We are visiting a private school with DS next Monday prior to him taking entrance exams (for setting purposes) to start year 9 in September. It is a rural co-ed non-selective 2/3rds boarding 1/3rd day school with a strong Christian ethos (evangelical Anglican)and an outstanding reputation for pastoral care. (DS would be a day boy).
DS has been attending an urban multicultural all-boys comprehensive where he feels like a fish out of water and has been bullied for being a nerdy bookish geek who dislikes football and having no interest (yet) in teen culture. We are moving to the other side of the country, and have decided to abandon our principles about state education because the only state comp. with any vacancies in year 9 is the worst performing school in the entire county (there has been a large exodus from private to state schools thanks to the recession).
We will be staying for lunch, taking a tour of the school and meeting the headmaster and other staff.
Problem is, we have no experience whatsoever of the independent sector, either as pupils or parents and we are not practicing Christians. This is not a bar to entry BTW, DS just has to attend morning chapel 3 times a week.
What sort of questions should we be asking during the visit? What should we most definately not do or say under any circumstances if we want to make a good impression?
Apart from telling DS to shake everyone's hand and warning him not to mention his GTA4 addiction or eat peas with his knife, how can I prepare him for this visit?