Heads' Tips - Open Days

An Open Day is an opportunity for you and your daughter to get a feel for whether this school is ‘the one’ for her, and for the school to show itself off to prospective parents. Read on for our Heads’ Tips on how to make the most of the event…

What to ask & what to look at

• Do your homework before visiting schools. Read about the schools you’ll be visiting from their website and the various guides available. Jot down questions before you arrive.

• Listen to the Head’s talk and then try to validate key statements by testing them out on your tour guide- or on the staff…

• Don’t be fooled by great facilities- look at how well they are utilised and whether they will specifically benefit your child (it doesn’t matter how many fine rugby pitches there are if your daughter is unlikely to benefit…)

• Ask to be shown to those ‘not quite on the tour’ places- toilets are always good; locker rooms, common rooms, changing rooms…

Who to talk to

• Make a point of meeting and talking to the Sixth Form students (or the oldest year group in school); they are often the best ambassadors for the school, representing what the school aspires to and achieves.

• Look at the end product.  Beware the danger of judging a school exclusively by the bottom end because your child is young.  Consider how and where do you want your child to end up?

• While first impressions are important, and school buildings contribute to the atmosphere of a school, the idea is to discover what happens inside them. To do this you need to talk to children, teachers, senior staff, and, preferably, to the parents as well.

• Take some time to talk to staff at an open day.  Don’t worry about asking lots of questions or visiting a school more than once.  Staff would rather spend time with families on several occasions and know that if the child joins their school they are really sure and happy about their decision.

Your aims on Open Days

• Schools often want to show you too much on an open day: don’t let them wear you out! Identify the key areas you are keen to see or the teachers you want to talk to and take control of your tour guide to ensure she meets your needs.

• Visit with an open mind and ask enough questions to get a real flavour of the school – its ethos might well be your deciding factor. The way the staff and girls interact can be very telling.

• Make sure you get a ‘feel’ for the school. Keep your eyes open and look at all the pupils – how do they seem to you? Could you imagine your daughter as part of this group? Could you see her at the school?

• Go by your gut reaction.  Importantly - did you walk into the school and feel at home; did you come out from a school visit feeling good?

Should your daughter go with you?

• Consider doing the initial visits without your daughter. You need to be in a position to guide your daughter’s choice, and if she falls in love with a school that you subsequently deem to be unsuitable, then you will be in a tricky position!

• Once you have narrowed it down to the possible and the acceptable then involve her as much as possible.

• If possible, limit the number of schools on your short list to those you are confident your daughter would thrive in – too many options only leads to confusion and decisions being made on arbitrary things.

• Listen to your daughter. She may see it all differently from you but it is she who must feel happy, secure and, above all, inspired. Make your short list with the wisdom of parents but trust the judgment of your daughter. It is she who will be living it.

After the Open Day

• Recognize that, if this is a school you are serious about, you should treat an open day as a taster and book an appointment in to return to the school on a regular working day as well.

• Later on when your are closer to a decision, spending a day in classes will give her the best chance to make a reasoned judgement so don’t just go by open days.

• Talk to fellow parents and older children who can tell it as it is. Schools can only tell it as they hope and believe it to be.

With thanks to the Heads & staff at the following schools:

Abbot’s Hill School, Bury Grammar School Girls, Casterton School, Heathfield School Pinner GDST, Hollgirt School, Howell’s School Llandaff GDST, Manor House School, Roedean School, St Albans High School, St Mary’s School Calne, Tudor Hall