DD really likes the look of the course particularly the structure, optional modules and field trips options and the accommodation looks ok too - after a summer visit when we were on holiday in Yorkshire.
@NCTDN I feel like you do about week day offer days. We are luckier than many as we’ve been given an offer 5 weeks before the day but most will get less than a month’s notice. Having two days together and in the week makes it impossible for anyone who works in education to attend with their child, if you work in the nhs then most clinics can not be cancelled within the month either. People in managerial jobs generally can move most things to accommodate a day off work to support their child (or just act as driver) but with less than 6 weeks notice booked meetings with clients would pose issues. People who work in factories and other shift work with a lack of notice and mid week days would find it super hard at short notice . I have flexibility in my role and so does my other half. DD will miss 6-8hrs of A level lessons across 1.5 days to attend. Would I rather a weekend? Yes I would - there’s been enough disruption.
I also think as well as the inconvenience of late notice and mid week for work and school is it also favours those with more senior jobs, more money as train fares mid week during rush hour at late notice cost far more and running sessions that start at 10am means travelling in rush hour meaning many people will have to consider staying overnight. I am lucky we have a new reliable car and are in jobs that are super flexible and well paid so the inconvenience is that school is missed and we can’t spend a weekend there up there to enjoy the place as we need to get back. Relatively minor inconveniences. The cost of train travel for us if we didn’t have a reliable car would be £450 on a weekday or £240 on a weekend. The weekday train would get us in to the station at around 10.04 (if it ran to time) so we would miss the first half of the course talk. Driving means leaving at 4.30am so we are staying over which costs £130-£160 for AirBnB or 2 rooms in a travel lodge. Plus an evening meal out. Again not a problem for us but would put a lot of families off.
I have diverse set of friends some who own several properties are very comfortable and some who can’t afford to buy a home and use food banks. I feel that this disadvantages the latter from attending the offer day. Rant over.
We’ve attended 9 offer days across 3 kids only 1 other was only weekdays and that gave the kids three dates across a two month period with 6 weeks from when most offers had been given to first date.
@SeasonFinale I get that open days for schools when 8-12 person groups wander around and watch the school in action is fab. None of the uni offer days Ive ever seen have shown us or our kids other students being taught watching live lessons (normally the potential students are given a tour of facilities and a taster lecture/ lab session) but maybe Durham does. Having students and the uni open is better than seeing it quiet like you see in the summer but you get students everywhere on a weekend at uni as well as in the week.