Boarding School Open Day Questions: Parent Checklist

The Purpose of an Open Day

An open day or campus tour is a heavily curated marketing event designed to show the boarding school in its best possible light. The student tour guides are hand-picked, the dorms are meticulously cleaned, and the faculty are prepared for standard questions.

Your goal is to politely but firmly probe beneath this polished surface. The questions you ask should focus on the actual lived experience of a 14-year-old student living away from home for the first time. Focus heavily on pastoral care, weekend downtime, and disciplinary realities.

Questions About Pastoral Care and Wellbeing

Academic excellence means nothing if a child is miserable or unsupported. These questions help determine the school's true safety net.

• Who exactly is on duty in the boarding house at 2:00 AM if a student is sick or having a panic attack? Are they teaching staff or dedicated houseparents?
• How does the school handle homesickness during the difficult first three weeks of term? Can you give a specific example of the protocol?
• What is the exact ratio of full-time school counsellors to boarding students? Are these counsellors available after standard school hours?
• How is bullying, particularly cyberbullying, actively monitored and handled within the boarding houses?
• What is the strict policy on mobile phones and laptops in bedrooms after lights out? How is this enforced?

Questions About Weekends and Downtime

Many boarding schools look incredible on a Tuesday afternoon but feel like ghost towns on a Sunday morning if a large percentage of students go home for the weekend.

• What percentage of boarders actually stay on campus during a typical non-exeat (standard) weekend?
• Are weekend activities mandatory or optional? Who organizes them?
• If a student does not want to play competitive sports on a Saturday, what exact alternative activities are available to them?
• How often are students allowed to leave the campus to visit the local town, and what is the supervision policy for these trips?

Questions About Academics and Prep (Homework)

Boarding schools must balance rigorous academics with the need for downtime. Understand how evening study works.

• How is "prep" (homework) supervised in the evenings? Is it done in individual bedrooms or a communal study hall?
• If a student is struggling with a specific subject like Maths, what structural support is available in the evenings? Do academic tutors visit the boarding houses?
• How does the school communicate minor academic or behavioral issues to parents who live in a different country or time zone?

Questions to Ask the Student Tour Guide (Privately)

Student guides are usually honest if asked specific, relatable questions away from faculty ears.

• What is the absolute best and worst thing about the food here? What do you eat on a Sunday evening?
• If you have a problem with a teacher or another student, who is the first person you actually go to for help?
• What happens if you break a minor rule, like being late for roll call?
• What do most boarders actually do on a Sunday afternoon here?

Creating Your Decision Matrix

Do not rely on memory. Immediately after leaving the campus, sit in the car and write down your impressions while they are fresh. Score the school on safety, warmth of the houseparents, honesty of the student guides, and the quality of the facilities. If a school gives evasive or defensive answers to your wellbeing questions, it is a massive red flag that should override any academic ranking.