Trial classes for my younger one. What do you look for besides 'she had fun'?

amber_quilt_87436 Aug 2026

Three trial classes in two weeks. Gymnastics, a dance studio, a skating batch. All three ended with her saying she loved it and the coach telling me she's 'a natural'. Every child in every trial is apparently a natural. I don't want to pick based on which place had the better sticker at the end. What did you look at? Coach changes, class size, what happens after the trial week? Specifics please, not 'go with your gut'.

3 comments

lagoon_sparrow_44056 Aug 2026
Ask to watch a normal class, not the trial. Trial batches often get the senior coach.
lemon_compass_36836 Aug 2026
Three things we asked for our daughter's dance class last year: how many children per instructor in a regular batch, whether the same instructor takes the batch all term, and what happens if a child misses a few sessions through illness. The last one told us a lot. One place offered make-up classes in another batch; another said the fee is for the month regardless. I can only speak for dance and one skating enquiry. I assume gymnastics has its own safety questions, mats and spotting and so on, but I haven't been through that myself.
pebble_marigold_86928 Aug 2026
One thing that caught us out with our son. The trial coach was lovely, and then the regular batch had someone else who mostly shouted counts from the side. He lasted five weeks. Now I ask who takes the regular batch, and I stand at the door for ten minutes on an ordinary day before paying anything.