When you’re visiting schools, it’s easy to come away impressed by the buildings and the facilities but unsure what daily life is really like. The questions you ask on a visit are the best way to find out. These 20 questions will help you look beyond the brochure, compare schools fairly and find the place where your child will thrive.
You don’t need to ask them all. Pick the ones that matter most to your family, and take this list with you.
Getting to know your child
1. How well will the teachers know my child?
This is perhaps the most important question of all. In a large school, a quiet child can go unnoticed for years. Ask how big classes are, and who your child’s main point of contact will be.
2. What happens if my child is struggling?
Every child finds something difficult at some point. Ask how the school notices when a pupil is falling behind or unhappy, and what it does next.
3. How do you stretch children who are ready for more?
A good school challenges every pupil, not just those who need extra support.
4. How do you support children with additional learning needs?
If this applies to your child, ask to speak to the person who leads learning support.
Teaching and learning
5. What does a typical school day look like?
Ask for the timetable. It tells you how the school balances lessons, breaks, activities and rest.
6. How is technology used in lessons?
Technology can transform learning or simply be a distraction. Ask how it is used, and what difference it makes.
7. What qualifications do pupils take, and what choices do they get?
This is particularly important for families considering GCSE and Sixth Form options.
8. How do you report progress to parents?
Ask how often you’ll hear from teachers and in what form.
Wellbeing and pastoral care
9. Who looks after my child’s wellbeing day to day?
Ask about tutors, heads of year and how pastoral staff work together.
10. How do you handle bullying?
Every school should have a clear answer. Listen for how quickly concerns are acted on.
11. How do you build confidence and resilience?
Academic results matter, but so do the qualities that help children cope with setbacks.
Life beyond the classroom
12. What happens after lessons finish?
Ask about clubs, sport, music, drama and other activities, and how many pupils take part.
13. How much do pupils learn outdoors?
Learning outside the classroom builds teamwork, independence and resilience. Ask whether it is part of the timetable or an occasional extra.
14. How do you support pupils who are talented at sport?
If your child competes seriously, ask about coaching, training time and how the school fits sport around studies.
Boarding questions
15. Who cares for boarders in the evenings and at weekends?
Ask to meet the boarding staff if you can.
16. What do boarders do at weekends?
A full, varied weekend programme makes a big difference to how happy boarders are.
17. How do boarders keep in touch with home?
This matters particularly to international families.
The bigger picture
18. What are the school’s values, and how do they show up day to day?
Most schools have values on the wall. Ask for real examples of them in action.
19. Where do pupils go when they leave?
Ask about university destinations, apprenticeships and careers, and the support pupils get in making those choices.
20. Can my child spend some time here before we decide?
How your child feels in a school tells you more than any answer to these questions.
Trust what you see as well as what you hear
Alongside the answers, watch how pupils behave with each other and with staff. Do they seem happy? Do they talk confidently to visitors? Does the school feel like somewhere your child would belong?
How Myddelton College answers these questions
At Myddelton College in Denbigh, North Wales, we welcome these questions. A few of our answers:
- Every pupil is known. Small class sizes mean every pupil is known individually by the staff who teach and care for them.
- Learning outdoors is part of school life. Our Outdoor Adventure Education programme uses the landscape of North Wales to build confidence, leadership and resilience.
- Technology with a purpose. As a Microsoft Showcase School, we use technology to enrich learning across the curriculum.
- Support for talented athletes. Our elite sport pathways help pupils balance serious training with their studies.
- Values that shape every day. Our three pillars, Scholarship, Fellowship and Resilience, guide life at Myddelton.
- Day and boarding. We welcome day pupils and boarders, including an international community of pupils.