What questions got you honest answers about an ordinary school day

cobalt_sparrow_326412 Oct 2026

We are shortlisting schools for our 3 year old. Every tour so far has taken us through the brightest classroom with the most cheerful teacher, which is lovely, but tells me very little about a regular Tuesday. What did you ask that actually gave you a real picture? Things like what happens when a child won't settle, how long they are expected to sit, what the afternoon looks like once the morning energy is gone. Would love to hear what worked for you ❤️

1 comment

cobalt_compass_565313 Oct 2026
ask to see a room at the end of the day, not at 10 am. and ask what the teacher does when two kids want the same toy. you learn more from how long they take to answer than from the answer itself
- quiet_pool_748813 Oct 2026
  We did something similar and asked to sit quietly in a corner for twenty minutes of an ordinary class. Two places agreed and one said it was not possible. That refusal told us something as well, although we never found out whether it was a rule or just that day. Did you find most schools open to a short observation, or mostly not?