School open day - year 4 or 5

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herdream1
Posts: 17
Joined: Thu Feb 07, 2013 4:25 pm

School open day - year 4 or 5

Post by herdream1 »

It seems the grammar schools have open day only one day a year. Did/will you take your child to show the school in year 4 or 5? Are there many year 4 children on the open days? And is it a good idea to attend the head teacher's speech with the child? Thanks for your advise.
dez
Posts: 336
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2011 12:38 am

Re: School open day - year 4 or 5

Post by dez »

We went in year 4. If you have the time I think it is a good idea to go in year 4 to have a feel of the school without the pressure of 11+ exams in the following few months. You can always revisit if you are not sure which school to choose in year 5?
Araucana girl
Posts: 492
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:48 pm

Re: School open day - year 4 or 5

Post by Araucana girl »

Year 4 definitely . You need to light the spark of wanting to go in your dc :D
"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."

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talea51
Posts: 522
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2011 5:10 pm

Re: School open day - year 4 or 5

Post by talea51 »

Ditto what Araucana girl said! Year 4 for sure and maybe year 5 just to remind them of why they are doing all that work! :D
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: School open day - year 4 or 5

Post by Guest55 »

Sorry I think Year 4 is FAR too early - Year 5 is just right as exams are about a year away. Do go round during a school day not the artificial evening 'show' events.
Tinkers
Posts: 7240
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: School open day - year 4 or 5

Post by Tinkers »

Depends on what time of the year the open evenings are. DDs school was in September when we were looking, so we went in year 5 and again in year 6 just before the exams.
Now her school have open evening in May, so going in year 6 would be too late, so the option is year 4 and then year 5 just before the exam a few months later.
ToadMum
Posts: 11947
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: School open day - year 4 or 5

Post by ToadMum »

Now that the GS open evenings are all before the summer holidays - by the way, watch out for your local comprehensive doing this as well :shock: - I would say it was fine for you to go round in year 4 initially. We had no experience of our local secondary schools, having both been educated in other parts of the country, so with DS1 and DD we went round in both year 5 and year 6. By the time we got to DS2, though, he had tagged along with his siblings so many times and also been to various events at several local schools that he only went to SHSB in year 4.

On the subject of taking your child in to the HT's talk, please only do this if they can be trusted to sit quietly - I'm sure this is so :D. When we went to the WHSB talk, DS2 and his friend were horrified by the number of people talking - and by those just getting up and walking out whilst the talk was going on :shock:. I have to say that the acoustics weren't good to start with, but this sure didn't help! BTW at SHSB the HT's talk was for parents only and the boys were taken off for their own session elsewhere.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
RedVelvet
Posts: 546
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 2:06 pm

Re: School open day - year 4 or 5

Post by RedVelvet »

I went by myself in year 4, then took my boy in year 5. I only took him to schools I thought would be suitable for him.
doodles
Posts: 8300
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Re: School open day - year 4 or 5

Post by doodles »

We went in yrs 4 and 5. Worked for us!!
herdream1
Posts: 17
Joined: Thu Feb 07, 2013 4:25 pm

Re: School open day - year 4 or 5

Post by herdream1 »

Thank you for replies, much appreciated.

Guest55: which schools take viewers on normal school days?
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