Parent Interview with Head at Independent School

[Eeve]

Just wondering whether anyone has any idea of things we might be asked or even sensible questions to ask the head?

We have an interview at a small Indie that we think is perfect for our daughter. Admission is based on an exam but they take the parent interview very seriously!

I assume they will want to know your dd is a good fit for their school. They will probably ask you about her and family life. I did not have to do any interviews, but my dd had 4 successful interviews and they all seemed to want to assess if she was a good fit for the school by asking her hobbies etc. My dd does a lot of sport and other activities so all the schools really liked this, as she would make good use of the facilities and contribute to school life.

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it. She will be having a separate interview. Very nervous, feels like a job interview!

Yes, I would be nervous too! If we are lucky and my ds makes it to the last round we might be in the same position when it comes time (he is year 4 now). One of the schools interviews the parents as well. You could also try to search on mumsnet in case someone posted about this in the past. Good luck and please keep me updated on how it went!

It’s usually a formality to find the face that fits. Unless the school is overly subscribed then you should be a shoe-in.

As a precaution, first impressions count - be clean, tidy, smile, be polite, respectful. You’ll find the head will do most of the talking. Questions will likely be along the lines of hobbies, interests, any talents, sport, music. Do ask questions about any concerns regarding academic expectations, support, and extra-curricular opportunities. Ask about leavers destinations, how many scholarships they attain for etc etc.

Apols, I read this as a prep school. Definitely ask about university destinations, exam support, bullying policies (any school that says it doesn’t have bullying is lying. Ask how that handle certain situations and how they deal with social media transgressions).

This could be your only chance to speak with the Head so interview them as well!

Thank you! Those are some brilliant suggestions. I think I'm especially nervous as it feels like this is the only school I've seen that feels like it will be the right fit for DD. She has ASD and we need somewhere small and nurturing that also will also push her academically.

Agree with PP I would ask for learning frameworks and school motos. How they nurture children to be the best versions of themselves.

I would also ask about the how settled (happy) the children are at the school. Which leads into the bullying policies etc.

Another one that’s quite telling is ask about turn over of their staff. If they have low turn over it’s shows the staff are happy and in turn more stability for the kids.

Problem is, I've thoroughly researched the school - I've seen it twice and read pretty much everything on the website! I think I know the answers to a fair few of the questions and I would be reluctant to come across as ignorant??

Our chat with the Head was very informal but overwhelmingly what we liked was that he spoke to our DD more than he spoke to us. He came across as being sincerely interested in her likes/diskikes, attributes and how she could benefit from the school. He was able to get her to open up and she was obviously comfortable talking to him. This made our mind up pretty much immediately to be honest.
Make sure you have thoroughly read the brochure so you only ask questions that you can't find out in there eg I asked about how the school encourages girls to take STEM subjects at GCSE etc. DD asked some questions around clubs etc.
My DH hadn't read the brochure and asked inane questions about buses etc which was a waste of everyone's time!

If they are oversubscribed being too pushy or showing you have exceptionally high expectations of the school may put the Head off just in case you became ‘that parent’. And as you say if they have all that on the website it won’t help you out. Questions like ‘as my DC is likely to be at your school for a number of years, would you tell us your Vision for the school in five years time’ can be helpful to you but also flattering to the Head.

Many years ago I went into an interview at a very sought-after school with two other sets of parents. In spite of the headmistress's best efforts, the conversation was dominated by a mother who was dressed head to toe in Chanel and gushed about her ideas for improving the school. I don't know whether her DC received an offer or not but, as they didn't join us at the school in September, I do know that that the lady had to push forward her ideas at a different school 😁