how do you tell what a school is really like???

[jobnockey]

DS doesn't start primary school till 2013 so I'm only really asking out of curiosity, but just wondering really, what should you look for/notice/ask etc when looking round schools. I've seen a couple of local reception classes as we were shown around at same time as looking at nursery and to be honest... they seemed much the same. kids read/paint/ stick stuff on walls/have different project each term etc. teachers smile and are nice.
the classrooms seemed just the same to me. I like to think that if a school was glaringly bad i would notice but what if you don't? How should I judge what is 'good' or not???

How do they involve/communicate with parents? Do they hold any events/clubs outside of school hours? What do they do if your child is struggling? What is their website like? Can you download freely their policy documents? How do they differentiate work for children at different levels? How do they monitor progress? Will the first you hear of your child falling behind be in the end of year report or will you be informed when it is first noticed? What is the diversity within the class/school? Does this match your values?

For reception/KS1 I would also want to know about access to outdoors in lesson time. Class size / adult ratio - teacher plus nursery assistant or TA.

Don't know why but there seems (an entirely unresearched) link between good schools IMO and whether the head is visible in the playground at either school start / end of day or not.

See you have a DS - check out girl/boy proportion of stuff stuck on walls. Sounds daft but little girls nice pictures and handwriting...

I know when I went to look round schools to work in that I would get 'a feeling' or there was a definite 'positive atmosphere' IYSWIM.

I also think that, yes there will more than likely be stuff on the walls, but if you take a closer look, is it all work that belongs to the children, or is it possible that the teacher has just printed off and stuck bits on to look pretty? To me, that would be important.

There are lots of things I think that go towards making a happy school - pleasant, eager TAs, dinner ladies etc. Evidence of outdoor space actually being used - the amount of times I went somewhere that boasted an 'eco garden' or the fact that they have a pond etc and yet when I asked the children if they used them, 7 times out of 10 the answer was no.

I always think a school that encourages interaction across the year groups functions much better as a community than if the year groups are kept separate - so I would be keen to find out if, for example, the year sixes are encouraged to play nicely with or complete projects for the nursery children/lower years.

Do they have lots of speakers in? Do they encourage parental involvement or do they actively discourage it? One school I visited had a 'no parents unless they have made an appointment' policy. The headteacher said that no parents were allowed to accompany their child into school in the mornings and there was a time period of twenty minutes at drop off time in the morning where staff were not allowed to answer the door! If a parent did ring the door bell to try and get in, staff were not allowed to 'advertise their presence' by walking past the door. In practice, this often meant that teachers were stuck in the staff room for ten minutes instead of taking the register...

Sorry, I realise that is rather a lot there, and most of it will probably be impossible to see/ask about on a short visit, but they are things that I think I would be investigating if I were looking for a school for my DC!

Just getting on the thread as I'm interested in the replies! Great question OP :)

If you know anyone with a child at the school, have them describe the schools strengths and weaknesses to you. Their pov might be quite illuminating.

For me it was the head. He was so open and friendly, and the children clearly liked and respected him. As we walked around (we had actually only made an appointment with the nursery teacher, but when he saw us he insisted on showing us the rest of the school, he just seemed so proud of it and the children). He asked us what we expected from the school and answered all of our questions. I came away feeling really positive and my hunch was right - dd is very happy there. The buildings could clearly do with a revamp but they have lots of outdoors space and I think that the feel of the 'buzz' of the school is more important.

That was in complete contrast to our catchment school, who have a brand new building that just felt completely sterile, who kept us waiting and made us feel uncomfortable for taking up their time.

I guess my advice would be to look past the physical and try and speak to the teachers, and go in during the school day and see how the children appear - do they seem happy?

I don't think you can tell. I agree they all look the same - or the things that look different won't be the important things.

But - run a mile if you don't like the HT.

Try and find out from other mums. I just ask everyone with kids older than mine what school they went to and what they thought of it :) - However, I found they all liked them!

Very, very few people will admit that they are voluntarily sending their child to a bad school.

Knowing what I know now, I'd be more interested in what Y6 work was like than how much playing was done in Reception. :)

Can you make an arrangement to go into school to see it? If not then ditch the school. Make an arrangement to go in late morning when they are likely to be doing literacy or numeracy, as this will tell you more about the atmosphere in the school.
When you go in, who sees you? If it is the head or the deputy head then that is good, if it is someone from the office then that is not so good.
Are they welcoming? Do they seem to want your child to come to the school or are they just going through the motions.
Are you allowed into classrooms? If not then I would be seriously worried. Also ask to go into a year 5 or year 6 class and see what is going on in the classroom. Is it alive and pupils are busy doing things or is like a morgue. if it is the latter then again big red flag as whether it is the right school.
Look at what is on the walls, not so much for what it is but when it was done, some older treasured pieces of work is good but there should be mainly recent work on the walls.
Look in the toilets, that will tell you lots about how the pupils view their school and how the school view their pupils.

Look at the whole school not just the reception - how do the yr 6 11 year olds speak and conduct themselves - is that how you envisage your child.

Keep an eye out for any school fairs, concerts that anyone can attend - good chance to get a feel for the place.

Practicalities - aftercare, holiday club, parking, how near to work etc

Wow - really helpful answers everyone... thank you!!!

If you get shown round by the children, you get an interesting view. At the school we chose, we were shown round by a pair of confident and articulate Y6 boys, who insisted on showing us everything, including their work on the walls and the loos! They couldn't stop talking about how much they loved it and how they would miss it when they went to secondary. We then had a long chat with the head. It was a no-brainer to choose this school, for us.