Visiting a school - what to look for

Visiting a school to try to gain a picture of whether you feel it could meet the needs of your son or daughter is very important, but it can be a daunting task.

This is a list of things that you might want to look at and ask questions about. It's not an exhaustive list, and exactly what you need to find out will depend on the specific needs of your child.

Things to remember

• Don't be afraid to ask questions and to ask to see specific features.
• You may find it helpful to make notes during the visit.
• If you realise that you have forgotten something, don't be afraid to phone up after the visit.
• If a school does not meet all your requirements at the time of your initial visit, don't forget that it may be possible to get some things changed if you decide that this is the school that can best meet your child's needs.
• Don't ignore your "gut reaction"! You may find that a school doesn't show many features that you are looking for, but that the positive attitude of the staff overrides this. It is often harder to change attitudes than to make other adaptations, so a positive "can do" attitude goes a long way!

Questions to ask

The majority of questions are phrased so that a "yes" answer is desirable.

People and organisation

• What class or group will my child be in?
• What is the ratio of staff to children in this class or group?
• What access will my child have to a qualified teacher of the visually impaired?
• Are there any support staff who are specifically designated for pupils with sight problems?
• Do support staff have opportunities to plan with the teacher(s)?
• How is the type and amount of support that my child will need decided?
• Would support also foster my child's independence?
• Have all school staff had training in visual impairment? If so, what kind of training?
• Does a mobility teacher visit the school on a regular basis?
• Is there a school nurse on site?
• What are the arrangements for physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy if my child needs these?
• Will my child have a key worker in the school?
• Is a system of daily home-school communication in place and will this be in a form that I can access?
• Will I be involved in decisions about my child? How?
• Is here a buddy system in place in the school?
• Are there, or have there been, any other pupils in the school who have a visual impairment?
• Are there links with any other schools that have pupils who have visual impairment?

Resources and the curriculum

• Is there a range of ICT equipment that my child could access?
• Does the facility to enlarge printed material exist?
• Does the means to produce tactile material exist?
• Does the school library have a good range of large print, tactile, audio or multi-sensory material?
• Is there any special equipment for visually impaired pupils to use in specific subjects, eg food tech, maths, science, PE etc?
• Do teaching areas have sufficient sockets to enable electrical equipment or task lighting to be used by my child?
• Will my child be able to access all the areas of the curriculum, bearing in mind that at secondary level some areas of the curriculum may pose special challenges?
• How will my child be included in PE and team games?
• If my child has to be withdrawn from certain lessons (eg for mobility or physiotherapy) how will he/she catch up?
• Can braille or a tactile reading system be taught in the school?
• If my child needs to use a communication system other than speech, what system will be used and how many other children in the school use this?
• Will my child be able to access after-school clubs?

The school environment

• Is the lighting good - in classrooms, corridors, hall, dining areas, on stairs etc?
• Are there blinds or curtains that can control glare if this is a problem?
• Is there good colour contrast throughout the school?
• Do the edges of steps and stairs have good contrast?
• Are class and teaching areas free of clutter in circulation areas?
• Are there accessible storage areas where my child's special equipment can be safely stored?
• Does the school provide a generally quiet teaching environment in which it is easy to hear?
• Are signs easy to read - and is there the potential for tactile signage?

Outside

• Are there separate play areas for ball games?
• Are pathways and edges clearly defined?
• Are there seats or benches in areas of shade?
• Are vehicles well separated from pedestrians?