Cambridge Edition June 2019

EDUCAT ION

be thinking not of what would work for them if they were going to the school (or what their friends are choosing), but what’s actually right for the person at the heart of this – their child. “For some of these parents, it could be their first time back in a school since they left. And it’s important to remember that it’s not what you would like, not what would impress you as a student, but what it is that your child needs. Does this particular school satisfy those needs?” he stresses, making a strong case for getting “under a school’s fingernails”. Ultimately, that should be something that can be achieved successfully at any time of year. It’s not possible for visitors to experience the full works in just a couple of hours – but they can pick up the creativity, energy and sheer enjoyment that radiates from staff and pupils. It’s also important for visiting families to ensure that they get a feeling for the other vital areas beyond marvelling at the sights and sounds on offer. At Hills Roads’ open days, for example, prospective students can get first-hand experience of some of the 30 A-level subjects on offer (a mind-boggling range that covers everything from Art and Design to Classical Civilisation and Geology) by talking not just to the tutors, but to current students, as well as finding

“If you’ve got a year or two year’s lead up, 100% you should go more than once”

out more about the college’s equally mind-boggling enrichment subjects, including mindfulness, creative writing and archery. Staff from student services, study skills and the careers teams will also give insights into college life, available support – and life after college. And if you don’t get a feel for how a school or college ticks, it’s worth – when possible – going back several times, advises Richard. “If you’ve got a year or two year’s lead up, 100% you should go more than once. You’ll see what the classroom looked like in September, what it looked like in summer and of course it should have grown with the class and with the year group – there should be all sorts of exciting things on the wall that reflect all the exciting things the

children have been doing throughout that academic year,” he explains. While the weather can have an impact, it’s ultimately about the educational experience as a whole, he says. “It comes back to that idea of: is this school going to suit my child? It’s the feel and the people in the building that are going to impact and influence your children’s lives, not the weather.” And with that in mind, Richard agrees that parents could find dropping in at break time on a cold, miserable, autumn day and seeing if teachers – and pupils – are cheerful and engaged just as beneficial as a visit on a sunny June morning. “If you still get a good feeling from the wet day in November, then that’s definitely a good sign,” he concludes. l

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