every child is different and a school setting really isn't for every child.
I would say happiness comes before any education and if the school is somewhere they want to go to then they are succeeding at being good educators.
As long as my children are not being disruptive, are not bullying, enjoy school, keeping up with their school work then this comes before any grades in my opinion.