Primary open days / visits

[TeaGirl3]

Hi, is anyone's local primary school still hosting open days / tours / visits this term? We have several schools very local to us and so far, one has confirmed it's not running an open day this term or allowing prospective parents to visit for a tour; instead, they're just creating a virtual tour. All completely understandable, if not really disappointing at the same time.

I'm interested to hear what other primary schools are doing - are any hosting Zoom sessions with the Head and staff? Or doing anything else that will help prospective parents to get a better insight into the school?

Thanks in advance.

Under Covid guidelines, parents of current pupils can't even come into school. NO school should be hosting open events to external visitors. I understand the disappointment about this, and relying on virtual visits, but please don't voice your disappointment- there is absolutely nothing the schools can do about this. Add to the mix the understanding that for state schools at primary you rarely actually get a 'choice'. As mentioned on many other posts, if you are putting an out of catchment/faith criteria school on your list and it is very popular, chances are that you won't get a place there.

Thanks, I wasn't aware that parents aren't allowed in at all; I know someone who has booked in a few visits this term at other schools.

It's not about us having a choice, I know we don't; it's more about us seeing what school we could end up with, making sure our daughter has seen the options and looks forward to going.

Didn't realise we weren't allowed to voice any disappointment or opinions on Mumsnet... I can't be the only one, surely...

I'm also really stressed about this. I moved to a lovely house in a nice area when my husband had a well-paid job and we had no children. Then we had DD and six months later my husband was made redundant. The only school we have a chance with has been Requires Improvement for a decade. It has the worst results in the city. We're interested in schools outside the city but know nothing about them apart from what we can see on the website. How do we make a choice?!

We didn’t get to see the school that DS has started at this week until he started! We had an hour visit with one parent last week then from Monday it was drop at the gate. I was worried about how he would adapt with no preparation but all the kids seem to have been fine.

DD is due to start school Sept 2021, called our 2 local Primary schools Today and left messages. lovely office lady Called me back and said they're hoping to do parent visits in November. Explained all about the schools ethos and improvement plan. Took my number and said they will call when they have the information. She seemed optimistic, So heres hoping. That was from the closer but less preferred school The other school Which is my preference haven't got back to me yet but I really do hope it’ll be possible

Either virtual tours or nothing at all around here.

@Changemyname18

Some people do have a choice. I have a virtual guarantee of getting into 3 of my closest primary schools and a reasonable chance at another 3 (one of which allocates half of their places via a lottery).

I'm apply to both state a private and I'm really struggling to decide how to rank our choices without visiting the schools and getting a sense of their ethos. I've visited one private school in the past that I thought I would love on paper and when I went to visit was really didn't like it at all. This experience has underlined for me how important getting a feel for a school really is.

Here is hoping it will be safe enough for school visits to go ahead on the weekends followed by deep cleaning. One of our local private schools is doing this and controlling the number attending each session via a booking system.

I really hope they don’t go ahead with this. Yes I feel for parents having to make preferences based on online information but the priority, time and energy has to be on the children at school now who have missed out on so much and the well-being of their teachers and support staff without pressure and risks of visits from parents of children who may or may not attend in a years time.

I'm in the same boat - confirmed with calls today that my schools are only doing Zoom tours - and I'm feeling stressed about it.

For me it's only between two schools, which are the closest and so that's the main factor in my application. However they are both complete opposites! One is large and renowned academically, one is small and nurturing but not as great (on paper) academically. I was really hoping seeing the places and getting a feel for the schools would help me with my decision! Feeling disappointed and confused.

I hope the virtual tours are actually useful but not holding out much hope. It's just not the same is it? 😕

Should add - I completely appreciate and free with why schools are doing this! It's just tough for those like us making these decisions for the first times

I don't think we will be running them this year. We aren't allowing any parents into school for pick up and drop off this year. We are looking into whether we can have volunteers in but at present it's no non-essential visitors.

I'd imagine we will do some form of online tour and/or q and a.

You have until jan.