How to Make the Most from a Secondary School Open Day
Finding the right secondary school for your daughter can feel very overwhelming. Prospectuses, brochures, websites and conversations with your friends and family all paint a picture of what a school can offer, but lack the vibrancy and excitement of experiencing the school first-hand. This is why it is important to attend one of Edgbaston High School’s senior school open days.
Finding the right secondary school for your daughter can feel very overwhelming. Prospectuses, brochures, websites and conversations with your friends and family all paint a picture of what a school can offer, but lack the vibrancy and excitement of experiencing the school first-hand. This is why it is important to attend one of Edgbaston High School’s senior school open days.
You and your daughter can meet current pupils and teachers, see our incredible classrooms and facilities and more importantly, immerse yourself in our fearlessly female culture. Open days help prompt questions you may not have considered and show the all-round impact the school will have in helping to shape your daughter’s future.
This guide covers what to look for, what to consider and how to get the most out of an EHS secondary school open day.
What are your daughter’s educational requirements?
Before booking your place at our open day or visiting the school, you should form a clear picture of what a good education looks like for your daughter. Her approach to school is important; is she outgoing and gregarious, does she revel in study, or is she a mixture of different passions? Schools are more than just places to sit exams, they are social hubs where the culture, pastoral care and extracurricular opportunities will have as big an impact on your daughter’s future as the academic work.
Speak to your daughter before you visit and jot down the objectives you’d like to achieve from the day. What sort of subjects engage your daughter, and what type of school would she like to be a part of? List these and other questions and make sure you speak to our teachers and pupils about them. We are open and engaging and love to chat to families when they visit!
Book your place hereLook Beyond Exams, What’s Secondary School Life Actually Like?
A secondary school open day is an excellent opportunity to learn about the academic approach a school has, but you can find exam results in any prospectus or website. The magic of an open day is the ability to see beyond the statistics and into the actual educational style.
Edgbaston High School for Girls firmly invests in value-added education. We look at your daughter’s potential and then find ways to push her beyond her expectations, through a mixture of statistical analysis and close collaboration with your daughter. Often, we find pupils exceed everyone’s expectations and produce exceptional work thanks to this approach.
When you attend an EHS open day, make sure to ask about value-added education and the massive, positive impact it can play in your daughter’s future.
What is the school’s culture?
One of the best aspects of attending a senior school open day is being able to immerse your daughter in its atmosphere and environment. She can visit our art department and see the amazing work our pupils have created, or she can check out our sports facilities or the library, all while absorbing the energy created by our students and staff.
An open day allows your family to see beyond the website and prospectus and experience us in real life. You will see how EHS values every student and provides an education tailored to them, rather than only to the most academically minded girls.
It is also the best way to see how we implement our pastoral support into school life. We pride ourselves on the open, caring approach we have to educating our students, and you will see how it is embedded in every aspect of the school’s culture.
Talking to Pupils, Not Just Staff
When you prepare to visit EHS, don’t just think of questions for the admissions teams or members of staff; also prepare open questions for our students. Pupils on open days are present so they can talk to you and provide honest feedback from girls learning in the EHS environment.
Ask them what they like about the school, what they find challenging and their relationship with their peers or other years. What opportunities have they enjoyed and what do they want to do next? How do staff respond when the student needs help, either pastorally or academically?
The answers they give are not preprepared, and you will gain an excellent vision of the education your daughter will have with us. A thoughtful, considered, honest answer from one of our pupils will give you real insight into Edgbaston High School. These are all things you can’t learn from a virtual tour or a prospectus.
Read about EHS’s approach to nurturing curiosity and helping to develop fearless females here.
Excited to Come and Visit Us?
Book your place hereSecondary School Open Days: Frequently Asked Questions
You and your daughter will be absorbing different information about EHS during your visit. While you will be looking at the practical aspects, such as facilities and academic results, your daughter will be picking up on the social dynamics and the vibe of the school. Discuss your feedback with your daughter and combine the information you have taken away. You will almost certainly find you are passionate about different aspects of EHS. Many families attend more than one open day so they can view EHS life from multiple viewpoints. We are happy to help facilitate that.
Absolutely, open days are for all families who are looking to find the right education for their daughters. We often have a mixture of families who have decided on independent education and those who are still weighing up the different aspects of state vs independent schooling. Speak to the pupils and staff members to find out what makes EHS stand out, why we’re different and why our approach to education helps young women find their fearlessly female voice.
Yes, please do! Our admissions staff are always on hand at EHS secondary school open days to discuss entry requirements, assessment and the admissions process. Often, questions are formed because of something seen at the open day, which wouldn’t have been thought of at home, making our open days a valuable resource in finding the right education for your daughter.