Questions to ask when looking around a primary school

[LocalEditorLambeth]

Hello everyone! I am sure I am not the only one on this board in this position but we are starting to look around primary schools for September 2016 and are seeing our first one tomorrow, gulp! It's our first child so we've never done this before. I've been asking around but thought I would start a discussion here in case it's useful for others. What are the things to look out for? What should we be asking about? Is there anything that will stop me bawling my eyes out on my baby's first day at school?! (I already know the answer to that onee...)

In case anyone else is keeping an eye on this thread, the 'Starting primary school in Lambeth 2016/17' booklet is now available:
www.lambeth.gov.uk/sites/default/files/sce-primary-school-admission-booklet-2016-17.pdf

How did you get on? I looked around my first a couple of weeks ago and felt completely overwhelmed!

I mostly looked at how the children behaved plus if they seemed engaged in the lesson, and as I had my 2 with me how they were treated by both staff & pupils

Am off to see 3 more over the next fortnight and hoping it will get easier once there is something to compare!

We've seen three now and two of them we liked. I won't name names but the one at the end of our road we didn't like at all and probably won't even put down as a preference. It's amazing how different the school at the end of the road was to the others that we like.

We've got a few more lined up too. It's so hard as the ones we love are obviously more popular and harder to get into anyway!

It is overwhelming, I agree.

Which area are you looking in if you don't mind me asking. We are between Brixton and Oval.

We're at the top of Brixton Hill so have a number to choose from but too far from the really good ones.

Really hoping I'm going to love one but have a feeling that none are going to blow me away