Get a taste of what’s on offer
Parents and children are always welcome to visit a school to weigh up if it will suit them, says Anna Dove
It is all pupil centred because we are trying to ensure prospective pupils are making an informed decision
Independent schools are happy to welcome parents and prospective pupils throughout the year for taster visits, which, if the school offers boarding, will generally include an overnight stay.
It’s a chance to meet the head, get to know members of staff and scope out potential new friends by attending classes and activities just as the pupils do.
“We see every day as an open day,” says Dorothy Mcginty, headmistress at Kilgraston School in Perthshire.
“I think it is important that prospective parents get to see a school on a normal day.
“They should start by visiting classes and make sure they are also there at a time when the pupils are on breaks so they can see their behaviour when they are not being supervised directly.”
But making that first move and signing up for a taster visit can be daunting – we all know what it feels like to be the new kid.
Registering for an open day is a good option if you want to get an initial feel for a school. A taster day is generally recommended as a follow-up, but in terms of taking that first step over the threshold it can help to go at a time when the school is geared up for visitors.
“We have open days where I will give a speech, the chamber choir or the orchestra will play and we try to show the school at its best,” says Mcginty.
“Following a visit on a normal day, we like the girls to come for a taster visit and experience what boarding is like before they actually make the decision.”
At Merchiston in Edinburgh, prospective parents and pupils are invited to attend an information morning which starts with a welcome from headmaster Andrew Hunter and current pupils are on hand to help with car parking, directions and to answer any questions.
“We usually do three information mornings per annum,” explains Hunter. “I would start with a short address and then hand over to my head of school.
“We have members of staff at the ‘welcome’ coffee and then people return later for a buffet lunch. The parents get a chance to meet the people who are really important.
“We also do an annual event called the Merchiston Journey where senior pupils deliver the whole event which consists of presentations on their journey at Merchiston.
“After that, we serve a two-course supper for prospective parents and pupils with our senior pupils and staff.
“Essentially we are giving parents and prospective pupils as many opportunities as possible to live a day in the life of Merchiston.”
In boarding schools particularly, the headmaster or headmistress and their family will have a house on campus, ensuring they are right at the heart of school life.
“Very often, prospective parents on a one-to-one visit to the school will meet Barbara, my wife, and myself in our home on campus,” says Hunter.
“We would usually spend an hour with a set of prospective parents and then they are shown round the school. “It is all pupil centred because we are trying to ensure prospective pupils are making an informed decision.”
At ESMS in Edinburgh, open days are a major occasion in the school calendar. They bring together pupils, staff and prospective families from boys’ school Stewart’s Melville College and girls’ school Mary Erskine.
Children at ESMS are taught in a co-educational environment from nursery to Primary 7, and again in the Sixth Form.
“It’s an opportunity for people to come and visit a school anonymously and get a flavour of what the school is like,” says principal David Gray.
“We would always recommend that after an open day parents come round with their children and see the school on a typical working day because it gives a more authentic flavour of what the school is about.
“An open day is a good introduction because the schools are showing off what they can offer in terms of boarding, pastoral care, sport and academic study.”
Student guides will be matched with prospective pupils to show them round the school and on top of musical performances from pipe bands and ensembles, there may be interactive sessions in the science labs and classrooms.
“It’s rather like a snapshot of a school,” says Gray, adding: “You do need to follow it up with a further visit.”