Questions to ask during a school visit

During a visit it's easy to get carried away by the first impression — a nice building, a friendly welcome — and forget to ask what you actually want to know. Bringing a written list helps.

About day-to-day life: what's the student-to-class ratio? how are conflicts between students handled? what does regular communication with families look like (app, meetings, email)? what happens if my child needs extra support in a subject?

About continuity: how long has the current leadership team been in place? is there a lot of staff turnover? A school with a stable team often (not always, but often) reflects more consistent management.

About logistics: actual drop-off and pick-up times, lunch and after-school activity options, rough total cost beyond tuition (materials, uniform, field trips).

One last tip: ask the same question to more than one person at the school if you can (say, leadership and a teacher), and compare the answers against what other families say in reviews.