Eastlife Winter 2019

EDUCATION
Think about the questions you want answered. They could include:
• How many children will be in the class and the year group?
• How are transitions handled? Both on admission into the school and
between year groups.
• How does the school day start and end?
• Where do the children have playtime?
• How much playtime do the children have?
• When do children start being set homework?
• What is the school’s behaviour policy?
• What is their inclusion policy?
• What extracurricular activities do they offer?
• What specialist teachers or members of staff do they have?
• Does the school have a high turnover of staff?
• How do parents and staff communicate? Is it easy to have
face-to-face chats?
Make sure you check how long the tour lasts and if you can bring your child or younger
siblings along to the open day. You might prefer to leave them at home so you can focus on the
school the first time you go. But if you do want to include your child, or children, in the process
then make sure you won’t be turned away at the door if you arrive with them.
You know your child best, so make sure you take into account any anxiety your child might
experience by visiting school open days. Seeing lots of children in a new place can be
overwhelming and when teamed with a developing understanding of time, it can be easy for
a child to think they will be starting at big school soon after visiting. For some children this can
cause many months of anticipation and anxiety.
Finally, make sure you know when the deadline for applications is and how long it will take you
to complete it. You don’t want to find a school that suits your family’s needs perfectly and then
miss out on a place because you got your dates muddled up!
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