What Makes a Great School? 10 Qualities Every Parent Should Look For

Choosing the right school for your child is about more than academics. Here are 10 qualities parents should look for and how Covenant Child Academy puts them into practice.

Choosing a school is one of the most important decisions a parent will make. With so many private schools in Lagos, it can be difficult to know which school will provide the right environment for your child’s academic, emotional, social, moral, and personal development.

A great school should do more than prepare children for examinations. It should help them become confident, knowledgeable, articulate, disciplined, creative, responsible, and prepared for leadership.

At Covenant Child Academy (CCA), this philosophy is reflected in the school’s mission of grooming the total child and empowering him or her for successful leadership with moral uprightness. The Academy’s vision is to raise smart, knowledgeable, confident, articulate, and talented boys and girls with spiritual prowess.

So, what should parents look for when choosing a school?

1. Strong Academic Standards

Academic excellence should be at the heart of every good school.

Parents should look beyond examination results and ask whether a school creates a culture where children are encouraged to understand, explore, question, solve problems, and pursue excellence.

At Covenant Child Academy, academic excellence is an established part of the school’s culture. The Academy regularly recognises students for outstanding academic performance through its Academic Excellence Awards, with defined performance benchmarks across its Pre-School, Elementary, Junior College, and Senior College sections.

This approach helps students understand that achievement is not simply about passing examinations, it is about developing discipline, consistency, hard work, and a genuine desire to learn.

2. Qualified and Dedicated Teachers

Teachers play one of the most important roles in a child’s educational journey.

A great school should have educators who understand their subjects and, equally importantly, understand children. They should be able to identify individual learning needs, encourage curiosity, provide appropriate guidance, and inspire students to reach their potential.

Covenant Child Academy places significant emphasis on the quality and professional development of its educators. The school maintains a structured leadership and academic team, including a Director of Studies, Director of Curriculum Development & External Examinations, Montessori Director, principals, and heads of school.

The Academy also organises staff training programmes designed to strengthen professional capacity and classroom effectiveness.

For parents searching for a good private school in Lagos, the quality of the teaching team should always be an important consideration.

3. A Safe, Disciplined and Supportive Environment

Children learn best when they feel secure, respected, valued, and supported.

A great school should provide an environment where discipline is balanced with care and where students understand the importance of responsibility, respect, and appropriate behaviour.

Covenant Child Academy’s core values include Respect, Integrity, Teamwork, Excellence, and Spirituality. These values help provide a framework for developing not only successful students but responsible individuals.

The school’s approach to discipline and character development is also reflected in initiatives such as its Teens Court programme, which provides students with opportunities to engage with responsibility, accountability, and leadership.

4. Character and Moral Development

Academic success without character is incomplete.

Parents should ask: What kind of person is this school helping my child become?

A child’s education should develop qualities such as honesty, discipline, compassion, responsibility, integrity, respect, and resilience.

At Covenant Child Academy, character development is central to the school’s educational philosophy. Its stated mission focuses on leadership and moral uprightness, while spirituality forms one of its core values.

This reflects the Academy’s belief that education should develop the whole child, not just the student’s academic ability.

5. Individual Attention and Child-Centred Learning

Every child is different.

Children have different personalities, abilities, interests, learning styles, and developmental needs. A great school recognises these differences rather than expecting every child to learn in exactly the same way.

This is particularly important during the early years.

Covenant Child Academy’s Montessori Pre-School focuses on creating a conducive environment where young children can learn about God, themselves, and their surroundings while developing foundational skills through learning, exploration, investigation, experimentation, and discovery.

The Academy also provides Montessori-focused professional training, demonstrating its commitment to understanding and applying child-centred Montessori principles.

For parents looking for Montessori schools in Lagos, this child-centred approach is an important quality to consider.

6. A Well-Rounded Education

A child’s education should extend beyond textbooks and examinations.

Sports, music, creativity, clubs, societies, leadership activities, competitions, cultural activities, and other experiences can help children discover talents that may not emerge in a conventional classroom.

