What Parents Want An Independent Schools Survey

The Lakes College

Key Findings March 2015 The Cathedral School of St Anne and St James

Acknowledgements Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ) extends its thanks to Published by: the many parents who gave up their time to complete the Independent Schools Queensland survey and to participating schools for their assistance. PO Box 957 Spring Hill Q 4004 P: 07 3228 1515 F: 07 3228 1575 The role played by Dr Deidre Thian, ISQ Principal Consultant E: [email protected]: www.isq.qld.edu.au (Research), who designed and conducted the survey is particularly acknowledged. © Independent Schools Queensland 2015 Licensed under NEALS Quotations appearing in this document are from survey responses. “Apart from a loving family, the gift of a good education is the single biggest gift you can bestow on your children which will last a lifetime.” Parent Comment

Executive Summary School choice is one of the most critical As in previous surveys, family, friends and yy The most commonly cited reason decisions any parent will make in respect colleagues and other parents with children by the 15% of parents who thought of their children. Understanding how at the school were the most influential about changing schools in 2014 was and why parents make such a decision is sources of initial information for parents. financial reasons. Despite thinking crucial in ensuring independent schools about changing school, nearly 70% of continue to meet the needs of parents The 2014 Survey outcomes indicate parents who thought about changing while sustaining a healthy and viable parents are becoming more discerning schools were satisfied their child independent schooling sector into the when it comes to school choice, starting remained at the school. the decision-making process earlier and future. yy In 2014, 86% of parents said their being more likely to consider a greater children under school age would In October 2014 Independent Schools range of schooling options, albeit they definitely attend an independent Queensland commissioned the third still choose an . school. This is a reduction from 89% in a series of surveys previously in 2010 and 91% in 2006. In both undertaken in 2006 and 2010. The yy In 2014 approximately seven in every 2006 and 2010, 8% of parents were What Parents Want – An Independent 10 parents started thinking about undecided. In 2014 this percentage Schools Queensland Survey examines which school for their child at least had increased to 12%. the decision-making process parents two years before the child was due to commence schooling, up from undertake when choosing to send Government policy has had an impact approximately five in every 10 parents their child/children to an independent on attendance at kindergarten programs in 2010. school, including the influence of prior to school commencement. The varying sources of information available yy The proportion of parents considering establishment of Government approved to parents and the relative importance all three schooling sectors (State, programs across Queensland has of a myriad of factors that can influence Catholic and independent) increased occurred since the 2010 survey. In 2010 school choice. from 17% in 2006, to 23% in 2010 and just over two-thirds of Prep students had 28% in 2014. attended a kindergarten program in the The 2014 survey was completed by yy Forty-eight per cent (48%) of parents previous year. In 2014 this proportion more than 1,000 parents who had considered only independent schools increased to 88% of Prep students. children attending independent schools in 2014, down from 56% in 2010 and in Queensland. These children attended 61% in 2006. Despite an increase in availability of 67 schools across the State. kindergarten facilities associated with Satisfaction levels with independent schools, with many provided through Results from the series of surveys schools remain high, but financial Government support, the proportion reinforce that while some things change pressures are impacting on parental of Prep students that attended a over time, many things remain the same. choice. kindergarten associated with a school The most important factors for parents in 2014 was similar to the result in 2010 yy Eighty-five per cent (85%) of parents choosing an independent school (37% compared to 36%, respectively). with children that had attended the identified in the 2014 Survey were the same school in the preceding year did same as reported in earlier surveys not consider changing school. In 2006 yy Preparation for student to fulfil their and 2010, 93% and 89% of parents potential in later life respectively did not consider changing school in the preceding year. yy Good discipline yy Encouragement of a responsible attitude to school work yy The high quality of teachers yy Teaching methods/philosophy

What Parents Want Survey Report – 2014 1 Key Findings Responses were received from 1,048 parents with students attending 67 independent schools across Queensland.

The full What Parents Want Survey Report analyses these responses across a range of variables, including type of school (co-educational or single gender), attendance (day and boarding students), year levels, whether students were new to the school or continuing students, as well as a number of socio-economic factors, including family type and family income levels.

