Primary open day - what to ask?

[anothernameanotherproblem]

DD due to start school next August. We're visiting the school we intend to send her to next week. What should I be looking out for/asking? I've heard chat about play based learning etc. it's a smallish school - one class per year. There were so many things about nursery that it didn't even occur to me to ask until after she'd already started so any wise words welcome!

To be honest, I'd listen and observe more than ask questions. See if the head teacher knows the names of any pupils they encounter, and how the pupils respond to the teachers. See what the classroom atmosphere is like, what the interactions are between children and adults. See if the classrooms and general areas have up to date displays, nicely presented and tidy.

If the school is usually over-subscribed, and you're not sure you'll be allocated a place, you could ask about the make up of the class each year - how many siblings typically etc. Although that sort of information is often on the LA website.

You could maybe ask about how they feedback to parents in the Reception year, often schools use online platforms such as Tapestry to communicate. Also, whether there is breakfast club/after school care for parents who need it, and who to contact about that if it isn't run by the school.

The EYFS curriculum is play-based, that will be standard across all Reception classes in England. You could ask how they teach phonics - some schools use a specific phonics scheme (there are various of these). You could ask what the expectations are for reading at home and for "homework". Is the classroom free flow to an outside play area? Do they do Forest school activities at all? etc

@fedupandstuck thanks this is all brilliant!

Should've said we're in Scotland so reception isn't a thing, straight into P1. We're booked to go in after school hours, wondering if I should change that to during instead. The head was lovely on the phone but I had emailed her twice with zero response before calling which was a wee bit of a concern.

If there's a choice I'd definitely want to view the school during the normal school day, rather than after school.

Hello, I asked a very similar question on here earlier this month - we're in England but I imagine the types of questions you'll want to ask are similar to the ones I took notes of. Some of them will be England/Wales specific, but on the whole I found it incredibly useful to have key points in my head when we did our first visit.

I would ask to see the school during the day - that way you can see how the kids and teachers interact, how it all works in the classrooms etc., Good luck!

Subjects

• Phonics
• Foreign Languages
• Sports
• Trips – whole class trips?
• Forest School
• Homework – pen/paper/physical books?
• IT?

Wraparound Care – availability?

• Breakfast Clubs
• After school
• Extra curricular

SEN Provision

• Support if SEN is identified
• TA support?

Behaviour/Bullying

• How is bullying dealt with?
• Bad/problematic behaviour

Use of Technology

• Penmanship
• Use of technology in Reception

Staff

• Turnover
• NQTs
• External teachers (PE/Music/Foreign languages)

Classes

• Reception – how many forms
• Shared with Y1?
• If more than one form in Reception, does this stay the same throughout the school?
• How are they decided?
• Space for reception class?
• Lunchtimes
• Assemblies – particular focus, do they change monthly/termly?

Caledonia's list is pretty comprehensive.
You could also ask about extra-curricular clubs and activities. And whether they have any external organisations running holiday clubs in the school (can be helpful for the child to go to holiday club in a familiar environment with children they know).

The head will not tell you about staff turnover or the numbers of ECT teachers. They also won't give any useful info about send. If your child has send you need a proper appointment with the senco. They will have all their provision on the website. It will be the statutory provision. I would use the open day to get a feel for the school and to find out about practicalities such as wrap round, questions about the behaviour policy and communication.