Covenant Child Academy provides opportunities for students to participate in a broad range of activities. Its College programme, for example, includes musical development, with students learning to sing, sight-read, play musical instruments, and compose songs. The school also has a steel band and orchestra team.

The Academy’s Club & Society Day, inter-house sports competitions, cultural activities, excursions, and other school programmes further support its commitment to holistic development.

This is what a well-rounded education in Lagos should look like: giving children opportunities to discover and develop their abilities both inside and outside the classroom.

7. A Strong Foundation from Early Years to College

Consistency matters.

Parents should consider whether a school can provide a strong educational pathway as their children progress through different stages of development.

Covenant Child Academy provides education across Montessori Pre-School, Elementary, and College levels, giving families an opportunity to build continuity into their child’s educational journey.

The school’s Elementary programme focuses on providing an enabling environment where children can develop their potential, while the College continues to emphasise development, creativity, academic preparation, and personal growth.

For parents searching for a private school in Lekki or Surulere, having a school that supports children across multiple educational stages can be a significant advantage.

8. Strong Parent-School Communication

Education works best when parents and teachers work together.

Parents should look for schools that provide opportunities to discuss academic progress, identify areas requiring support, understand their child’s development, and contribute meaningfully to the educational process.

Covenant Child Academy’s Open Day programmes provide opportunities for parents, learners, and educators to interact and discuss academic progress, strengths, areas requiring support, and future learning goals. The school describes this as part of its open-door approach to raising a 360-degree learner—academically, morally, socially, and spiritually.

For parents, this kind of communication can make a significant difference in understanding and supporting a child’s educational journey.

9. Opportunities for Leadership and Personal Growth

School should prepare children not only to follow instructions but also to think, communicate, take responsibility, make decisions, and lead.

At Covenant Child Academy, leadership development forms part of the school’s stated mission. The Academy seeks to empower students for successful leadership while maintaining moral uprightness.

Students are also given opportunities to participate in activities that promote teamwork, responsibility, confidence, creativity, and leadership.

These experiences can help children develop skills that will remain valuable long after they leave school.

10. A Culture of Excellence and Continuous Growth

Perhaps the most important quality of a great school is its culture.

A school should have a clear vision of what it wants its students to become—and consistently work towards that vision.

Covenant Child Academy’s commitment to excellence extends beyond the classroom. The Academy is approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria and Lagos State Ministry of Education and is affiliated with educational organisations including ACSI, APEN, NAPPS, and COBIS.

In 2026, Covenant Child Academy also announced a strategic partnership with Felixstowe International College in the United Kingdom, reflecting its continued focus on international collaboration and global educational engagement.

The Academy’s participation in the 44th COBIS Annual Conference further demonstrates its engagement with the wider international education community.

Choosing the Right School for Your Child

Ultimately, choosing a school should not be based on one impressive feature.

Parents should look at the complete picture:

• Does the school value academic excellence?
• Are the teachers qualified and committed?
• Is the learning environment safe and supportive?
• Does the school develop character?
• Are children given individual attention?
• Does the school provide a well-rounded education?
• Are parents actively involved?
• Are students encouraged to lead?
• Does the school prepare children for the future?
• Does the school’s philosophy align with your family’s values?

These are the questions that can help parents make a more informed decision.

Why Covenant Child Academy?

For families searching for a private school in Lagos, particularly around Lekki/Awoyaya and Surulere, Covenant Child Academy offers an educational approach built around the development of the total child.

From our Montessori Pre-School and Elementary programme to our College, our academic excellence initiatives, extracurricular activities, leadership development, parent engagement, and international educational connections, Covenant Child Academy’s focus extends beyond classroom instruction.

Our philosophy is simple but powerful: raise children who are academically excellent, morally upright, confident, capable, and prepared to make a meaningful impact.

Because a great school does more than prepare a child for the next examination.

It prepares the child for life.

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