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Original poster

Secondary school visits - what should I REALLY be asking about?

36 replies

Tinker · 03/10/2007 14:48

Eldest will be going into Y7 next year.

I'm 99.9% sure which school she'll be going to but feel I should be asking some probing questions. My mind always goes blank or I sound inane.

Any suggestion gratefully received.

Thanks

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roisin · 03/10/2007 20:16

I've only been to one Open Evening and loathed it. It was horrendously crowded and busy, and you couldn't get a feel for the school at all.

We had already been to look round this school as part of the regular school day, and that was far more interesting and realistic.

We only went to the Open Evening to give ds1 a chance to have a look at the school.

Blandmum · 03/10/2007 20:12

We leave it mostly up to the children, we let children with a range of abilities do it, as long as they want to do it. But I don't think that we would let a child do it if they were unreliable. One of the best, and most popular lads to do this for us had down's syndrome. He did a magnificent job (and I'm not being in the slightest bit patronising here) and was one of the best advertisments we ever had for the school.

Some of the 'best' lads on open evening have been onces who are quite challenging in class, but they rose to the occasion with great style

roisin · 03/10/2007 20:12

KTeePee - yes students to 'help' at open evening are hand-picked. At our Open Evening we would have about 10% of students present.

KTeePee · 03/10/2007 20:09

If you're being shown around by a pupil, ask them what the best and worst thing about the school is.

MB, do schools usually choose the student guides carefully or do they let any pupil do it? The reason I'm asking is that at both the schools I have seen so far (which have a mixed rep), we were shown around by the loveliest teenage boys, would happily have adopted them all on the spot! Don't know if they were deliberately chosen to make the school look good lol!

marthamoo · 03/10/2007 20:02

To the open evenings? Yes, he came too. I suppose if you wanted to take your dd in school-time you would have to ask her primary school for permission - but I would have thought they would be OK with that. Our primary school seems quite keen to make the transition to secondary as smooth as possible - and conflicting open evenings seems a legitimate reason to need a school-time trip.

Original poster
Tinker · 03/10/2007 19:27

Thank you moo. Did you take your eldest with you? Presume that's ok.

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marthamoo · 03/10/2007 17:24

Tinker - if you do want to look at the other school as well they will probably let you look round another time. We went to three open evenings last week (I was exhausted by the end of it!) and all of them stressed how happy they were to let you come and have another look round (in daytime, with lessons going on - which might be more useful than a open evening anyway).

Good luck. Fwiw, we just got a good 'feel' for one - and luckily, ds1 did too

CarGirl · 03/10/2007 16:16

I'm at the

Marina · 03/10/2007 16:06

For my favourite OP Dawkins-botherer UQD She e-mails me pictures of him you know
No Bertrand Russell pics please tinks

UnquietDad · 03/10/2007 15:47

I think Marina is making a joke about the "Celestial Teapot", which is a philosophical conceit invented by Bertrand Russell to illustrate the impossibility of proving "non-existence."

jbabe · 03/10/2007 15:36

What's a chocolate tea pot botherer?

Original poster
Tinker · 03/10/2007 15:33

Oo, good one

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Marina · 03/10/2007 15:25

You do need to establish what percentage of the families are chocolate teapot botherers as well tinks - in case any of it rubs off on dd Ask to check the library holdings for the works of Richard Dawkins!

Hallgerda · 03/10/2007 15:22

I thought deeply about the whole business, wrote down loads of questions, but felt in the end that just soaking up the atmosphere on the open day and trying to imagine my son in the position of the pupils showing us round was really what mattered.

Original poster
Tinker · 03/10/2007 15:21

I can't wait for her to start actually, really looking forward to it.

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Blandmum · 03/10/2007 15:19

and the most important thing, would your dc fit in?

A school could be utterly fantastic for a sporty child, with loads of teams and great facilities, but if your child is totaly un-sporty, would it be the best place for them? Or music, or drama or whatever.

Cammelia · 03/10/2007 15:18

I just can't believe they're 10/11 already.

Original poster
Tinker · 03/10/2007 15:17

Ha ha. Trying to be.

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Cammelia · 03/10/2007 15:15

Being a good mum

Original poster
Tinker · 03/10/2007 15:14

I'm not really. It's the local school, good ofsted, walking distance. Just being a bit obsessive

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Cammelia · 03/10/2007 15:13

You sound nervous (understandably)

Original poster
Tinker · 03/10/2007 15:12

Thanks for all suggestions btw, I sound like I'm nit-picking!

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Original poster
Tinker · 03/10/2007 15:11

Staff turnover is on the school website as well.

There is no 6th form

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Cammelia · 03/10/2007 15:10

I'd like to feel a form tutor

Other than that suggestion from mb, her list sounds pretty comprehensive to me

Blandmum · 03/10/2007 15:10

Other things to look out for (other than the form tutor natch! , are there lots of the kids work on display? Do the rooms look as if they belong to the children in the school, or are they sterile?

What are the loos like?

Do they have lots of positive things up, like reading competitions, Duke of Edinburgh stuff, evidence that the kids raise money for local charities/ get involved in the local community?

Do the sixth form act as 'buddies' or mentors for the younger kids?

Do the teachers talk to your kids or just you?

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