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: state primary
- How do you teach reading, and how do you help a child who falls behind in Reception or Year 1?Listen for a named phonics programme and what happens week by week.
- How many children are in each class, and how many adults are in the room?Ask for this year's actual numbers.
- What does a normal day look like for a four-year-old here?Play, outdoor time, lunch, rest.
- How do you settle children in September, and what if mine is not ready for full days?Ask about staggered starts.
- What happens when a child is unhappy or finds friendships hard?Ask for a recent example.
- What support is there for children with additional needs, and who leads it?Ask to see the SEN information report.
- How will I know how my child is doing, and how often?Meetings, reports, informal contact.
- What are the breakfast and after-school club hours, costs and waiting lists?Ask if places are guaranteed.
- How many teachers left last year, and how long has the head been here?Stability matters to young children.
- Which secondary schools did last year's Year 6 go on to?Ask for numbers, not names alone.
Ask for numbers and examples. An open day is not an application: check how and when to register.
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