Satisfaction with independent schools

Overall, most parents are satisfied with Parents with a child who had considered A range of reasons were given for the quality of education provided by changing school, most frequently cited parents deciding to change to the the independent schools their children financial reasons such as fee increases current independent school, with the attend. - 41% of parents cited this as a reason most frequently cited being that a for considering changing schools. It is better level of education was available The majority of parents (89%) that had of interest to note that approximately elsewhere (36% of parents cited this as a more than one child attending school, four in every 10 parents indicated they reason for changing schools), followed had all their school-aged students had not planned ahead for payment of by insufficient attention was being given attending independent schools (refer school fees, with most parents reliant on to the child’s individual needs (27% of Figure 1). salary/wages for fee payment. parents).

Of those parents who had children The majority of students who had Parents of students who had previously under school-age, the majority (86%) of transferred to their current independent attended a different independent school parents were intending to send these school in 2014 had previously attended most frequently cited family relocation as children to independent schools (refer a government school (57% of students the reason for changing school (51% of Figure 2). Only 2% indicated that they including students who had previously parents). had decided these future students attended an Independent Public School would not attend an independent (IPS) (refer Figure 4). The majority (88%) of Prep students school. The balance (12%) of parents had previously attended a kindergarten with under school-aged children was Just over a quarter (26%) of students program. Of those responses where the undecided. had attended a different independent Prep student had previously attended school, with the balance having a kindergarten program, 63% attended Parents of students who were at the attended Catholic schools (16%) or been a program at a centre not attached to a same independent school as they had home schooled (1%). school (37% at a kindergarten service attended in the previous year were and 26% at a long day care service), with asked if they had considered changing 30% attending a kindergarten program school. Eighty-five per cent (85%) of associated with the independent school parents with children continuing at their the child attends (refer Figure 5). school did not consider changing school (refer Figure 3). Over two-thirds (69%) The balance of Prep students who of parents who considered changing had attended a kindergarten program schools were satisfied with their decision attended a service associated with a for the child to remain at the school. different school (7%).

What Parents Want 2 Survey Report – 2014 Immanuel Lutheran College

Figure 1: Schooling Sectors Figure 2: Intending to enrol at Figure 3: Continuing Students Attended – Parents With More an Independent School – Parents – Proportion of Parents Who Than One School-aged Child (%) With Children Under School-age Considered Changing School (%) Independent & Catholic Schools 3% (%) No 85% Yes 15% Independent & State Schools 8% Yes 86% No 2% Undecided 12% Independent Schools Only 89%

Figure 4: Schooling Sector Figure 5: Proportion of Prep Students Who Attended Previously Attended (%) a Kindergarten Program, by Service Type (%) A Independent Public School (IPS) 1% Kindergarten/Long Day Care service attached to a Catholic school 1% Home schooled 1% Kindergarten/Long Day Care service attached to a DIFFERENT independent A Catholic school 16% school than the one your child is attending 6% A different independent school 26% Long Day Care service not attached to a school 26% Kindergarten/Long Day Care service attached to the SAME independent A State/Government school 56% school your child is attending 30% Kindergarten service not attached to a school 37%

What Parents Want Survey Report – 2014 3 Grammar School

The Decision-making Process

Figure 6: Schooling Sectors Considered (%) Schooling Sectors When the Nearly half (48%) of parents only Independent and Independent decision-making Public Schools 2% considered independent schools Catholic and independent schools 10% to provide their child’s education process starts (refer Figure 6). State and independent schools 12% For most parents (71%) the start of the State, Catholic and independent schools 28% All three schooling sectors were process of school selection commenced Only independent schools 48% considered by just over a quarter at least two years before the child (28%) of parents. commenced at the school (refer Figure 7). Of these parents who ultimately selected an independent school for their Most parents start considering which child, 38% had also considered Catholic school more than a year out from the child schools while 42% had considered State commencing school with only 15% of schools (including Independent Public parents starting the process within one Schools). year of the child commencing school. This highlights the importance of marketing to parents of children who will enter their school in the medium and long term. Figure 7: When Parents First Start Thinking about School Selection (%) <6 months 7% 6 months to <12 months 8% Before birth 12% 1 year to <2 years 15% From birth 17% 2 to 5 years 42%

“My choice was not about fees, religious affiliation, or academic results, it was about a nurturing and fulfilling environment for my boys, where I know they will enjoy actual learning.” Parent Comment

