EDUCATION
The open day – as we know it – is changing. Leading local educators explain how their school showcases cater to the needs of families OPEN-DOOR POLICY
WORDS BY CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS
S chool open events, an ever- important point in the year for prospective parents, are firmly back on the calendar. It seems like a long time since the days of lockdown – when no in-person visits were allowed and online meetings were the only option available. But while it’s very definitely business as usual – with pupil tour guides ready and waiting to explain just what makes their school so special to the groups of families who’ll be hanging on their every word – things, this time round, are just that little bit different.
groups of parents, focusing on what really matters to them. “At The Leys, we are trying to make our open days a bit more personal,” says Fane Henderson, director of marketing for the school. “Pre-pandemic, it was all about big open events. But during the pandemic, everything had to go online. What we are looking at now is running much more personalised open events.” There are now two big open days at the school, down from three pre- pandemic, explains Fane, with the addition of regular small group visits
Schools in our area have taken a long, hard look at what families require when they visit. Principal of MPW Cambridge Tom Caston says that, post-2020, open events have become more important: “The impact the pandemic has had on our young people has shown us just how important being in the right setting is.” And while there’s still a place for the big showcase events, with every aspect of school life given a chance to shine (‘ooh and ahh’ science experiments the much-featured case in point), many open events are now more tailored to particular
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK OCTOBER 2023 57
Powered by FlippingBook