Open Days
Institutions throw their doors wide for close inspection
Aprospectus or a website can only say so much, but school visits allow parents of prospective pupils to get a feel for the establishment and ask all the important questions.
Twice a year, most of Scotland’s independent schools hold open days where parents can take a tour of the campus and facilities, and meet some of the pupils.
John Edward, director of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools, maintains: “It’s about product knowledge.
“Every parent and child knows what they like or don’t like about school, what makes them comfortable and which bits they attach importance to. That could be how the school looks, its size, sport and music provision.
“Because our schools are independent, every one of them feels different and if you are making that kind of choice for your child – bursary assisted or not – then it is a choice you want to get right.”
He adds: “There is not an identikit school parent and that is the important thing about an open day.
“That is a chance for parents to ask questions about the school, not the other way around.”
Parents should ensure they visit as many schools as they can because the offering is wide ranging.
Prospective parents should also take as many notes as possible to compare the schools later, and, if it is a day school under consideration, they should bear in mind day-to-day aspects of their child attending the school, such as the length of the commute.
Similarly, if it is an all-through or linked school, it is important to consider each step of the child’s education.
Edinburgh’s Early Days Nurseries works closely with schools to ensure the easiest transition for children. Owner Maureen Crandles says: “My daughter is now going round the primary schools and looking at those for her daughter and ethos is really important. You get a feel for it and question if it is welcoming.
“You then think about what your child would need and if they will be cared for there.
“Most importantly, we want a happy wee child who is confident and prepared to have a go at things, but who will be nurtured. That is what you look for in a nursery.”
Dr Michael Carslaw, head of St Leonards School in St Andrews, Fife, says: “Once people actually come to the school, it really opens their eyes about the possibilities of what young people can do.
“It is an opportunity to meet pupils, teachers and see the facilities and all that is on offer. From the feedback we receive, people always get a strong sense of achievement and community. [Open days are] a way of bringing all that together in a space of three or four hours.”
St Leonards School even goes so far as to encourage prospective pupils to go for sleep overs in its boarding houses.
However, one of the main purposes of any open day is to encourage parents to return for visits on normal school working days and to invite children to consider taster sessions.
Dr Graham Hawley, head of Loretto School in Musselburgh, says: “The schools all have a slightly different atmosphere and flavour.
“What I think is key is to try and pick up the atmosphere and gauge that gut feeling that comes from walking around the site.
“One of the major things visitors should do is talk to the tour guides. Each of our visitors will be given a current pupil, and that interaction is very important because that is where the visitor will get a bit of the flavour of the atmosphere.
“I think parents should also come to us for an individual visit on an ordinary working day because you get a slightly different feel – you haven’t got the bells and whistles.”
Alex Hems, head of St George’s School for Girls in Edinburgh, agrees. She says: “Open days are great because you have the opportunity to roam around and you have a lot of people there to talk to, but there is no substitute for coming on a normal day.
“If you come round when there are lessons on, you will get a sense of the atmosphere of the school.”
To this end, Ardvreck School in
Pick up the atmosphere and gauge that gut feeling that comes from walking around the site
Crieff even advises against open days for prospective pupils and their parents seeking to experience the true vitality and sparkle of a school.
Ali Kinge, head of the Perthshire school, says: “We prefer to give private tours and visits so that parents meet all the staff while the school is in proper operation.
“They get a tour by pupils and they give the parents a real flavour of what it is like, they really don’t miss anything out. There is nothing to hide and we are not putting on a special show, so parents really do get to know the school in that way.”
The open day is known to be an impersonal event which showcases an educational establishment’s ethos and should be attended by parents and pupils when they start looking at schools.
For Strathallan School in Forgandenny, south of Perth, the open day is expected to give prospective parents and their children a flavour of what it has to offer. Mark Lauder, headmaster, says: “Open days are really good places to start because they are not so intentionally focused on you as a single visitor.
“You are going to be able to look around and decide if it is somewhere you would like to look at again more closely.
“You can meet some pupils and have another look at the school on a working day and really get the feel for the place.
“That is what you are going to be envisaging – your child in that setting.”
Lauder, who has children of his own at the school, emphasises that parents should be thinking about whether or not they can see any problems being resolved at the school, if there is a bond between staff and pupils, and if the school feels right for them.
Dr John Halliday, rector of the High School of Dundee, adds: “This week we have had children in having taster days and on the one level, it makes it much more difficult for us to plan, but at the same time we are providing a tailored service for the parents.
“They do not just want the sort of one-size-fits all open morning, I think they deserve a much more personalised and tailored approach.
“Every day is like an open day where people can come any time.”