What Parents Want 4 Survey Report – 2014 Figure 8: Sources of Information Accessed by Parents Figure 9: Relative Importance of When Considering School Selection (% of citations) People to Meet at a School Visit

State education department (i.e. website) 1% Parents of current students Billboard advertising 1% 5.0 Other school associations (Christian Schools, Lutheran 4.0 schools etc) 2% 3.0 Independent Schools Queensland website 2% 2.0 Local (suburban) newspapers 3% 1.0 School/kindy child was attending (talking to teachers) 4% 0.0 Church 4% Principal Current MySchool website 5% students Pamphlets/brochures/prospectuses 7% Family members already attending school 8% School open day 11% Deputy School website 15% Principal Other parents with children at the school 17% Family, friends & colleagues 20%

Over 80% of parents considered the When asked to identify how useful Information school visit as very useful or extremely school websites were in the decision- sources accessed useful. This reinforces the emphasis making process only 17% of parents schools need to place on ensuring considered websites as extremely useful. initially the school visit is well planned and A further 34% of parents considered addresses the needs of individual websites as very useful. This suggests that Parents identified the people and parents. there is some room for improvement places they went to in order to gather in the design and planning of school information when they first started When visiting schools parents websites to help schools more directly thinking about which school to choose considered the most important person address the questions/issues of parents for their child. Parents indicated a wide for them to meet was the Principal. looking for a school for their child. range of information sources was The Principal was considered more accessed (refer Figure 8). important than meeting current students, who were more important to meet than School Printed Information The most influential sources of parents of current students, who were Printed information still has a place in information were family, friends and slightly more important to meet than the decision-making process despite colleagues, followed by other parents with the Deputy Principal (refer Figure 9). school websites being accessed by children at the school, the school website many parents. Eighty-six per cent and the school open day. School Websites (86%) indicated they sourced printed information from a school to assist in School Visits Thirty-eight per cent (38%) of parents decision-making. identifiedschool websites amongst the School visits are amongst the more more important sources of information Only 18% of parents considered printed important sources of information for for decision-making. The majority (58%) information as extremely useful, although decision-making, with 83% of parents of parents visited three or more school in total 52% of parents rated printed visiting a school prior to making a websites. This would suggest school information as very useful or extremely decision. websites need to be exceptional to useful. This suggests there is some room Nearly 6 in every ten parents (59%) stand out amongst the large number of for improvement in the material schools visited two or more schools, with half of school websites parents will visit. provide to parents to help inform their these (3 in ten) visiting only two schools. school selection decision. The remaining 41% (4 in ten) only visited one school.

What Parents Want Survey Report – 2014 5 The Final Decision Relative Importance of Factors The Final Gate – Fourteen factors received a Likert scale While the decision as to which school score of at least 4 out of 5. These factors the Waiting List a parent chooses may be influenced were, in descending order of Likert A myriad of reasons interact to by information, actions and resources scores: developed and provided by a school, determine which school a parent ultimately there is a range of other yy Preparation for student to fulfil their chooses. However whether the student considerations that underpin whether potential in later life can attend the chosen school will depend on sufficient capacity existing what people say about the school yy Good discipline and what information provided by the in the appropriate year level. A parent’s yy The high quality of teachers school resonates with parents. More decision may ultimately come down to practical factors will also influence yy Encouragement of responsible attitude whether there is a place available at the parents – fees may preclude attendance to school work school of choice. at a school, or the location of a school yy Teaching methods/philosophy After the decision-making process is may make it impractical for a child to yy School seemed right for child’s individual completed, most parents want to make attend. Equally less tangible factors needs sure their child can commence school in may be influential – parents are often yy Emphasis placed by school on at least one of the schools selected, with reported as saying the school just ‘felt developing student’s sense of the majority (79%) of parents placing right’. The survey endeavours to identify community responsibility their child’s name on a waiting list. Of which of these factors are influential and these students on a waiting list, 57% the relative importance of these factors. yy Reputation of school yy Strong academic performance (nearly 6 in every ten) were only on the Parents were provided with a list of 42 waiting list for the school they attended. yy Range of subjects offered factors, categorised as relating to school The balance (approximately 4 in every type, curriculum/programs offered yy Appearance/behavior of existing ten students on a waiting list), were at the school, school characteristics, students registered with more than one school. aspects related to services and the yy Facilities for technology and science nature of people who could be yy Small class sizes influential in decisions. Parents were yy Prospects for school leavers asked to identify the extent to which each of the factors contributed to their Those five factors to receive the highest decision on a five point Likert scale Likert scores were all categorised as ranging from no importance to very School Characteristics and also identified important. by over half of all parents as very important.

