Going to see a possible new school tomorrow. What questions should I ask?

[SparklePrincess]

Im going to see another school tomorrow which im considering moving my dds to. Their current school is very small & theyve both found it hard to form friendships within such small year groups.
The thing is I need to be 100% sure im doing the right thing before I consider moving them. Dd1 is very shy & at the moment doesnt want another move, but dd2 is very keen to move on & is rapidly losing confidence herself through isolation.
I need to ask the right questions to ensure that im making the right decision as far as theyre concerned. I need to know that they will be helped to integrate into their peer group & not just left to get on with it.
What should I ask?

Please?

I dont really have any advice sorry but am bumping this for you, i hope it gets sorted. good luck

What do you want from this school ?

What aspects are important to you and your girls ?

I would just have the above in mind and don't be afraid to ask about those aspects - be open and honest.

I would imagine it quite important to give your reasons for moving DDs.

Ask how they help older pupils who are moving to the school to settle and make friends ?

Also explain that one of your DDs is reluctant to move. How will they help her ?

Not sure what the right questions are. I think you have to be honest with yourself as to what precisely is causing your girls' current problems, then as TheodoresMummy says be completely open and honest. I'm assuming this if a primary school? My Mum (retired teacher) advised me to go on the feel of the school, how the children seemed in the classropms (was there a happy buzz/total silence/mayhem); was there lots of work on the walls and did it look varied/interesting. What other activities are on offer? Etc. Also used same when looking at secondary for my DS, and I think it worked. Trust your instincts: does the school feel right for your DSs....

Good luck and let us know how you get on

Hi, yes it is a primary school. The girls are in years 1 & 3. At the moment I think the eldest will probably stay where she is. I can drop her off at school early then the younger one. After school is a little trickier, but do-able. Prospective new school finishes 5 minutes earlier than current school, so I probably would only be 5 or 10 minutes late. Another girl in her class often has to wait for her mother too & there are always children waiting for the after school club bus, so its not a big issue.
The main thing dd needs is to find somewhere she feels comfortable & has friends. She is really quite isolated in her current school.

How do they handle disciple?
Do they encourage parents to get involved (ie come help)?
Are the teachers always available for a chat after school if you are concerned?
How many assistants to a class?
What happens at lunchtime? (some schools have a strict routine, others are more laid back)
This should let you get a "feel" for the place, but also look at noticeboards etc - are childrens achievements celebrated?
Does the head teacher seem to know the children you bump into? Do they smile at him/her, or seem petrified?
Good Luck!

I ended up seeing two schools today in the end. One was a small school with mixed age classes & one much larger 2 form entry. They both had a lot of things I liked about them (including swimming pools) & both seem to do a lot to celebrate achievement & reward good behaviour etc etc, something that is very much lacking in the girls current school. My eldest is a model pupil & had 100% attendance last year, but she got no recognition for this whatsoever from the school, which is a bit of a shame I think. My preference based on the head teachers alone would be the smaller school, but I also have reservations. The class my youngest would be in is a job share & there are only 3 other girls in her year group (but other girls from different year group in the class) This concerns me a little, but she only needs one particular friend, & it sounds like the 3rd girl is a bit of a spare at the moment & could welcome having dd as a friend.
Both head teachers are agreeable to my girls having a taster day to see if they like it before we commit to the change. At the moment im inclined to trial them at the smaller school, although the larger school has fab facilities, after school clubs etc etc. Problem is its fairly old (2003) ofsted report does mention bullying, & as dd1 is very shy I dont think I want to take that risk.