Looking at schools.questions to ask

[Angeliz]

hi, my dd is 2.6 and we're going to an open day at a school on Saturday then visiting it next week at school time! I just wanted a bit of advice on what questions should i ask whilst there so i don't get home and kick myself. We're thinking of getting her in next September. It's a private school too close to where we live. Any experiences with them?? I read one bad one and am now a bit anxious!.........well BLOODY terrified to be more precise!

[Angeliz]

not TOO close, just close Sounds like i want her miles away

[Angeliz]

ks thankyou and i think it was your thread i was reading the other day which gave me doubts! It is a nursery place we'll be after but the school goes right up to A levels.that what we liked that she'd be in the same school right through! I will have a good look on that website tonight! Thanks and i hope your situation has calmed down a bit

[Angeliz]

it's in the good schools guide and a member of ISC.....just looked!

[LIZS]

Off the top of my head...
Maximum class sizes, whether this changes as kids get older, adult/child ratio and does class teacher have an assistant.
Breadth of curriculum, are there facilities such as gym and swimming pool available at which age.
Do the younger ones have specialist teachers/lessons (music, art, languages) or does the class teacher cover everything herself.
What degree of parental involvement do they have in the classroom.
Generally get a feel for the place and the children who are already there (sometimes they show you round). Is the school welcoming, are the children happy and polite, do the classrooms seem well disciplined and active, is there work on the walls to encourage them.

Finally ask about the financial commitment - we've been asked for money to secure dd a place in 2005, having already paid a registration fee ! - what happens if you decide to delay entry a year or 2.

hth

[LIZS]

Oh, and check out the Ofsted report especially for the nursery level as it might highlight some issues you may want to ask about (safety provisions etc)and they should have acted upon such a report.

[Angeliz]

thanks Liz.all this is great and will be doing my homework tonight!

[Angeliz]

thanks ks..thats what i'm hoping now, that it will "feel" right

[cazzybabs]

What about things like number of assistants in the nurery, reception class etc. What about homework/ reading books? Average class size. Ratio boys and girls? Is there an big intake any where else up the school? Special education needs support - both for weaker children and more able. How many hours of games/pe a week? School lunches and after school activites inc music lessons and drama. Also do they offer a late stay facility or an early morning option (if you work?). Is their parrell classes - how do the school ensure both classes get taught the same. What about as she moves up through the school - do the teachers meet with each other and get to know the children before they move up a year? Do they have a copy of their ISIS inspection and any SATS scores?

Just a few of the top of my head? Most importantly do the children say hello to the head as you walk round the school? Do they talk to you?

[Gem13]

I would also ask which schools the children go to at secondary level. You may/may not be so interested if they start reeling off a list of high powered ones as it could show them to be (too?) interested in results.

I would also ask about the catchment area for the school purely on a selfish level. If they attract children from miles around you might find yourself driving a lot for DDs social engagements over the next few years.

[marialuisa]

Angeliz, we have just started DD in the nursery of a local private school. TBH open days aren't that useful for deciding whether a school will be right for your child, you'll get a much better feel for the school on your school hours visit. I dragged DH round about 10 schools (I was determined to get it right) and think we've made the right decision. My suggestions are:

see how "guided" your visit is. We spent a good 20 mins plus in the nursery at DD's school. Although the head was showing us around he was happy for us to talk individually to teachers, NNEBs, assistants without hovering. DD showed a big interest in the puzzles and was invited to join in whilst we looked round. DH and I chatted to kids in the class and were impressed that they were happy to come and talk to us, as well as to talk to DD.

See what the settling in arrangements are;

Ask what the structure of the day is, can children have a rest if they get tired (for the nursery). Is there before/after school care?

Does the school do activities such as brownies and karate?

What's the situation on homework/reading?

TBH I found that i was most concerned with the nursery being "right" and the degree to which the nuresry integrated with the rest of the school. I really like the fact that some of the Y5 and 6 kids come to the Early Years playground and teach the little ones games like ring-of-roses, hopscotch and so on. The school also has "activity days" where the kids dress up according to a theme (pirates) and spend the day in their house groups rather than class groupss. They don't do any academic work but loads of art/drama/music/sport activites around the theme. That really impressed me as this school is geared towards getting the kids through their !11+

Check out the parents and be honest about whether you will feel comfortable mixing with them. We like DD's school because it really has a good mix of people, it's not dominated by the 4x4, gym mummies!

