12 questions to ask on a school visit
Every school shows you the labs, the playground and the smartboards. None of that tells you how they treat a child who is struggling in March. These do.
About teaching
How many teachers left at the end of last year, and why?
Teacher churn is the single clearest signal of how a school is run, and it's the number schools least expect to be asked for.
A weak answer sounds like “We have a very stable team” with no figure attached.
Who will actually teach my child next year — can I meet them?
The teacher shown on a tour is often the school's best. You want the one your child gets.
A weak answer sounds like Deflection to the principal or a coordinator.
What happens in a class when one child finishes early and another hasn't started?
This is real classroom practice, not philosophy. Good schools describe something specific.
A weak answer sounds like “We give individual attention to every child.”
About a child who struggles
Tell me about a child who was struggling last year. What did you do?
Ask for a story, not a policy. Schools that support children have stories ready; schools that don't will generalise.
A weak answer sounds like A description of the remedial timetable with no child in it.
At what point would you ask a child to leave?
Every school has a line. The ones that pretend they don't are the ones that move it quietly.
A weak answer sounds like “That never happens here.”
How do you handle a child who is being left out socially?
Exclusion is far more common than bullying and far less policed. The answer reveals whether anyone is watching.
A weak answer sounds like An anti-bullying policy recited back at you.
About the school as an institution
What changed here in the last two years, and what's changing next year?
Schools change with their principal. You are buying the next six years, not the last six.
A weak answer sounds like Only construction and infrastructure plans.
How many children left mid-year, and where did they go?
Mid-year exits are the honest churn number, and schools rarely publish them.
A weak answer sounds like Attributing every exit to “family relocation”.
How do you tell a parent something they don't want to hear?
You will be that parent eventually. Find out now whether they'll tell you.
A weak answer sounds like “We have a very good parent portal.”
About money and the years ahead
What did fees rise by in each of the last three years?
You're committing for a decade. A school that won't show you the trend is telling you something.
A weak answer sounds like Only this year's figure, or “it depends on the board”.
What will I pay beyond the fee — trips, books, uniform, transport, exams?
The advertised fee is routinely half the real annual cost. Ask for last year's total from a current parent.
A weak answer sounds like “Those are nominal.”
What happens in Class 9 and 10 — do children stay, or move for boards?
If families leave before boards, the school knows why. This question surfaces it faster than any brochure.
A weak answer sounds like “Some parents prefer coaching institutes.”
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One last thing
Take notes during the visit, not after. Every school blurs into the next one by the third visit, and the specific answer you got in March is the thing you’ll want in June when you’re deciding.
These twelve questions come out of How to Select a School, our course on making this decision properly — the 8-point framework for choosing a school, plus Q&A on CBSE, ICSE, IB, Cambridge, Montessori and homeschooling. See what it covers →