Tool
Open-day question sheet
Ten questions that ask a school for numbers and examples, on one page with room for your notes. Print it and take it with you.
Open-day questions: prep or pre-prep
- Where did last year's leavers go, school by school, and how many to each?Ask for the full list with numbers, not highlights.
- How many leave at 7+, 11+ and 13+, and what do you prepare children for?Check it matches the route you want.
- What were the fees in each of the last three years, and what is not included?Lunch, trips, clubs, learning support.
- How many children are in each class, and what is the largest class in the school?Ask for this year's actual numbers.
- How much homework is set in Year 2 and in Year 5, and do most families use tutors?Listen to how openly it is answered.
- What happens when a child is finding the work hard, or is far ahead?Ask for a recent example.
- How do you look after a child who is anxious or unhappy?Who would I speak to, and how quickly?
- What does a normal week look like: sport, music, outdoor time, length of day?Ask to see a real timetable.
- How many teachers left last year, and how long has the head been here?And is the head staying?
- How are places offered, and is there a sibling policy?Ask what the assessment actually involves.
Ask for numbers and examples. An open day is not an application: check how and when to register.
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