A luxury lifestyle involves having access to opportunities and experience outside the average. For your child, an education customised to their strengths, with plenty of exposure to a wide variety of subjects and areas of interest, will set them up to be confident, successful adults.

Great educational institutes offer superior academic instruction such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) programs as a matter of course, but it’s the additional elements that transform the experience. Teachers with skill and passion in the way they communicate. Arts, languages, and fitness education that give kids a chance to develop as multidimensional people and to discover distinctive strengths and passions of their own, plus extracurricular activities that give them the chance to develop collaborative, entrepreneurial, and leadership skills, grow friendships and explore new experiences.

A great school also cultivates the attitudes, perspectives, and deeper understanding of the world that sets kids up for their future lives as global citizens; professionals with compassion, environmental and socially responsible attitudes, and awareness of how different people’s motivations and priorities can be around the world. Look for a school that is supportive of differences and diversity in the student body and which cultivates an atmosphere of both critical thinking and acceptance. Exposure to other cultures and the ability to communicate well with others, as well as a future network of connections around the world will contribute to your child’s opportunities in the future.

Giving your child the luxury of choice in her or his education could mean involving her or him in the selection of an appropriate institution, but mostly, it’s about giving them access to high-quality, unique, useful or desirable knowledge, skills, experiences, and relationships. Choosing the right school is critical to their experience and future success, and there may or may not be multiple suitable options in your region.

For expat families in Asia, superior schools are conveniently located near the key business hubs in the world-class cities of Singapore and Hong Kong. Remote areas and smaller cities may offer significantly less choice when it comes to offering your child valuable choices and educational experiences. If you’re a frequent traveller, finding a school in a gateway city that you’ll visit easily and often can be a better choice than making do with a hometown public school. International schools in Singapore offer quality instruction with a broad curriculum and a global perspective.

Investigate academic options by assessing the variety and quality of the schools’ offerings. Check for high-quality, internationally transferrable programs like the IB or AP curriculum. Such an internationally recognized course of study sets your child up for the world-class university of her or his choice. Ask for information about the teachers and check alumni statistics to assess the quality of instruction. References from other parents are a great way to get first-hand feedback about what the school experience will be like for your child. Look for balance and diversity, as well as quality; arts and languages, history and world studies, maths, sciences and technology.

Once you’ve established the basics, you can compare schools based on the range and quality of choices and opportunities they’ll offer your child. If your kid already has an established interest or talent in a certain area, you can confirm that the music, drama, graphic arts, languages, or sports instruction will meet their needs, but locking in to just one subject can be limiting, so it’s important that there are several options for your child to choose from.

Outside of learning and activities, other markers of a school that could provide a great education for your child include the values and perspectives it strives to convey to students. Ask about their learning philosophies and how they reinforce them in practical ways. Also, consider benefits and practices outside of the classroom or clubroom. Do they have a healthy, interesting, and high-quality meal program for students? Do the facilities contribute to a good learning environment? Are the technology and physical activity programs well equipped and up to date? Do children have adequate time outside?

Give your child the luxury of choice with a school that offers a wide range of quality options for study and extracurricular activities. A chance to explore their interests and skills, develop confidence, collaborative, and leadership skills, and build a solid academic foundation offers more than just the luxury of choice now; it sets them up for opportunity, confidence, community and success in the future.