EDUCATION
Open Up! LESSON PLAN MUCH HAS CHANGED FOR OPEN DAYS SINCE THE PANDEMIC. RIGHT AS THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR ROLLS IN, WE GET ADVICE FROM LOCAL EXPERTS ON WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN INVESTIGATING YOUR CHOICES
WORDS BY MIRIAM BALANESCU
‘on-the-ground’ sources. This includes picking the brains of friends and family, scouring school websites and – trumping all – attending open days, with over 70% claiming this is the most crucial factor in making their choice. So, as you begin to prepare for your child’s first or second step into the world of learning, how does one go about navigating this new landscape? “It is wonderful to now be able to welcome prospective families again this autumn. This year, most schools are hoping to go back to the pre-pandemic style of event. However, we will all be keeping vigilant should the guidelines change in the lead up, as we have before,” advises Jeanette Ariano, head of sales and marketing at St Mary’s School.
here’s little room for doubt that the pandemic has fundamentally impacted the nation’s education system and its institutions. From
decreased attendance levels to shifts in the ways equipment and facilities must be used, these incremental changes have left long-lasting repercussions. Open days, a crucial opportunity for insight into your child’s future school, have also been transformed – not least with the birth of their virtual incarnation. Research undertaken by Cambridge University Science and Policy Exchange and the County Council in 2018 found that parents in Cambridgeshire look to various resources to make their decision on schools, but prefer what has been termed
TAKING THE FIRST STEPS With small class sizes for more concentrated learning, MPW Cambridge aims to provide both personal and academic development
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK OCTOBER 2022 73
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