Choosing a school for your little one can be intensely stressful for parents, leaving them fraught with anxiety at the thought of picking the wrong school and dooming their child to an eternity of pain and misery. Ok, I exaggerate, but as many teachers will testify, feeling nervous about school open days is a common fear for many parents, wherever they are in the world. We’re here to help provide you with a checklist of items to look for when you go to a school open day, and guide you through common questions you should be considering.

First of all, the big stuff:

1. Location
Is the school fairly close to your home? Consider the age of your children, the younger they are, the more taxing a journey to and fro can be. Long journeys just aren’t worth the extra stress it will put on you as a family, as time at home doing homework, playing and spending with the family are incredibly important at all ages.

2. Reputation
Googling ‘best kindergartens in Hong Kong’ throws up some random results from various parenting magazines. The best way is still through word of mouth. Social media now makes it easier to find out information. Facebook forums for local parents and schools groups are a good place where you can ask about a school’s reputation. Ask questions such as ‘What is the school’s ethos and educational philosophy? Does the school have a good reputation? What about the principal and teaching staff? Did your child enjoy it there? Why / Why not?’ Good schools are worth their weight and we don’t mean in terms of social prestige, but in the who and how of what they are actually teaching your children.

3. School premises
The open day is your chance to explore the school premises in detail. While it’s important to consider the ‘look’ of the school, e.g. is it appealing and welcoming? Is it colourful? Does it look like a great place to spend a few hours a day? Also consider things such as room sizes versus student ratio, the amount of light, seating arrangements (can all children see the teacher and the board? Are tables in an island where they can all talk to each other?), toilet hygiene, age of the building, stairwell safety, fire exit access, playground size, library space, etc. All these little details will tell you much more about a school and what it prioritises.

4. Curriculum
This is an important question to raise. Always ask what curriculum the school is using and ask more or read up about it if you still aren’t sure. Play-based and enquiry-based learning are important features in progressive curriculums today for a reason. Ask about the subjects your children will be studying, and how they will be assessed, as well as how teaching and learning expectations are managed.

5. Teachers
The open day is a fantastic opportunity to get to meet the teachers who are teaching your children. Trial classes or activities are often done by the teachers on open days, so it’s a good idea to sit in with your child and observe how the teacher leads the class, and how much time is given to children and activities. Pay attention to their teaching manner, voice and classroom management. Does it seem like the trial class was well-organised? Was the teacher prepared?
If you’re not sure about anything, ask. Great teachers will understand your anxiety and be happy and willing to answer all your questions. Don’t be shy about asking about their teaching qualifications and experience, or school communication or classroom management issues if it’s a concern.

6. Hygiene
As a teacher with almost 20 years’ experience, I can tell you school kids are germ factories, and kindergartens should be scrupulously clean. Look for school helpers and aunties, who are the cleaning crew - are they in operation on open day? Look also at the toilet facilities and cleaning products; soaps, antibacterial gels and sprays, etc - good schools will avoid using harsh chemicals that could harm little kids’ health. While you’re there, make sure to check out the bathrooms. Do the toilets look clean? Is there water on the floor? What will they be using on your little ones when they go to the toilet, enter or leave school, finish messy arts & crafts, snack time, etc? Good schools will take cleanliness very seriously and will make sure there is a clear system of making sure kids are (fairly) germ-free when they arrive at school, even if it’s a quick wipe of their hands with antibac gel, and have regular toilet breaks, as well as certain times to wash their hands carefully. You can be sure that good schools will focus on this as part of the development of necessary soft skills that your kids will need. Other hygiene areas such as air conditioning, paints (on walls and what kids are using for arts & crafts) and construction glue. Are they of the right standard, suitable for use in schools? Paints and glue should be non-toxic, and safe to consume - we all know that one kid who likes to eat glue, right?

7. Financial considerations
One factor that preys on many parents’ minds is the expense incurred with education. Because kindergarten schooling is not seen as compulsory by the government, most kindergartens are not free in Hong Kong though many are subsidised by the government through a voucher scheme. Ask upfront about monthly fees and what these fees cover, e.g. snack, field trips, school bus, etc so you know exactly what you are in for. Ask if there are any other fees involved in the registration process, e.g. application, interview, debenture and so on. Good kindergartens are very transparent about their fees and don’t charge ‘hidden extras’ and will explain carefully what each fee is for, and how it is used. By the same token, it is also worth asking if there are any financial hardship funds, or scholarship funds available. Many kindergartens do offer this and it can make a big difference if your family budget is tight.

The following are other important areas to consider, such as:
• Extracurricular activities on offer
• Sports facilities
• Multisensory facilities and equipment
• Inclusive education policies
• Use of technology
• Drama, art and music equipment and lessons
• School bus transportation
• Snacks and mealtimes: what foods are usually served?
• Medical and parenting facilities on site
• Licensing
• Educational toys & supplies - look at how ‘well-loved’ these are! Are they in good condition and clean?

We hope this gives you a clearer idea of things to observe when you are at a school open day. We’d love to hear from you if there are any other important items we may have left off the list!

Here at Mighty Oaks our well-trained staff work hard to provide your child with engaging, fun and memorable learning experiences that speak to each child. Come and try a class at our upcoming Open Day, experience the beauty of our community and what Social Emotional Learning is all about.

Wondering what a day is like at Kindergarten? Our Hong Kong Kindergarten specialist has put together this little blog post to give an insight into the lives of our kindergarteners , particularly our pre-nursery class (2-3 year olds).

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