Choosing a school for your child is a significant decision. Websites, prospectuses, inspection reports and results can tell you a great deal, but there is no real substitute for walking through the doors and experiencing a school for yourself at an Open Event.
At Sheffield Girls’, our Open Days give prospective families the opportunity to see the school in action, meet pupils and staff from across our community and begin to understand what everyday life here actually feels like.
Whether you are considering Sheffield Girls’ as your first school of choice, or this is your third open day in a row, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting the most you can out of the experience.
Why visit an Open Day?
One of the greatest benefits of a school Open Day is the sheer number of people you can meet. Rather than speaking only to an admissions team, you are likely to encounter pupils of different ages, teachers, pastoral staff, senior leaders and the Head.
At a Sheffield Girls’ Open Day, we actively encourage families to speak to as many members of our community as possible and, importantly, to talk to our pupils. Ask them what they enjoy, what they would change, how they found joining the school and what their teachers are like. Their answers, and the way they interact with each other and with staff, will tell you a great deal about the culture of a school.
Open events also offer an opportunity to see learning in action. Look beyond what is being taught and consider how pupils are engaging. Are they asking questions? Do they seem comfortable contributing ideas? Is there warmth and respect between pupils and teachers? Great facilities are important, but what happens inside those spaces matters much more.
A chance to listen to the Head, but also to explore for yourself
Most Open Days, like our own, include a presentation from the Head or other members of the senior leadership team. This is a valuable opportunity to hear about the school’s ethos, priorities and ambitions.
Listen for what the school believes education should achieve beyond examination results. What kind of young people is it hoping to develop? How does it talk about academic challenge, wellbeing, character development and unique opportunities? Ask yourself as you continue your tour, can you see evidence of those priorities in practice?
At Sheffield Girls’, for example, you will hear us talk about our Girls of Steel character education programme, which develops qualities including confidence, resilience, independence and leadership. An Open Day is your opportunity to see those Girls of Steel in context. Look at how our pupils communicate with visitors, interact with one another, talk about their experiences and take ownership of their school. The pupils themselves should provide some of the strongest evidence of what a school values.
The best Open Days should give you a sense not simply of what a school offers, but why it offers it.
Explore beyond the obvious
Most Open Days, like our own, include a presentation from the Head or other members of the senior leadership team. This is a valuable opportunity to hear about the school’s ethos, priorities and ambitions.
Listen for what the school believes education should achieve beyond examination results. What kind of young people is it hoping to develop? How does it talk about academic challenge, wellbeing, character development and unique opportunities? Ask yourself as you continue your tour, can you see evidence of those priorities in practice?
At Sheffield Girls’, for example, you will hear us talk about our Girls of Steel character education programme, which develops qualities including confidence, resilience, independence and leadership. An Open Day is your opportunity to see those Girls of Steel in context. Look at how our pupils communicate with visitors, interact with one another, talk about their experiences and take ownership of their school. The pupils themselves should provide some of the strongest evidence of what a school values.
The best Open Days should give you a sense not simply of what a school offers, but why it offers it.
Ask the questions that matter to your family
It is easy to arrive at an Open Day with a long list of questions about results, class sizes and facilities. These are important, but some of the most revealing questions are about the everyday experience of being a pupil.
You might want to ask:
- How will you get to know my child as an individual?
- What happens if they are struggling, either academically, socially or emotionally?
- How do you stretch pupils who are doing particularly well?
- What opportunities exist beyond the classroom?
- How do you help new pupils settle in and make friends?
- How do you communicate with parents?
- What do pupils themselves value most about the school?
- What makes this school different from the other schools we are considering?
And do not be afraid to ask the same question to several people!
Understand what happens next
An Open Day is also the ideal opportunity to understand the practicalities of applying.
At Sheffield Girls’, our Admissions Team is on hand during our Open Days to talk families through the simple online application process and answer individual questions. Ask about entry points, application deadlines, assessments or entrance examinations, interviews, references and the timeline for offers. You may also want to discuss school fees, bursaries, scholarships and any financial assistance available.
Understanding the process early can make the months ahead considerably easier, though all school admissions teams will be there to support families throughout the process.
Finally, trust how the school makes you feel
If you have visited several schools, individual classrooms and presentations can begin to merge into one. What often remains much clearer is how each school felt.
Did pupils seem happy and comfortable? Were staff genuinely interested in speaking to you and your child? Could you imagine your child finding their place there? Did the values being described feel visible rather than simply stated?
There is no single ‘best’ school for every child. The important question is whether it feels like the right school for yours.
At Sheffield Girls’, our Open Days are designed to give families the opportunity to see as much of everyday school life as possible, meeting pupils and staff, exploring our facilities, seeing learning in action and hearing directly from our Head and senior team.
Most importantly, we want families to leave knowing more about who we are, what we value and whether Sheffield Girls’ could be the right place for their daughter.
Book an Open Day
School Open Day Frequently Asked Questions
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A school Open Day allows you to experience a school in a way that a website or prospectus cannot. You can meet current pupils and teachers, explore the facilities, hear from school leaders and get a sense of the atmosphere and relationships within the school.
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Look beyond facilities and displays. Notice whether pupils seem happy, confident and engaged; how pupils and teachers interact; what the school celebrates; and whether the ethos described by its leaders is reflected in what you see around you.
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Ask about the things that will affect your child’s everyday experience: teaching and academic support, pastoral care, class sizes, co-curricular opportunities, friendships and transition, communication with parents and how the school gets to know and support each pupil as an individual.
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Where possible, yes. Your child may notice very different things from you and it is important that they can begin to imagine themselves as part of the school. Encourage them to talk directly to current pupils and ask their own questions.
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Sheffield Girls’ Open Days give prospective pupils and their families the opportunity to explore the school, meet current pupils and teachers, see our facilities, learn more about teaching and school life, and hear from our Head and senior leaders. There is also an opportunity to speak to our Admissions Team about the application process and next steps.
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Our Admissions Team can explain the process relevant to your daughter’s age and intended point of entry. Our main entry points are Reception, Year 7 and Year 12, although applications are welcomed for other year groups where places are available. Families can also arrange further visits and taster opportunities as they progress through the admissions process.
