So, what questions should I have asked?

[moodlumthehoodlum]

I went round a school today for ds/dd, small independent school, and it seemed quite good.

But, I didn't feel I was asking the headmaster the right questions. I asked about streaming abilities, where the children came from, and which schools they went on to, and then I ran a bit dry.

I thought there should be more that I asked, but, faced with the headmaster, went a bit blank.

Any ideas? What did I miss? A great deal, I know, oh wise Mnetters.

School dinners?? Security?? Any small concerns are the teachers available for a quick chat - some aren't.

It sound like you covered some important issues - any more questions I'm sure they'd be happy to answer later.

You say it seemed quite good - I would say the "feel" of a place is very important - I looked around several schools last year but the school I chose had a really friendly, happy, busy but in control, buzz about it.

Ask other parents if you can - those children who go, and those who don't - happen to be outside at starting/home time - have a look at the children, parents etc - can you see your family fitting in? I got pretty good advice also from the head of my son's nursery. Ofsted reports.

All you can do is get as much info as you can, try and weigh it all up and trust you'll reach the right decision. If worst really did come to the worst you could consider changing - not a light decision to make I know - you're not signing their whole life away on this one decision.

Good luck :-)

I would ask how they deal with bullying. At one school I visited the Head thought that young children couldn't really be bullies and that made me think they perhaps didn't take it very seriously.

You could also have asked about extra-curricular activities, how much homework they get, school trips.

How many children they have with SN, staff turnover, after-school provision.

Oh thanks ladies. I did ask about bullying, and he said that he didn't like to use that word. .

I didn't ask any of your other good questions though, so thanks. Will send DH in with a MN approved list!

So if your DC is being bullied - what would he call it?! Kids being kids?! Weird take on a huge school issue...

I'd ask about are the kids allowed to move ahead if it turns out they are more adept at a subject than their peers

DS is a very able reader but it is a challenge to get his teacher to move him on as fast as he seems to be needing to so he is getting a good 2 or 3 weeks reading books (so that's 6/8 books) that he finds really boring because they are "too easy"

I'd also want to know if there were any instrument tuition available and when from or other such extra curricular activities (ds school has a choir and various sports teams)

I would be very wary indeed of a head who didn't want to talk about bullying - it would make me wonder what else he was being head-in the-sand about.

The best advice I can give to to lok at lots of schools, including at least one that you think you wouldn't contemplate if it was the last school on earth. That way you get a clear idea of what's really important to you.

For what it's worth, I wouldn't pay good money for a school that you came away from thinking "it seemed quite good"

Look for buzz - what someone described as "the quiet hum of purposeful activity" Not too much noise, but definitely not silence. Check that the artwork in the walls is form this academic year - or at worst from last. Ask about homework (whether you like it or not - it's quite hard to have a school where you don't agree with the homework policy). Ask about staff turnover.
Ask if you can visit when it's not an organized open day. If the head shows you round, look at how the children interact with him. We were sold on our "on paper" pretty average school because the Head could hardly walk through the playground for children wanting to tell him things/show him things!

I'm going to go round a couple more schools this week. Its a hard decision to make.

We've just had a bad time with dd being really nastily teased so thats a good point about not going anywhere where people dance around the issue of bullying.

The head did seem very popular with the children, and their manner towards him, ie respectful, but not afraid, appealed to me. I think until I have the benchmark of more schools I can't make a judgement.

Thanks wise ones.

We went to look at an independent last week.

I was looking for keen, engaged, happy pupils, purposeful atmosphere. Good resources. Read the ISI school inspectorate report.

We asked:
How many pupils per class?
How are they assessed to get in?
Do they use TAs?
How do they teach reading and can we look at some work? (hoping to see a focus on synthetic phonics)
Do they teach cursive handwriting?
Do they follow a reading scheme?
When do they start setting h/w?
Do they have many SN at the school?
How much physical activity do they do a week?
Will they learn a language/s?
Music lessons?
Do they mark in NC levels or a different system?
Do the pupils sit the SATs?
How often to they report to parents?
School lunches?
What schools (if leave at 11) do the majority of students go on to, or the uni destinations/subjects of those leaving at 18?
Is there before and after school care? Is that additional cost?

Heated - thank you, these are great. Will arm myself with them on Thursday when we meet yet another headmaster.

Be careful with the TA question - it depends on your point of view whether using TAs=good or using TAs=bad! Ditto reading schemes!

I would also ask waht sort of punishment/sanctions they use.