Viewing a secondary school this evening, what should I be looking for?

[sandyballs]

I'm slightly freaked out that we are doing this already, seems like a few months ago we were looking at nurseries .

We have two reasonable state schools near us, heard various bits of gossip in playground about both. Need to look and make own mind up. What should I be looking for?

Are you taking DC? Watching teachers talk to kids is good. Get DC to use toilets and report back. Talk to existing pupils.
Don't be too impressed by whizzs and bangs, its a special evening.

Ask about any special interests, needs to your DC.

Definitely agree about the toilets.

Find out whether you can actually get into the school (I was shocked to find out we couldn't get into our nearest comprehensive when I turned up at the open evening).

Find out what the bullying policy is.

Find out what GCSEs they do (schools can vary quite a bit, particularly in what Science and Languages options they offer).

GCSE options are important (to me anyway!). They should offer triple science to the most able 25%, BTECs are 'easier' GCSEs. I'm impressed if a school has large number doing languages as these are getting dropped as they are seen as hard and schools want high pass rates for their league tables.

Lots of extra-curricular, DofE, clubs etc show a committed staff and an interest in whole person development.

What are you hoping to see - facilities, sports provision, faith/ethos, strong pastoral care, inspirational head? Then look out for those things and you'll know the school you want! Easy

Agree about the toilets!

I have been to one and am going back again next week. The questions I ask are totally to do with my priorities and what I want my children to get out of the school. So I note what they say about behaviour, bullying etc. I notice vaguely that they have gyms and drama and art rooms. But I make a beeline for the heads of subject and quiz them on their science, languages and history curriculum and possibilities for GCSE.
If my children were particularly into drama or sport or music I'd ask more about those, but the academic things and attitude to behaviour are the vital things for me, with my current knowledge of my children. I want to know that they'll come out with CGCEs that will enable them to have a wide choice of A level and university options.

Try not to listen to playground gossip. Unless it is from the horse's mouth, it's generally not true.

You need to get a feel of a school for yourself - what's right for you and your child isn't necessarily right for everyone.

If you can, make an appointment to see the school in a working day. The Head took us round, there were about 6-8 families and it gave us a good chance for more one on one questions to the Head.

'Tis the schoolmaster I pay but the schoolboy who educates my son'

Don't underestimate the influence of the peer group.I would hang about town when teh kids come out of school and see what they are really like.The kids who are wheeled out on open evenings may well not be representative.

Thanks for replies, very interesting. Not taking the girls, want to look round with DH and have a clearer idea of what we want before we involve them. Also, girls are only in year 5 at the moment but we are looking around early as may be moving house and don't want to eliminate certain schools by the move.

For starters, I took DD with me on every school visit - she was the one who was going to be going after all. Her opinion was very important (although not the deciding factor even though we were all agreed in the end).

Secondly, look in the rooms that aren't open to the public. DD was mortified when I had a peek at some of the exercise books in a darkened geography room. But I wasn't really interested in the best of the best - I wanted to see what they were trying to hide too.

Thirdly, watch how the staff behave to each other and to their existing students. Watch how the students behave to each other, the staff and prospective parents. Yes, they will be the cream of the crop but when they think they're not being watched they'll let their guard down.

Look at the books in the library - do they look well read and is there a good range. If they stock magazines for the students to read are they The Economist or Heat Magazine?

When you talk to the teachers, are they interested in you, or your child?

I'm sure there were other things which will come to me in the end but hopefully by the end of your visit you'll have a gut instinct about the school. Then, when you go back in year six you can see if the school has improved or declined and whether your gut feeling remains the same.

I always chat to the sixth formers - the year sevens and eights can still be a little immature and the school will have had no time to put its "stamp" on them. Look at the sixth formers - would you like your child to be like them!!!

It was interesting, had a nice 'feel' about the place. Tired, shabby buildings, in need of money being spent of them but that is obviously not the most important thing.

Children seemed generally enthusiastic and helpful. Don't think they picked the creme de la creme to show people round, judging by our one, bless her , but hopefully that is a good thing, including everyone. Unless of course she was one of the best .

Head not terribly inspiring but seemed a nice chap. GCSE results very good. Loads of sport which would suit my girls.

Going to see the other school in a couple of weeks which does have a fantastic new building and lovely facilities so will try not to be seduced by this fact! It's an Academy - is anyone full of knowledge on these new academies springing up, usually turning round a failing school?

Most Academies at present are the "old" style academies and are therefore schools that were a failing school. The new style academy is much more likely to be a successful school rather than based on a failing school(s).

As yours has a new building it is almost certainly an old style academy. Current status of these goes from being really good, improving rapidly schools to still being a failing school. Look at the results and see what they are doing but accept that you will need 2 to 3 years to see any sustained sensible improvement on GCSE results. find out the history of the school, when did it become an academy etc.

I would agree don't be seduced by the new buildings or the rhetoric of the "outstanding" head, go with the feel of the place, what the teachers say, what you think of the pupils etc.

?The kids who are wheeled out on open evenings may well not be representative.?

I think brassband makes a good point here. Interestingly at our local secondary school the HT asks ALL pupils from Years 8-10 to be present on Open Days (Y7 are too new and Y11 out on work experience) for just this reason.

This is a school which was failing a few years ago and is now over-subscribed, almost entirely due to an amazing HT.

OP, please don?t underestimate the importance of ?a nice feel?, trust your instincts.

And bear in mind that some HTs are brilliant with children but hopeless with parents while others are the opposite ? ask yourself which is more important to you.

I'd always advise driving past a possible sec school as the kids leave for the day.

Are they supervised off-site? How do they behave as they walk away- are they sparking up fags in sight of the buildings? Is there lots of pushing/swearing etc? Well-supervised end of school day = well-managed behaviour in school, IMO. (sec school teacher here).