Our next Open Morning is on Saturday 3rd October, 10am to 12pm. If you have never been to one before, or you have been to several and they are beginning to blur, here is what the morning holds and how to get the most out of it.
What happens on the morning
Open Mornings at St Hilda’s are deliberately unhurried. You will be able to:
- Walk the school with a current pupil as your guide – often the most revealing part of the morning
- See classrooms in use, with work on the walls and staff on hand in each department
- Talk to teachers across Nursery, Pre-Prep and Prep about how their subjects are taught
- Hear from the Head about the school’s approach and where the girls go next
- Ask the Admissions team about places, fees, the application process and wraparound care
There is no need to see everything in two hours. It is better to spend longer in the part of the school your daughter would actually be joining.
Bring your daughter
Children notice things adults do not, and they are rarely diplomatic about it. Whether she is two or nine, bring her; her reaction on the way home is worth more than any prospectus. Our pupil guides are very good at making visiting children feel at ease, and there is usually plenty for them to have a go at along the way.
Questions worth asking on the day
Most parents ask about results and class sizes, and both are worth knowing. These tend to tell you more:
- What happens when a girl is finding something difficult – and who notices first?
- How do you stretch a child who is already ahead?
- What does a typical week look like beyond the core subjects?
- Where do girls go at 11, and how do you prepare them for it?
- How do you communicate with parents when something is not going well?
What to look for while you are here
Two hours is enough to get a real sense of a school if you know what to watch. Look at how the girls speak to each other and to the adults, and whether staff greet pupils by name in the corridor. Listen to the volume in a classroom — purposeful noise is a good sign. And notice whether the work on display comes from a handful of star pupils or from everyone.
It is also worth paying attention to how you are treated as a visitor. A school that is genuinely proud of itself will answer an awkward question directly rather than steering you back to the brochure.
If you cannot make the 3rd of October
There is more than one way in. Our Reception Open Event takes place on Wednesday 7th October, and a Taster Day follows on Wednesday 14th October, when prospective pupils can spend time in class. Personal tours run throughout the term and can be arranged at a time that suits you; many families find a weekday visit, with the school in full swing, tells them more than a Saturday.
Whichever you choose, do come and see us. There is something about St Hilda’s that is very hard to convey on a website, and easy to feel within ten minutes of walking through the door.
