In the coming months, many private schools will be hosting open school tours for applications. We will later organise the open school tour schedules for major private schools in each state, so please continue to follow along!
Since campus open days are so important, how can parents and students make the most of this rare opportunity?
Over the past couple of years, we’ve attended numerous Open Days, both online and in person, to help my son choose a school. We’ve considered various private schools as well as some highly-ranked public schools. Initially, we followed the crowd, attended presentations, and ended up feeling like we hadn’t retained much. It seemed like we had spent a morning just going with the flow.
Preparation is key
However, when we attended school tours later on, we made sure to research the school’s basic teaching philosophy and curriculum strengths on their website. This way, when listening to the teachers’ presentations, we had a clearer focus and didn’t feel overwhelmed with too much information.
Things you should do on the day
We noted down any questions the website couldn’t answer, and on the day of the event, we asked those questions specifically. You don’t have to save all your questions for the end; most private school tours have student representatives leading the groups. We like to take the opportunity to communicate and interact with these students, asking them the questions on my mind. I feel that their responses are always honest and sincere, and through this interaction, I can also indirectly observe what kind of students can become representatives at this school.
Regardless of whether you’ve already “set your sights” on a school before visiting, it’s important to maintain an open mindset to capture more information and make the trip more meaningful.
In addition to assessing the school’s physical environment and listening to the teachers’ introductions, observe the overall state of the teachers and students living here, as well as their interactions. Some teachers can call out the names of passing students in a friendly manner while leading tours; some students can confidently showcase the activities they are currently engaged in during a parent tour; others may wait politely and obediently for the teacher to call on them before speaking.
These details must be experienced in person to truly feel, and visiting multiple schools will reveal that the overall atmosphere can vary significantly between schools.
Questions to ask at a private school open day
Below is a list of questions you can prepare when visiting a school or attending an open day. Parents can print this list and carry it with them, so they won’t forget the important questions to ask.
- School Philosophy: What are the key elements of your school philosophy and vision?
- Curriculum: What curriculum do you use? Look at the school’s primary curriculum and educational focus because different schools may emphasise areas such as arts, drama, STEM, sports, and others. Find out about the school’s curriculum guidelines and standards.
- Class Sizes: What are the class size and student-to-teacher ratio for my child’s class and for classes he or she may move on to?
- Tuition Fees: How much is annual tuition? What exactly does tuition include and not include?
- Extracurricular Activities: What kinds of extracurricular activities do you offer?
- Teacher Qualifications: What educational qualifications and training do your teachers have?
- Measurement of Progress: How does the school measure individual achievement and progress?
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