would you choose a primary school that didn't offer open day/visits

[Coffeemorris]

Would you choose a primary school that didn't offer an open day or a chance to visit the school before making an application?

Doesn't seem very open. How will I know if I like the school? The school I'm thinking of has a good position in the league tables but if feels like a gamble.

It's Essendine Primary school in London

Personally I wouldn't choose it. If it's like that now then how easy will it be to get in the door if there are issues for your little one that you want to discuss?

I visited three schools when DS was small and picked the one where the head teacher crouched down to listen to something DS was saying...that told me a huge amount about his school.

No. It comes across as a bit cocky tbh. I assume they're over subscribed though?

I visited an over subscribed school and we didn't even get to talk to an adult, some year 6's showed us around. I chose the quieter school where we actually got to say hello to the head.

alfie yes! I went with the head who spoke directly to my ds and engaged him during the visit.

I'd prefer not to, but I can understand why some ridiculously oversubscribed schools do it in areas where some parents want to visit 10+ schools. I looked round the two schools I thought we would get into and one did quiz me about where I lived before letting me attend the open day - understandably. That school won me over whereas the other demonstrated that the admin staff were all scared of the head and the teachers were nervous about their performance (we weren't allowed in any classrooms).

Can you go to their Christmas Fair or similar event and get an idea from that?

Yes our school don't do visits. It's my old primary school though so I did know what it was like any way.

No I wouldn't. I equally wouldn't choose a school who only offered visits on an Open Day. That's one of the reasons I didn't even put our local Outstanding school (literally a 10 mins walk from our house) as a choice at all on our application.

But then we are lucky to have several good/outstanding schools in the villages surrounding ours so I opted for a smaller, friendlier school and most importantly one that DD said she loved after we looked around. It was 'Good', not Outstanding but the Head showed us around personally, we got to meet all the teachers and DD loved that the house next to the school had loads of chickens in the garden running along the fence next to the school field!!

No, definitely not. It is the height of arrogance for any school to believe that they somehow can just expect people to send their child to their school.