EDUCAT ION
The headteacher’s presentation LOOK OUT FOR… Science experiments (the noisier the better) The toilets (pristine WCs mean a school that cares)
However thorough parents’ investigations, they’re also investing in something they won’t actually be using themselves and haven’t experienced, in many cases, for a good ten years or more. That’s where the pupil’s perspective comes in. Frequently recruited as expert guides on school tours, their impressive maturity and self-possession in the face of a battery of questions is often what ultimately sells a school to prospective parents. And while nobody would ever suggest choosing a school based solely on what its current pupils say about it, educators agree that their perspective can be invaluable when gathering information. That means paying attention not just to what they say, but how they say it. “Just as much attention should be paid to how the pupil wants to engage with you, how happy they are to have a go at answering your questions and how palpably proud they are of their school, as to the detail of what they actually say – which you might want to check later,” stresses John Attwater. But what if you visit a school where all tours are strictly under adult management and any questions to pupils are guided – and often answered – by teachers? One easy way of seeing just what’s going on in the classroom is to ask to see pupils’ exercise books, says Richard Settle.
gatherings in favour of individual family tours. These are bespoke, personalised and very popular, tailored to what each individual family wants, and needs, to see. Highlights, says headmaster Nigel Helliwell, might include “appreciating the joy of break time, visiting the dining room and even enjoying our delicious catering”. In essence, “we want prospective families to witness everyday school life at St Faith’s,” he says. At King’s Ely, John Attwater sees a trend towards friendlier, more informal open events that may happen mid-week with a focus on ‘real’ school life. There’s often a highly interactive component, like the chance to meet a boa constrictor and skunk at St Mary’s, or pet Blue the dog – who helps listen to readers – at Sancton Wood. In addition to being popular and fun, they also give families a feel for what school life is really like. So while parents today come across as better prepared for the school search than in previous arrangements, is there anything they might overlook when they’re doing their research? While desk research is important, John Attwater also stresses the importance of looking for the more intangible qualities of the school. It’s the nuances – the ethos, relationships and underlying warmth – that will really tell you if you might have found the right place for your child.
“Pupil books are a great barometer because you’ll actually see, if you flick through, whether pupils are making progress. Is this work marked, does the pupil have pride in what they’re doing – and are they getting feedback?” He also stresses asking not just about top line exam results, but how the school approaches the whole knotty issue of testing. “We often get asked why we don’t do SATS,” he says. “We don’t believe in over testing children and it means our teaching can be more creative and deliver on the whole of the national curriculum rather than teaching towards an exam. The effect this has when our pupils come to sit their GCSEs is clear to see.” The hallmark of a successful school tour, formal or informal, is that any visiting parent should leave with the impression of a school that has the interests of the children in its care at the heart of everything it does. “Above all, schools recognise that the huge investment parents are making in entrusting the most precious years of their child’s life to us is a privilege that schools must earn, not a prize we deign to hand out on our own terms,” concludes John Attwater.
“One way of seeing what’s going on in the classroom is to ask to see exercise books”
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