20 Questions You Need to Ask Visiting a School

In a previous articles we talked about the main observations you should make when visiting your child’s prospective school. The ambiance of the school is hugely important, but what about the things that you cant just ascertain from a 10 minute show around the campus?

During your tour, it is important to ask as many questions as possible, so preparation is key. Write down a list of questions you would like to ask, even before you set foot through the school gates. And if you are looking at quite a few schools, why not prepare a table and compare answers so you can make a fully informed decision about the school when the time comes.

A Dubai primary school headteacher, who meets with hundreds of prospective parents every year, gives us his top 20 questions he would expect parents to ask during an open day.

The Top 20 Questions to Ask

1. How many children are in each class?
2. How many different nationalities of children?
3. What are the nationalities of your staff?
4. How do you recruit your staff?
5. What is your staff retainment rate?
6. What is the ratio of applicants to acceptances for students?
7. Is there an active Parent Teacher Association (PTA)?
8. What other types of parent involvement take place at this school?
9. What is the school's approach to children’s behaviour and safety?
10. How does the school encourage and monitor students' progress?
11. How is technology used to support teaching and learning at this school?
12. How do the arts fit into the curriculum? Is there a school choir, band or orchestra? A school production? Art classes?
13. What extracurricular opportunities are available for children? Do they play competitive sports against other schools?
14. How does the school teach Arabic and Islamic Studies?
15. How do children travel to school? Is there a bus service?
16. Where do most of the children live?
17. How does the school support students who have academic, social or emotional difficulties? Does the school have a well-staffed learning support department?
18. How does the school keep parents informed of news and information regarding the school faculty?
19. What professional development opportunities do teachers have? In what ways do teachers collaborate?
20. Where do your Y6 children continue their schooling in Dubai?