Finally, my mum's acid test, are the toilets ok? Seriously you can tell a lot from the state of the school loos!

Good luck, we're 100% delighted with our choice and there are some lovely schools around!

[Angeliz]

marialuisa hi. Thanks for that, good tip about the loos and i have thought about other mums! Hopefully it will be a nice mix of people. We are going on the open day and have also agreed to go on a school day to see how the kids "seem"! I've picked up lots of good advice here.keep it coming! We are planning to start her on half days only and i had an initial chat over the phone and the lady i spoke to said that they welcome parental support to help their kids feel relaxed. I haven't been in the school yet but read all info and looked at the website! To be honest the only thing that worries me is that they do swimming straight away and i dont feel too happy with that. They encourage parents to go along but i'm not comfortable at the best of times in public in a costume! I don't think it will be too much of a problem at first (as she'll only be there half days ) but don't want it to be a problem later. I don't like the thought of her swimming without me so young! ( and before you all shoot me down, i'll be first to admit it- i am a "paranoid" parent,) but i dont like the idea of her changing without me as that situation scares me!

[wilbur]

This is a great thread - wish I'd had all those q's with me when I went to an open day last weekend! Anyway, one other thing I would ask about is lunches - if the school provides them, how are they supervised esp. with the very small ones? Does the teacher eat with the younger classes (some do) and make sure they are having a decent meal to see them through the rest of the day. Ditto if it's packed lunches - does someone make sure your lovingly prepared sarnies don't end up stuffed down the back of a radiator?

[robinw]

message withdrawn

[Moomin]

You may well think this is too early to be asking this sort of thing, with everything else which may seem more pressing at the moment, BUT: being a private school, what is their inclusion policy? What will happen if your child does not perform academically as well as they might hope? Will she get the chance to take exams/tests at all stages or will they discourage her from doing that as it might affect their results in the league tables? I only mention this as you said if it goes well, it may be the school she stays at until she's 16/18. Look at their results at KS3 and GCSE. If they consistently get 95 to 100% levels 5+ or A to C passes, I'd be a bit suspicious. Don't mean to worry you - as I said, you've probably got much more pressing things to consider at this stage. Good luck.

[marialuisa]

Moomin, do you mean 95-100% get 5 or more GCSEs at A-C? Even the worst of the secondary moderns here gets at least 95% with A-C in at least one subject? Also, a local private school that takes the kids who fail the 11+ (state and private exams) still gets around 88% with 5 A*-C GCSEs.

Angeliz, just a thought about the settling in, DD's school operates a flexible policy to sessions in the nursery. If you put your child down for 3 full-days but either you or the school feel the child isn't coping, you can reduce or cancel sessions and just pay for what you've used. I found it quite reassuring that the school was prepared to risk annoying parents by saying "your child isn't coping" rather than putting up with an unhappy child to keep the fees rolling in.

Also don't worry too much about the swimming. DD will swim at school from the summer, but in very small groups and parents are welcome to come along and watch and help with changing but aren't expected to get in.. For us, swimming at school from nursery was a big plus, DD is a water-baby and we want to encourage that but we were dreading having to messup weekends to fit in lessons.

[Moomin]

No - I meant 95+% level 5 and above at KS3 and / or 95+% A to C passes in 5 subjects at GCSE. Sorry if it wasn't clear. The average good-ish state school will probably get anything from between 40 to 65% 5 or more A-C passes per pupil. Most state schools will get upwards of 90% A-G "passes". This is because they tend to enter almost everyone for exams, whereas private schools may not.
I was just thinking about a friend of mine whose niece won an assisted place at a private school because her dad was an officer in the navy and this was where he was posted. By the end of KS3 it was apparent that the girl was not particularly academic and also not very motivated. Her parents were "advised" to take her elsewhere or she would not be entered for the GCSEs they were not confident she'd achieve an A-C in (ie most of them!)
The top and bottom of it is to check if the school has a special needs / inclusion policy at the end of key stage tests. Many private schools don't actually bother with the SATs so they can concentrate on the GCSE/A levels earlier on. This is probably not a bad idea in some cases, as the KS2 and 3 tests bear hardly any resemblance to the GCSEs anyway, so kids in Year 10 are more or less starting all over again for GCSEs.

Sorry if this is going off the point for your original query, Angeliz!