“The ‘feel’ of the school played a huge role in where we chose to send our child. It had to be child centred with a strong home/school connection and open door policy for parental involvement.” Parent Comment

What Parents Want 6 Survey Report – 2014 Brisbane Christian College

What Parents Want Survey Report – 2014 7 Responses to the survey were received from parents with children attending 67 independent schools in Queensland

All Souls St Gabriels School Hervey Bay Christian Academy

Anglican Church Grammar School Immanuel Lutheran College St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School

Annandale Christian College Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School St Andrew’s Anglican college

Brisbane Girls Grammar School John Paul College St Hilda’s School

Brisbane Grammar School King’s Christian College St John’s Anglican College

Bundaberg Christian College Living Faith Lutheran St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School

Caboolture Montessori School Moreton Bay Birali Steiner School

Calvary Christian College – Logan Moreton Bay Boys’ College Sunshine Coast Grammar School

Calvary Christian College – Townsville The Cathedral School of St Anne & St James Cannon Hill Anglican College Nambour Christian College The Lakes College Carinity Glendyne Noosa Pengari Steiner School The Rockhampton Grammar School Central Queensland Christian College Northpine Christian College The School of Total Education Ormiston College The SCOTS PGC College Concordia Lutheran College Peace Lutheran Primary School Toowoomba Anglican College Coomera Anglican College Peregian Beach Community College & Preparatory School

Emmanuel College Prince of Peace Lutheran College Toowoomba Christian College

Endeavour Christian College Redeemer Lutheran College Toowoomba Grammar School

Fairholme College Redlands College

Faith Lutheran College – Plainlands Rivermount College Victory College

Faith Lutheran College – Redlands Rockhampton Girls Grammar School West Moreton Anglican College

Fraser Coast Anglican College Saint Stephen’s College Whitsunday Anglican School

Grace Lutheran College Silkwood School Whitsunday Christian College Heights College

What Parents Want 8 Survey Report – 2014 Stuartholme School

What Parents Want Survey Report – 2014 9 What parents are saying

“Word of mouth from friends “After experiencing this school “Our expectations have been was the most influential thing since the beginning of 2013, exceeded by our school. The and observing the growth and I wouldn’t send our children teachers are so good that they development of their children at the anywhere else. It’s amazing!” have set a very high standard in our minds, school.” Parent Comment we wouldn’t consider leaving now. The Parent Comment families we have met through the school are great, they seem to share the same “We have particularly valued family goals as we do.” It was very hard to choose one the supportive community thing that made our decision environment of [School Name]. Parent Comment to choose [School Name]. The It is so much more than an education; school ticked all the boxes and it had they’re raising leaders within a respectful, “Our transition from a state an amazing ‘feel’ about it right from the valuing family. Our teenage sons want school (where he attended Year 7) start, from the children to the staff to the to go to school because they respect and has been a very positive one. He is buildings. I would sell my house before appreciate their teachers, and are valued now surrounded by boys who are keen to pulling my child from [School name] and supported by both staff and peers. work and try hard. His opportunities to try it is just wonderful. As a family, we cannot speak highly new sports and have specialist coaching Parent Comment enough of [School Name]. are amazing. He will be encouraged to Parent Comment grow into the great community minded person that we know he is.” Parent Comment

This document can be downloaded at www.isq.qld.edu.au The full Survey Report can be downloaded by members from ISQ Hub.

Independent Schools Queensland Independent Schools Queensland Head Office Professional Learning Centre 1st Floor, 96 Warren Street, Spring Hill Q 4000 Level 5, 500 Queen Street Brisbane CBD Q 4000 PO Box 957, Spring Hill Q 4004 PO Box 957, Spring Hill Q 4004 P (07) 3228 1515 F (07) 3228 1575 P (07) 3228 1507 E [email protected] www.isq.qld.edu.au E [email protected] © Independent Schools Queensland March 2015