If you’re a parent looking for a preparatory school think carefully about exactly what you are looking for. Do you want single sex, for example? Should there be a boarding facility so that your child can, perhaps, flexi-board later even if you don’t want boarding for him or her at the moment? Do you want a rural or an urban setting?

Having made these general decisions visit as many as you can. That means open days. It should also mean visiting the school when it’s in session. You want to see the school on an ordinary work day as well as when it’s putting a show for visitors. Any good school will offer you this.

It is as well to be open-minded. You will certainly find positive things that you weren’t looking for because you hadn’t thought of them. On the other hand it’s a good idea to have a mental checklist of things to look for.

Take class size, for example. One of the independent sector’s main selling points is smaller classes and more individual attention than pupils usually get in state schools. Do an unobtrusive head count in any classroom you see. Note, too, how many adults are working with the children. Particularly with younger groups, there should be classroom assistants or nursery nurses with the teacher to ensure plenty of help for each child.

Look, too, for a bright and lively atmosphere. That means up-to-date, well-maintained displays of children’s work in corridors and on classroom walls. And everywhere should be clean, tidy and pleasant-looking too. The real skill is to create a school which looks neat and efficient as well as homely.

Study the school’s website before your visit. It should, of course, be regularly updated, but it is surprising how many schools don’t get round to this. If the website is full of material which is months out of date what does it tell you about the school, given that the website is probably its first shop window?

In a good prep school the head is not a remote figure shut away in an office. He or she knows the children by name and is out and about in the school speaking to them. Notice when you visit the school how the head speaks to the children and how they respond. There should be a respectful, but relaxed, rapport - with plenty of sensible conversation and joke sharing. It goes without saying that class teachers should also know children’s names and be able to make good use of humour. Happy children progress much better than unhappy ones and you want to put your child in a happy environment rather than one which is stressed and anxious.

From about Year 5, children in good prep schools are taught by subject specialists at least for the main subjects. So check staff qualifications. Science should be taught by a science graduate, English by an English graduate and so on. Similarly there are strong arguments for children being grouped in ability sets for the main subjects, especially as they approach Common Entrance exams at 11 or 13. Good prep schools make arrangements for children with special needs, such as dyslexia, too. Find out what these are if your son or daughter will be affected.

Ideally, around a school you should see teachers working in different ways. At any one time some will be lecturing. Others will be supervising group work or cruising round a class of individual workers. In some classes children will be making prepared presentations while the teacher sits in the body of the class and listens. Some lessons will be computer driven and others based on books. Look for variety and flexibility. Find out what textbooks teachers are using and ask whether there are enough copies for every child to take one home for homework or prep. The books should be modern and in good condition, although you also want evidence of a sensible, traditional approach to subjects.

We hear a lot about creativity in education these days and many critics think that the banality of the National Curriculum is seriously inhibiting it in state schools. So if you’ve decided to pay for a prep school, you should be looking for plenty of creativity - opportunities for children to write stories and poems, make music, solve problems and think and reason ‘outside the box’ encouraged by adults who aren’t straitjacket thinkers. Creativity isn’t measurable but you’ll sense it if it’s there.

Consider, too, how well the school is equipped. Interactive whiteboards - large computer screens at the front of the classroom - are now commonplace. And many schools are using them well. You will also want to see facilities such as music rooms - are there any resources for music technology? And what about sport? Ask to see the fields, pitches and indoor facilities. There should be a really wide range of sports opportunities too. Art rooms should be vibrant learning areas. And every good school has a well-stocked library.
You will want to know the level of pastoral care offered and what systems the school has in place for personal and social education and in dealing with bullying. Pastoral care is particularly important in boarding schools and there will be some additional questions, such as “Do boarders have access to a private telephone?” “Is there a counsellor within or outside the school a boarder can turn to if there are difficulties or problems.” Also ask to see the sleeping and day accommodation for boarders and check out the in-house medical arrangements.

Independent schools do not have to follow the National Curriculum or set the national tests for seven- and eleven-year-olds, although many do and the statistics should be available where the tests are set. Ask whether or not pupils sit the Common Entrance examination and which senior schools pupils go on to at 11 or 13. In terms of the curriculum, ask what is provided in addition to the core and see how well it matches the needs of your children. Are special arrangements made for gifted and talented pupils, academically or in sport or the arts?

Before you leave the school, be clear about the next steps. Most schools ask for a small registration fee, which is often not returnable. Some will ask for a deposit, which will form part of the first term’s fees. And be sure to know the latest date for you to tell the school that you want to take up a place. You might also ask for a list of parents you might contact, to ask in particular about communications with parents through newsletters, reports and consultation evenings.

Food is uppermost on many children’s worry list. So ask about it. Look at the dining room and, ideally, sample a meal or a snack. The best prep schools often win awards for their catering.

Last, consult the ISI website (www.inspect.org.uk). ISI’s reports are in the public domain and available on the website. Read carefully the latest reports of any school you are interested in. The key words are ‘very good’, ‘excellent’ and ‘outstanding.’

In the last resort the choice comes down to informed gut feeling - yours and your child’s.

Susan Elikin is an education journalist and former English teacher in an independent school.

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