Visiting secondary schools

[notnowbernadette]

DS is in year 5 so I need to decide by the autumn which schools were going to apply for. I'm in the lucky position to live in an urban area where we have a reasonable chance of getting into 3 or 4 different schools. I went to some open evenings at the beginning of year 5 but I'm no nearer to a decision on which school to put as my first choice so I'm wondering whether its worth asking to look around the schools during the day. Do secondary schools tend to allow this?
I've done the reading OFSTED reports and looking through the exam results so what else should I be looking for? Can you think of good questions that will help distinguish between schools? All our options are mixed comprehensive schools, some are academies and others are local authority schools, some have sixth forms, some don't. He's doing well at primary so I'm looking or a school that will challenge him as he thrives on this.

I have two children in Y5, and two that have already been through secondary transfer.

Things I want to know about a school:

Do they stream across all subjects (not ideal unless the child has equal aptitude in every subject) or set in individual subjects (better)?

What is the pastoral care like?

Providing students get the required GCSE results, can they all carry on to the sixth form and do the A-levels they want to do? QEB I'm looking at you

I'm wondering whether its worth asking to look around the schools during the day. Do secondary schools tend to allow this?

Yes but lots of pupils are off on exam leave so you won't get the full picture. It might be interesting to see which schools are accommodating and which ones aren't - perhaps it's symptomatic of their general attitude to parents?

Definitely ask to go and look around during the day - but I'd leave it to September, when you'll actually see the whole school in action. That is assuming your deadline is end of Oct, as it is around here. Also go to open evenings again at the beginning of year 6. Ask about any extra-curricular stuff that your son might be interested in - if the schools are so similar that you are having difficulty choosing, you may as well go for one that has decent clubs in things that he finds fun!

Personally, I'd go for a school with a sixth form any time - I have the feeling that it's a better bet for teachers and if a child is doing really well at GCSE stage, they have access to teachers that have an interest in taking them to the next level.

Thanks for your replies, I think I'll wait until September for a visit. I'm struggling to know how much credit to give To schools with sixth forms as they are very new so haven't proven themselves. There is so much change going on in Education it's hard to know what to make of it all.

I actually think you have left it a bit late. If you wait until September the schools are likely to be very busy, and may only allow tours on set days. I would ask to go and see now, preferably before 1/2 term to see schools as normal as possible. Years 7-10 should be operating normally, and the government tries to restrict study leave.
Most schools don't like visits in the first couple of weeks of the autumn term as teachers get to know their new classes and year 7 settle in, then it gets very busy with visits.

Some questions to consider
Can they do more than one MFL ?
Triple science?
Do they set or stream or a mixture of both?
What music tuition is available?
What sports do they have school teams in?
What opportunities for extra curricular drama? E.g school or year play?
How do they support children to make GCSE choices?

A couple of things I wish I'd asked...
My DDs are in Y11 and Y10. One of the things that surprised me, once they'd started secondary school, was that they could only do one language at GCSE. In fact, in Y7, they were put either in German or French and this determined their language GCSE. I was quite disappointed in that - I did 3 language O levels and DD2 has an aptitude for languages so I'm sorry she didn't get to try another one.

Another school near us has a system of entering 3 GCSEs a year in Years 9,10 and 11. If they achieve a C they do not retake. I'm really glad my DDs have not been in that system, because a friend of DD1 did Maths & English in Y9 and got Cs in both. She'd like to do English A Level now but the better sixth forms (the school does not have its own sixth form) require a B to proceed, so she can't. Also, she hasn't done Maths or English since she was 13, which is a serious disadvantage if you want to do them at A Level.

She hasn't done maths or English since she was 13????? Bonkers!

They should allow you to go around on a regular day. We did that with our second choice school as we wanted to see it on a normal day. The head showed us around with another parent.

Yes to asking about MFL (you can do two at my son's school easily) and setting/streaming. Ds2 just wanted to know about the lunches

I'm also not a fan of entering children for GCSEs before Y11. DS1 is in Y9 and I have only just found out (through a parentmail sent in error that should have only gone to Y11 parents) that he'll be taking his Latin language GCSE at the end of Y10.

Be aware that, whatever decision you make, things will change as they go through the school - either different government initiatives, or the SMT reviewing their thoughts on x/y/z, or a new HT comes in., etc.,, so I certainly wouldn't make a decision based on any one particular thing.

So yes, ask about sports clubs or if they can do a 2nd language or if they can do a 3rd sciences, etc., but don't be surprised if it's different when your dc is choosing their options.
Also, you get things like "Yes, we offer girls' football here", but the reality is then - it's so insipid and lacking in enthusiasm , and no matches are ever arranged, etc. that the 25 who turn up to first practice soon runs down to 3 by end of October.

The BEST people to ask are pupils who are already there (not Yr7s, but Yr10 and 11) - they will be more honest.

I would certainly look in the toilets when you are being shown round - says a lot about the school if you think the areas they aren't expecting to show you are up to scratch.