Choosing a prep school is a significant decision, but a prep school Open Day should be about much more than just collecting information
Knowing which questions to ask can help you get under the skin of a school: how well pupils are known, what happens when a child needs support or greater challenge, and whether the culture feels right for your family.
Start With Your Child
Before you start comparing schools, take the time to really focus on exactly what matters most for your child.
For a younger child, you may be particularly interested in how pupils settle in, build confidence and cope with the routines of school life. Further up the school, academic challenge, independence, friendships, leadership and preparation for senior school may become more important.
Regardless of the entry point, having a few clear priorities before you arrive gives you something meaningful against which to judge what you see and hear.
Questions to Ask About Teaching and Learning
Rather than simply asking what subjects are taught, try to understand how teaching at the school responds to individual children.
Consider asking:
- How do you support children who need more help?
- How do you challenge pupils who are ready for more?
- How is progress monitored and shared with parents?
- How much does teaching adapt to the individual child?
- How do you prepare pupils for senior school?
Listen for specific examples rather than broad assurances, and if a school says that every child is known as an individual, ask them for examples of this in practice.
At The Downs Malvern, preparation for the next stage also includes our two-year TDM Baccalaureate in Years 7 and 8. Academic achievement is important, but so are the wider qualities and soft skills so vital in navigating life.
Questions to Ask About Pastoral Care and Wellbeing
Pastoral care is understandably a major consideration for parents choosing a prep school, but again, it is important to leave an Open Day understanding exactly how a school demonstrates it.
Consider asking:
- Who would my child go to if they were worried?
- How do staff notice when a child is struggling?
- How are friendship difficulties or bullying handled?
- How are new pupils helped to settle?
- How are parents kept informed about wellbeing?
The answers should hopefully help you to understand whether pastoral care is embedded in the culture of the school rather than something that comes into play only when there is a problem.
At The Downs Malvern, pastoral care is deliberately woven into school life. In 2026, we were named winner of the Pastoral Care and Wellbeing category at the Talk Education Awards for Innovation in Education, recognising our work in pupil support and wellbeing.
Questions to Ask the Pupils
Some of the most useful and revealing conversations at an Open Day may actually be with the pupils themselves.
Ask what they like most about school, what they would change, who they would speak to if something went wrong and what they would tell someone thinking about joining.
It is also worth paying attention to the answers you receive more generally. Do staff give specific examples? Are difficult questions answered openly? Do pupils and staff give you a broadly consistent picture of the school? These things can be just as revealing as the questions themselves.
Questions About the Next Stage: Preparing for Senior School
For families considering Reception, senior school may seem a long way off, but choosing a prep school is a significant commitment and it is worth understanding how the school prepares children for that eventual transition.
It is worth asking which senior schools pupils typically move on to, how families are supported in choosing the right destination and how children are prepared academically and emotionally.
You may also want to ask about leadership opportunities, growing independence and how scholarship or entrance processes are supported.
Ultimately, senior-school guidance should reflect the strengths, interests and needs of the individual child rather than assume the same destination is right for everyone.
Before leaving, make sure you have also covered any practical questions around admissions, fees, transport, boarding, wraparound provision or taster days. These questions may be covered on the school’s website; however, one question often leads to another, and it makes sense to discuss many of these areas face-to-face.
After the Open Day: Ask Your Child
If your child attended with you, ask what they thought before telling them your own impressions.
What did they enjoy most? Was there anything they did not like? Who did they enjoy talking to? Could they imagine coming there every day?
Then compare what you both saw and heard with the priorities you identified before the visit.
Prep School Open Day Checklist
If you’d like a prep school Open Day checklist to take with you, these ten questions are a useful starting point:
- How will you get to know my child as an individual?
- How do you support different abilities and learning needs?
- Who would my child go to if they were worried?
- How do you help new pupils settle?
- How are parents kept informed?
- What kind of child thrives here?
- How much responsibility and pupil voice do children have?
- How do you prepare pupils for senior school?
- What do current pupils enjoy most and find challenging?
- What should I know about this school that I will not find in the prospectus?
Frequently Asked Questions
What questions should I ask at a prep school Open Day?
Focus on questions that help you understand how the school would work for your child, particularly around teaching, pastoral care, relationships and preparation for senior school. Consider the checklist above as a starting point.
How do I choose the right prep school for my child?
Think about your child’s personality, learning needs, interests and confidence, then consider whether the school feels like somewhere they would be both comfortable and challenged.
How should I assess pastoral care at a school?
Ask who your child would turn to if they were worried, how staff identify concerns and how parents are kept informed.
Who should I speak to at a school Open Day?
Speak to pupils, teachers, senior staff and the admissions team where possible to build a more complete picture of everyday school life.
Should I take my child to a prep school Open Day?
Where possible, yes. Their reaction to the pupils, teachers and atmosphere can be an important part of the decision.
Come With Your Own Questions
Every family will arrive at an Open Day with different priorities, and that is exactly as it should be. Make a checklist based on what matters most to your child.
To experience The Downs Malvern for yourself, join us at our next Open Day or arrange a private visit.
Lauren Williams
Admissions Manager