Secondary school open days/evenings

[KayJBee]

When looking at secondary schools, did you take your child with you? did you find it better to go to a morning, when all the pupils are there or to an evening when the school is closed?

We have 3 schools we'd like to look at. All offer open mornings and evenings. If we go to a morning, we'd have to take child out of school to come with us. She has 100% attendance for 3 years in a row, I hate taking tham out of school. If we did them all it would be 3 x mornings out of school, that is a lot to me.

Would we get the same feel for the school at an open evening, just seeing empty classrooms?

Over 95% of pupils from our school go to the nearest school without even looking at others so I haven't really got anyone I can ask.

What say mumsnet please?

Younger DD is 6 (in year 2) so unlikely to climb or puke on other people

I think it is important for a child to see a potential new school as he/she will be spending so much time there.

At our school if they goto the secondary school with you it is classed as an authorised day off as a visit to another school. Not sure if all schools do this but I checked this morning as i don't want my sons attendance affected.

Yes of course DD came with us to open evenings - the final choice was hers. And its a good idea to see the school during normal operations too, can give a very different impression.(the one we all ended up preferring was horribly overcrowded on open evening, but lovely in reality).

Will primary schools not authorise absences for a couple of schooltime tours nowadays? DDs was perfectly happy with it. But getting the right secondary school is way more important than 100% attendance record anyway.

I expect children to attend the open evening.

I do not expect them to attend open mornings - I always have a good look at those children who are wandering around when they should be at school, and hope they aren't coming to our school.

I feel parents should make the final decision. Kids will pick a school because they like the uniform or their best friend is going there. They're 10 years old - their point of view should be taken into account but they should not have the final say in my opinion.

I can't imagine either the secondary schools being too impressed with hoardes of visitors when they are trying to teach (I realise they put on an open morning for the odd family who need to do this for some reason)

It's not fabulous. It can be quite disruptive and some parents are actually ridiculous enough to try and ask you questions when you're right in the middle of teaching. A dad once joined in with the lesson and called out an answer. It's not the "odd family" it's quite a lot. I don't particularly mind the parents coming round - I think it's probably useful for them to see a school in operation if they are worried. I did think one couple who came to all 3 open mornings were particularly ridiculous. But I don't like seeing kids at the open mornings as I said.

I took my kids with me to open evenings and day visits, their primary school encourages it and happily gives the time off. Secondaries are all geared up for a few weeks of individual visits on top of their open evening, and by the nature of the tours offered, they also expect the pupils to attend. As
they will be spending most of their days in the new school so they really need to be involved in the decision, at least have some idea of the school during normal hours. Luckily my kids agreed about the options, and also how the visits went. Hmm Cauliflower so you don't want any fellow pupils that take an active interests in their education, just those that do as they're told...

All our local schools do one afternoon, so straight after school and one evening, except one that does a Saturday. Generally you go to lots in Y5 to narrow down your choice and then to your selected one or 2 in Y6.

I took both DD with me when DD1 was in Y6 and they agreed on a school together. Can't imagine going without the DC in our family it was definitely their choice.

I've been on the other side and always seen families looking around never just parents, younger siblings are fine, older ones are not.

And YY to the head's speech being boring, Ive sat through too many and knew the words by the end of my time.

Nope I didn't say that. I said I think they should be at open evenings definitely. This gives them a good chance to talk to teachers and try out activities and get an idea of the environment and talk to lots of different students.

And I believe that their view should be taken into account when parents make their decision.

cauliflower you have a very strange attitude for a teacher, it was definitely my DDs choice which school they went to, just as I remember it being my choice when I went.

I offered guidance but that's all, same went for 6th form and university.

You see, I happen to think it's a bit strange to tell a 10 year old that they can choose whichever school they go to. Takes all sorts!

But then when I sold my house it was to a family whose 9 year old decided he liked the garden, so there are lots of kids making massive decisions. My old neighbour told me they moved a year later - I often wondered if their 10 year old tired of the garden!

We are going to both. Someone did say that if you are going to a few then either do all mornings or all evenings (or both), don't mix and match as the atmosphere is very different. It goes down as educated off site. I think that it is important for the parent to narrow the options a little, but the child should also have a say. One DHT said that when buying a house you would visit a number of times at different times of the day so why not a school. I did like that DHT, would be top choice if we were closer.

Do you actually believe that taking your child out of school for 3 mornings will damage her academically?

Or is it just that you don't want to spoil her perfect record?

I think it is more important to focus on what actually matters. Her perfect record doesn't matter, her future secondary school choice does. She should be a part of that decision.