Schools
How do I choose the right international school for my child?
Work backwards from where your child wants to end up, then weigh four things in order: curriculum fit (does the exit qualification match your target university system?), genuine quality signals (accreditation and, where it exists, a published inspection band — not marketing), practical constraints (fees, location, language, eligibility), and your child's individual temperament. Rankings and brochures are the least reliable inputs.
Curriculum is the highest-stakes lock-in: IB keeps options open across the US/UK/Asia, British A-Levels suit depth-focused students targeting the UK, American/AP suits US-bound families. In mainland China, eligibility (foreign-passport vs private/bilingual) constrains the choice before anything else.
For verifiable quality, look for accreditation (CIS, WASC, COBIS) and a real inspection band where the market has one (Singapore/Dubai/Abu Dhabi have graded inspectorates; mainland China does not). Treat school-published university-placement lists as marketing — they are self-reported and rarely verifiable.
Reviewed by Priscilla Han. BrightKey is independent and takes no payment from schools or universities. Editorial standards.