How to Choose a Preschool: A Visit Checklist for Parents

Choosing a preschool is a big first step for most families. Brochures and websites give you an idea, but the real decision happens once you walk through the school gate. We have gathered the points we suggest looking at during a school visit. Whether you are searching in Beykoz or elsewhere in Istanbul, the same questions apply.

1. Go into a classroom and watch the children

A school is most honest on an ordinary day. What are the children doing? Is everyone doing the same activity at once, or are they busy with work they chose themselves? How does the room sound: shouting, or a calm hum?

In a good early-years classroom the children are absorbed in their work, and the adults come down to the children's eye level.

2. Ask about class size and the adult-to-child ratio

Young children need to be known closely. As a class grows, the teacher spends more time keeping order and less time observing. Ask plainly how many children and how many adults are in each class.

3. See the room from a child's height

Are the shelves, washbasins, toilets and tables at child height? Does a child need an adult to reach materials? A room where children can do things for themselves supports independence every day.

4. Outdoor time and the garden

How much of the day do children spend outside? Is the garden only a playground, or a place where they can touch soil, plants and animals? Do they go out in winter too?

5. The daily rhythm and rest

Ask to hear the day step by step: arrival, work time, garden, lunch, rest, workshops, pick-up. A predictable rhythm makes children feel safe. Ask what happens for children who do not nap.

6. Kitchen and meals

Are meals cooked at school or brought in? Ask to see the weekly menu and how allergies are handled.

7. Health, safety and communication

• Is there a written policy on illness and medication?
• How are arrivals and departures controlled, and who may collect a child?
• How do parents hear about the day?

8. School bus

If you will use the bus, ask how routes are planned, whether a staff member rides along and how long the journey takes. A long ride can be tiring for a small child.

9. The teaching approach

When you hear names like Montessori, Waldorf or Reggio Emilia, ask what they look like in the classroom. In a Montessori room, for example, you will see real materials on open shelves, mixed ages and a long, uninterrupted work period.

10. Fees and enrolment

Clarify what the fee covers (meals, bus, workshops, materials) and how the enrolment period works. Ask for the details in writing.

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No checklist replaces half an hour in the school itself. If you can, take your child along and watch how they respond.

Looking for a Montessori preschool in Beykoz?

We are happy to talk through every question above at our school in Çubuklu, Beykoz. Come and see our classrooms, garden and kitchen.

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