What to ask at open evenings

An open evening is most useful when it answers your family’s real questions. Before the visit, choose three priorities for your child and write one question for each. This keeps the evening focused even when the building is busy and the presentation is polished.

Read the prospectus and admissions page first. Use your limited time at the school to explore what cannot be understood from a website: relationships, routines, atmosphere and how staff respond when a child needs help.

Questions beginning with “Can you give me an example?” are harder to answer with a slogan. Ask staff what happens in a real situation and listen for a clear process rather than only a reassuring promise.

• If a pupil starts falling behind, who notices and what happens next?
• How is low-level disruption handled without losing learning time?
• How do you stretch pupils who are ready for more challenge?
• When should a parent expect contact, and who is the first point of contact?
• What support helps new pupils settle during the first term?

The headteacher talk explains the school’s intentions. Corridors, classrooms and conversations show how those intentions feel in practice. Notice whether pupils appear comfortable speaking to adults, whether staff answer questions directly and whether the environment feels calm enough for your child.

Do not judge the school on decoration alone. Look for evidence of pupil work, clear routines, accessible spaces and adults who seem to know the children they teach.

• Are pupils involved as guides, and how do adults speak to them?
• Do classrooms show a range of work or only perfect display pieces?
• Can staff explain support clearly without making families feel rushed?
• Could your child imagine asking for help in this environment?

If your child has additional needs, ask for information that relates to those needs rather than requesting a general description of SEND support. You may want to understand transitions, sensory spaces, communication, reasonable adjustments or how support is reviewed.

A busy open evening may not be the right place for a detailed personal discussion. Ask who you can contact afterwards and what information would help them answer properly.

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The best answer is not always “we can do everything”. A trustworthy school explains what it can provide, how support is decided and what should be discussed further.

Once you leave, write your notes before visiting another school or discussing the evening with several people. Record evidence, not only a general feeling.

Use four prompts: what felt right, what worried us, what our child noticed and what still needs checking. These notes become much more valuable when several schools begin to blend together.