Everything You Need to Know About Attending a School Open Day
Open Days are a brilliant way to get a feel for what life at a new school could mean for your child. As one of Scotland’s leading independent schools, Loretto is committed to delivering a holistic, well-rounded education, and that starts with a tailored introduction to what our school has to offer.
Ahead of our upcoming Junior School and Senior School Open Events, we wanted to share a guide as to what families can expect from these events.
What are the benefits of attending a school Open Day?
Open Days give you an authentic sense of the school’s atmosphere. This is particularly true of Loretto, where our warm and friendly spirit is evident from the moment you enter the school gates. Rather than simply reading the school prospectus, attending an Open Event at Loretto allows you to not only see our beautiful campus first-hand, but also have the chance to hear from pupils and staff and see our vibrant community in action.
Importantly, our Open Days offer prospective pupils a chance to connect with teachers and envision themselves as part of the Loretto community. They also afford staff the opportunity to get to know each pupil from the very beginning of their Loretto journey and establish a sense of belonging long before they join us.
What typically happens at a school Open Day?
We start your child’s school journey as it is meant to go on, which is why our Open Days are underpinned by a bespoke approach to each child’s educational and social needs. This includes:
A tailored campus tour
Designed around your child’s interests, our personalised, pupil-led tours give families the chance to explore Loretto’s 85-acre enclosed campus, with special attention paid to the subject areas and facilities that matter most to your family.
From our welcoming boarding houses and classrooms to our arts and sports facilities – including our world-class Golf Academy – our tours showcase the full breadth of the school campus. Families will step inside the spaces where pupils live, learn, and create, gaining a real sense of how academic learning is complemented by sport, the creative arts, and co-curricular life.
Time to speak with the senior leadership team, staff, and current pupils
As well as getting to experience Loretto’s facilities, families enjoy one-on-one time with our experienced senior team and teaching staff to learn more about our holistic approach and how we support pupils to excel at whatever they put their minds to.
There’s no better way to get to know Loretto than by meeting our pupils. Our Open Events allow prospective Lorettonians to speak with current students to hear about their daily routines, how they balance their academic endeavours with extracurricular activities, and to simply get to know each other. With other families in attendance, it’s also a brilliant way for potential pupils to meet their future peers and start building their own network within the school.
A chance to participate
It’s important that prospective pupils get a taste of what it’s like to be in a Loretto learning environment. During the tour, your child will have the opportunity to sit in on a class of their choice or participate in their preferred extracurricular activity. It’s a great way for children to immerse themselves in our school culture and see first-hand what makes Loretto one of Edinburgh’s leading private schools.
With plenty of opportunities to ask questions and get to know the Loretto community, we’ll make sure your Open Day experience is catered to your child’s strengths, interests, and potential.
What questions should parents ask at a school Open Day?
We believe that no stone should be left unturned when it comes to finding the right school for your child; it’s a very important decision. That’s why we encourage families to ask any questions they have. From academic performance and leaver destinations, to Boarding Houses and mealtimes, and support for students joining from overseas, Open Events are a chance to ask it all.
Here are just some questions you may wish to consider:
- Education and academics
- What is the average number of pupils in each class?
- How does the school deliver a hybrid of the Scottish Curriculum of Excellence and the English curriculum in senior years?
- Entry requirements
- Is there an entrance exam, and what does it entail?
- When is the next assessment day?
- Do Junior School pupils gain automatic entry to the senior school?
- Ethos and values
- What is the school’s anti-bullying policy?
- How does the school reward good behaviour?
- Extracurricular activities
- Are after-school activities included in the fees, are any of them compulsory, and are there a variety of activities available for all year groups?
- Does the school have a CCF unit or participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme?
- Do any activities have waiting lists, and can children of all abilities join in?
- Facilities
- Which facilities can children access at playtime?
- Does the school have any plans to invest in new school facilities in the next 5-10 years?
- Sports
- How many hours of sport are there on the weekly timetable?
- Does the school participate in competitive matches against other schools, and in which sports?
- What sports facilities does the school have access to? Are they on the same campus as the main school building? If not, how do pupils access these facilities?
- Boarding
- Does the school offer full, weekly and/or flexible boarding?
- Do the routines, house system and timetables differ between day and boarding pupils?
- What is the boarding/day pupil ratio?
- What age does the school take boarders from?
It’s best to prepare some questions ahead of time and tick them off throughout the event so that you can keep track of responses. And, if you do miss anything off your list, parents are very welcome to contact Loretto directly to ask follow-up questions.
What should parents do after attending a school open day?
After coming along to an Open Day, our Admissions Team will follow up with families directly to share information on next steps and answer any lingering questions. From there, if you decide Loretto is the right fit for your child, we’ll guide you through our easy-to-follow admissions process.
To experience what makes Loretto one of Scotland’s leading private schools, families can register online for our Junior School Open Afternoon and Senior School Open Morning, where full details and registration information are available.
Discover Loretto at an upcoming Open Event.
Register for our Junior School Open Afternoon on Friday 27th February here. Sign up for our Senior School Opening Morning on Saturday 7th March here.