The checklist

A preschool is where a child first learns to be happy away from home, so it is worth choosing with care. Take this list on your visits to schools in Varanasi. Tick what you've seen or asked; the list remembers your ticks on this phone or computer, and you can print it.

Before you visit

A few things to settle at home, so the visit can be about your child.

Try the journey at school timeMorning traffic changes everything. A short, easy journey matters a great deal to a three-year-old.
Check which classes the school goes up toIf it continues after UKG, your child won't need a new school, a new admission and new faces at five or six.
Ask what an ordinary day looks likeArrival, play, learning, meals, rest and home time: a clear answer shows a school that has thought it through.
Ask to visit while children are thereA classroom in the middle of the morning tells you more than any brochure.

On the visit: look

Watch the children as much as the rooms. They will show you what a day there is like.

Children busy and at easeLook for children absorbed in what they're doing, not waiting around or told to sit still for long.
How teachers speak to childrenDown at their height, by name, with patience when someone is upset.
Clean rooms, clean toilets, drinking waterChild-sized toilets and basins, soap within reach, and water a child can get to on their own.
Safe corners, covered sockets, a gate that's watchedSmall things a busy adult might not notice, but a curious child always will.
Somewhere to run, and someone watchingOutdoor play every day, with an adult paying attention rather than on the phone.
Children's own work on the wallsDrawings and paintings by the children, not only printed charts, show that their work is valued.

On the visit: ask

Good schools are glad of these questions. The way they answer tells you as much as the answer.

How do you settle a child who cries in the first weeks?Every child's first days are different. Listen for patience, and a plan that includes you.
How many children does each adult look after?Younger children need more hands. Ask about the class your child would join, not the room a visitor sees first.
How will you tell me how my child is doing?Regular, specific news, not only at the end of a term.
What happens if my child is unwell or hurt at school?Who looks after them, and how quickly you will hear.
Who can collect my child, and how is it checked?Home time should be calm and careful: the school should know every face at the gate.
Which languages do teachers use in class?Many children arrive speaking Hindi at home. A good start builds on it while English grows.
What does a child bring each day, and what is included?Books, uniform, meals and activities: know what's covered before you decide.

After the visit

Give yourself a day before you decide.

Notice how your child felt thereChildren often tell you, in their own way, where they felt at home.
Visit two or three schools, with the same listThe same questions make the answers easy to compare.
Ask to see the room your child would start inThe class your child joins matters more than any room kept for visitors.

Visit the school

Choosing a preschool in Varanasi

The checklist

Before you visit

On the visit: look

On the visit: ask

After the visit

Come and see the school

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