Choosing a School: The Questions to Ask on an Open Day

The first school open day I attended, I came away dazzled by a robotics display and a very charming head, and realised in the car park that I had learned almost nothing about what daily life at the school was actually like. Open days are, understandably, a shop window. The trick is to ask the questions that reveal what is behind it. Here are the ones worth asking.

Look Past the Shiny Bits

Every school puts its best foot forward on an open day: the impressive facilities, the articulate pupils chosen to show you round, the displays of best work. None of that is dishonest, but it is curated. Your job is to gently look past the presentation and get a feel for the ordinary, everyday experience your child would have. The best way to do that is through specific questions and careful observation.

Questions About Support and Wellbeing

• How do you support a child who is struggling, whether academically or emotionally, and who would we contact?
• What does your pastoral system look like day to day, and who is a child's first point of contact?
• How do you support children with SEND, and how do you work with parents on that?
• What happens if a child is being bullied, and how would we know it was being dealt with?

Questions About Behaviour and Culture

• How would you describe the school's approach to behaviour and discipline?
• What are your expectations of pupils, and what happens when they are not met?
• How do children treat each other here, and how do you build that culture?
• What are you most proud of that would not show up in the league tables?

Questions About Communication

How a school communicates with parents tells you a lot about daily life there, and it is easy to overlook on the day. Ask how you would hear about your child's progress, how the school shares day-to-day information such as events and homework, and how quickly you could expect a response if you had a concern. A school that communicates clearly and warmly with parents is usually one that is well organised behind the scenes.

What to Observe, Not Just Ask

Some of the most useful information comes from watching rather than asking:

• How do the pupils behave in corridors and around the site when they are not part of the official tour?
• Do children seem relaxed and happy, and do they speak to staff naturally?
• How do staff talk about the children, with warmth or weariness?
• Does the school feel calm and purposeful, or chaotic, or rigidly tense?

Take Your Child and Trust Their Instinct

Where possible, bring your child and pay attention to how they respond. They will often sense whether they could belong somewhere in a way a prospectus cannot capture. Their gut reaction, alongside your own observations and the answers to your questions, is genuinely valuable evidence. Do not dismiss a strong feeling, positive or negative, about the atmosphere of a place.

Keeping Track of Open Days and Impressions

Choosing a school often means several open days across a short window, and by the third one they blur together. My School Agent can pull open-day dates and school communications into a daily briefing and shared calendar, so you do not miss an evening or a booking deadline. Jot your impressions straight after each visit while they are fresh, and you will have a clear, honest comparison when it comes to ranking your preferences, based on real culture rather than the shiniest tour.