Steep Learning Curve

This autumn schools open their doors to prospective parents. Go prepared if you hope to whittle down your choices to find the right school for your child, says Gillian Upton

Over the next few months schools will fling open their doors and parents should go prepared to glean as much as they can.

Websites, school publications, and online open events and talks are initial ways of discovering about prospective schools but there really is no substitute for an open day, when parents can get a real feel for what the school has to offer.

“They provide an opportunity for parents to get a first-hand experience of the school’s environment, interact with staff members, and gather information about various aspects of the school,” says Angela Ramcharan, of the Fundraising and Marketing Office at Ernest Bevin Academy. “Open days allow parents to assess whether the school aligns with their values, educational goals, and overall suitability for their child,” she adds.

Open days are an opportunity to ask searching questions about school life, academic prowess, sporting choices, facilities, logistics, pastoral care, the diversity of the school’s staff and pupils, and extra-curricular options. Moreover, to find out the entry requirements, what chances your child has of getting a place, what percentage of pupils are offered a place, what you’ll have to pay if it’s an independent school and if there are payment plans or bursaries. It’s a long list!

“We find many parents have done plenty of ‘homework’ before attending an open morning and come armed with informed questions on a range of topics,” says Linda Underwood, Director of Admissions at Woldingham.

Polly Twisk and Alison Williams, registrars at Dulwich College, revealed that, “one of the most frequently asked questions from children is what is the food like!” They advise that the child should visit too, “as they will have opinions and a strong sense of whether they could see themselves at the school.”

They also recommend enquiring about the school’s commitment to sustainability. “And, importantly, it is a good idea to work out travel logistics to a school to ensure the journey is not too arduous.”

The choice of school is bewildering for parents as it must begin with the fundamental choice of type of school – single sex or co-ed, boarding or day, and private or state.

The key is to visit only those schools that meet your criteria. If a school doesn’t cater for your child’s passion for a particular subject or sport, or the logistics of travelling there make it untenable, there is no reason to waste your time on a visit.

“A great deal of information can be gathered prior to the visit from websites, so do as much research as you can beforehand,” advises Vania Adams, Headteacher of The Roche School. “This enables parents to focus on questions,” she says.
Demand is great for open days so book early to ensure a place. Some schools will limit visits only to those children joining the following year, so don’t be over-zealous if your child is a few years off applying.

DIVERSITY IN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

They say books are either mirrors or windows – they let readers see themselves or offer glimpses into others’ lives. Recently, there’s been an exciting boom in diverse literature, allowing more children to see themselves and others in their reading. Where to start?

• Websites like Book Trust, National Literacy Trust, Stonewall and Waterstones offer useful lists of recommendations.
• It’s not just ‘issue’ books: a book about a diverse character doesn’t have to have a plot driven by that characteristic. Whatever kind of story your child loves, you’ll find books centred around diverse characters.
• Look for ‘own voices’: often, the richest and most well-realised diverse characters will be written by authors who share those traits (avoiding the all-too-prevalent stereotyped, tokenistic sidekick). A quick search on the internet or an author bio in the back of the book will often point the way.
• When in doubt, ask a school or public librarian for recommendations.

Source: Dulwich College

Open days should be a glimpse of a normal school day and should reflect the type of school, but some will be highly orchestrated, with strict and tight timetables, and others more relaxed where you are free to wander around unfettered and soak up the atmosphere. In essence, schools are presenting themselves at their best.

“The approach taken by the school in organising the event can reflect its culture, values and overall educational philosophy, says Ramcharan of Ernest Bevin Academy.

“A strict and tightly scheduled open day may suggest a more structured and disciplined environment, while a more relaxed and free-flowing event could indicate a more flexible and student-centred approach. It’s important for parents to consider their own preferences and the needs of their child when interpreting the style of the open day.”

Where and who you can access during your time there will also speak volumes about the school. Red flags are no-go areas around the school, not being able to talk directly to pupils, and the head scurrying off after a presentation and not hanging back to answer one-to-one questions.

The head, senior staff, subject-specific teachers, key form tutors and pupil ambassadors should all be available. “Our students love the opportunity to take prospective families around the school,” says Sarah Adams, Registrar of Putney High School GDST. “A student-led tour is a great way to hear first-hand what the experience of a new school is really like.”

Listen to the head, question members of the senior leadership team and key form tutors and decide whether the pupil ambassadors showing you around are how you would like your child to turn out. These first-hand impressions will bring to life the ethos of a school that often a brochure or website cannot.

“Try to speak to a member of the admissions team too; they are best placed to give you the key information you need and are usually helpful and reassuring,” adds Adams at Putney High.

Be aware that pupils are prepped before being let loose on a group of potential new parents but they will nonetheless be an indicator of the sort of pupils that school nurtures and develops. “I suggest parents should be wary if students appear over-prepared and rehearsed,” says Linda Underwood of Woldingham.

Nonetheless, Vania Adams of The Roche believes pupils are the biggest indicator of the school’s truth. “If pupils are lacklustre or disengaged it could be a warning sign. Similarly, if the head and/or senior leaders are not properly engaged, I would see it as a flag,” she says.

“Parents should be able to access classrooms, look at the quality of teaching and learning, check out displays and so on, and not feel that they are being rushed,” adds Adams. “The ability to have one-to-one conversations with the leadership team is as important as a group presentation. It’s a big decision after all.”

Dulwich registrars Twisk and Williams point out that it may not be possible to access all areas on a weekday visit as the school has to balance showing off the school and respecting the impact on pupils and lessons. “There is usually more of an opportunity to wander around the school during a Saturday open morning,” they advise.

Wander around, notice how staff and pupils behave and make sure you don’t leave with unanswered questions. DLD College’s Janay Morrison, Admissions Manager, lists a wide range of questions: “How are the pupils grouped? Setting? Streaming? Mixed ability? Vertically? Horizontally? Or a mix of methods? What are the school’s strengths? What is the school’s ethos? How diverse is the student and staff body? What are your results and destinations?”

Joe Silvester, Headmaster at Wetherby Senior, has more advice: “I encourage visiting parents to ask lots of questions, since I know our pupils will give honest and thoughtful answers about their experiences. Our boys are not on commission!”

Woldingham also recommends either an individual visit or a smaller group session after an open day, when you are getting close to a final decision or choosing a shortlist of schools.

“On individual visits, we can tailor tours to visitors’ particular areas of interest, be that boarding, drama, sport or specific academic subjects,” says Underwood.

What is a good school? The Dulwich College registrars sum it up: “A good school is a place where a pupil feels they can be any type of student and enjoy all that is available to them, with access to excellent teaching and facilities in all areas of the curriculum and co-curricular activities.” Ultimately, the best school is the one that is right for your child so it will be different for every parent.

QUESTIONS TO ASK PUPILS:

• What are you most proud of about your school?
• Does the school celebrate achievements?
• How does the school prepare you for exams?
• Do you think the school offers a stimulating and challenging learning environment?
• Are you enjoying your time at school?

QUESTIONS TO ASK TEACHERS:

• What do you look for in a child?
• What are the chances of being offered a place?
• What is the school’s academic curriculum and how is it tailored to individual student needs?
• What characterises a child from this school?
• How involved are parents?
• How well-rounded is the curriculum?
• How do you promote student wellbeing and engagement?
• What are the extra-curricular options? Are there clubs, societies and enrichment programmes?
• Is there a waiting list? What percentage of pupils are offered a place?