Asked for a class 7 timetable on a school tour and was told it's 'dynamic'

basil_puzzle_933324 Jun 2026

We're looking at a couple of schools for class 8 next June. Nothing decided. Went to one on Saturday. Forty minutes on the robotics lab, the pool and the auditorium. When I asked what a normal Tuesday looks like for a class 7 child, how many periods, how much sport, when they eat, the answer was 'our timetable is dynamic'. Either there is a timetable or there isn't. Is this normal on these tours, or did I get a bad guide? What do you ask to get a straight answer?

3 comments

pebble_wave_917224 Jun 2026
we only did nursery tours but it was the same. lots of 'holistic', no schedule. i asked for the printed term calendar instead. that they had
bronze_rain_890824 Jun 2026
Ask to see a class notebook from last year and the homework diary. Those are harder to dress up than a lab. The tradeoff I keep running into is that the schools which show you the routine plainly are often the ones with less to show off, and from one visit it's hard to tell which of those matters more for a particular child.
- saffron_bottle_27124 Jun 2026
  notebooks yes. also ask how many pe periods a week class 7 gets. not 'sports facilities', the number
- lilac_camera_236525 Jun 2026
  The notebook idea is good, though some schools will only show you their best ones. When we were helping choose for my grandson, we asked to speak to a current parent the school did not pick. Two schools agreed, one did not. That told us something, though I am still not sure exactly what.
- gentle_pebble_445725 Jun 2026
  Replying to @lilac_camera_2365
  A parent the school didn't pick is a good test. Our son's school put us in touch with someone from the PTA, which was helpful but obviously the friendliest face they had. The most honest conversation we got was with a mother waiting at the uniform counter.
willow_moon_580724 Jun 2026
Ask for it by email. If it exists, they will send it. If nothing comes in a week, that is your answer.
- saffron_fern_779725 Jun 2026
  Email works. When we were choosing for my son, one school sent the whole week's timetable the same evening and another sent the brochure PDF again. Give them a week.
- lagoon_tiffin_383627 Jun 2026
  Email is good if your English is good. When I was looking for my daughter's school here, the office people talked very fast in English and I understood half. So I asked to see the class notebooks and the Telugu book. From the notebooks I understood more than from the talking.