You will visit several sixth form colleges this spring. They will all have impressive buildings, smiling students, and glossy brochures. And unless you walk in with a plan, they will all blur together by the time you get home.
I have spent years attending open days at private sixth form colleges across the country, sometimes with families, sometimes on my own. The single biggest lesson I have learned is this: the colleges that look best on an open day are not always the ones where students thrive. What matters is knowing where to look, what questions to ask, and how to read between the lines.
This guide gives you a practical framework for making the most of every open day visit, from preparation the night before to comparing notes afterwards.
Before You Go: Preparation That Pays Off
An open day without preparation is a wasted opportunity. You will enjoy the tour, eat the complimentary pastries, and leave with a prospectus you never read again. Half an hour of research beforehand transforms the experience.
Research the college online first
Before you visit, look at three things.
Inspection reports. Private sixth form colleges are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. Find the college's most recent report and read the summary. Pay attention to comments about teaching quality, student welfare, and leadership. If a report flags concerns, you know what to probe during your visit.
Published results. Check the college's A-level results, ideally over three or more years. A single strong year could be an outlier. Consistent performance tells you more. The Gov.uk school performance tables provide standardised data for comparison.
Subject range. Confirm the college offers your child's preferred subjects, including any less common options. If your child is still weighing up choices, our guide to the best A-level combinations can help narrow things down before the visit.
Write down your child's priorities
Sit down together before the visit and list what matters most. This might include specific subjects, small class sizes, proximity to home, extracurricular activities, university preparation support, or simply a fresh start. Rank the top five. These become your lens for the day.
Every family's priorities are different. A student aiming for medicine needs different things from a college than one pursuing art or drama. Making these priorities explicit before you arrive stops you from being swayed by impressive facilities that are irrelevant to your child.
Bring a checklist
You will forget things. Everyone does. Print a simple checklist or use the notes app on your phone. After each visit, spend five minutes in the car recording your impressions while they are fresh. By the third open day, you will be grateful you did.
What to Look For During the Visit
Open days are curated experiences. The college is putting its best foot forward, which is entirely reasonable. Your job is to look beyond the presentation and notice the things that reveal what daily life is actually like.
The atmosphere
This is harder to quantify than exam results, but it matters just as much. As you walk around, pay attention to how the place feels.
Are students engaged in their classes, or staring out of the window? Do they greet visitors, or avoid eye contact? Is the common room a lively, sociable space, or does it feel tense or empty? The energy of a sixth form college tells you more about its culture than any prospectus paragraph.
If your child is with you, ask them afterwards what they noticed. Teenagers pick up on social dynamics that adults miss.
Facilities
Facilities matter, but not in the way brochures suggest. A state-of-the-art science lab is only useful if your child is studying science. What you really want to know is whether the facilities your child will use are well maintained and fit for purpose.
Look at the basics: classrooms (are they comfortable and well equipped?), the library (is it a genuine study space or a token room?), IT provision (enough devices, reliable wifi?), and the common room (does it feel like a space students actually want to use?).
For specific subjects, ask to see the relevant rooms. Art studios, music practice rooms, science labs, and drama spaces all tell a story about how seriously the college takes those disciplines.
Class sizes and teaching spaces
One of the main advantages of private sixth form is small class sizes, typically 6 to 12 students. On an open day, try to peek into actual lessons if possible. Are the class sizes what the college claims? Is there genuine interaction between teacher and students, or is it still a lecture format despite the smaller numbers?
Ask to sit in on a lesson if the college allows it. Some do, and it is the single most revealing thing you can experience on an open day.
Student and staff interactions
Watch how teachers and students interact in corridors and common areas, not just in the formal presentation. Do staff know students by name? Do students approach teachers casually with questions? This tells you whether the college's claims about a supportive, personal environment are genuine.
The student body
Look at the mix of students. A healthy sixth form college has students from a range of backgrounds, with different interests and ambitions. If everyone looks and sounds the same, that could signal a narrow culture that may or may not suit your child.
Open day checklist
Use this table to score each college during or immediately after your visit.
| What to Observe | Questions to Ask Yourself | Score (1-5) |
|---|---|---|
| Atmosphere and energy | Did students seem happy and engaged? | |
| Classroom condition | Were rooms well equipped and maintained? | |
| Library and study spaces | Would your child actually use these? | |
| Common room | Did it feel welcoming and social? | |
| Class sizes observed | Did they match the college's claims? | |
| Student-staff interactions | Were relationships warm and respectful? | |
| Subject-specific facilities | Were relevant rooms well resourced? | |
| Student diversity | Was there a healthy mix of backgrounds? | |
| Location and commute | Is the journey manageable daily? | |
| Overall gut feeling | Could you picture your child here? |
The Questions That Reveal the Most
Every open day includes a Q&A session. Most parents ask polite, predictable questions. The questions below go deeper. They are the ones that, in my experience, separate the genuinely excellent colleges from those that simply market well.
Questions for teachers
"What is the typical class size for [subject], and what is the largest class currently running?" The brochure says 8. Reality might be 14 for popular subjects. This question gets you the truth.
"How do you identify and support a student who is struggling?" Listen for specific processes: regular assessment, early intervention meetings, communication with parents. Vague answers like "we keep an eye on everyone" should concern you.
"What is your value-added score, and how do you measure it?" Value-added compares where students started (GCSE grades) with where they ended up (A-level results). A college that takes students with modest GCSEs and helps them exceed expectations is doing something right, even if headline results are not the highest in the area.
"How long have you been teaching here?" High staff turnover is a red flag. If the teacher hesitates or has only been there a term, it is worth noting.
Questions for current students
Current students are your most honest source of information. If the college gives you access to them (and it should), make the most of it.
"What surprised you most about starting here?" This reveals what the marketing does not prepare students for, both good and bad.
"Would you choose this college again?" Watch their face as much as their words. Hesitation, a glance at a nearby teacher, or a rehearsed answer all tell you something.
"What would you change if you could?" Every college has weaknesses. Students who can name them honestly suggest a culture where feedback is welcome. Students who say "nothing" are either exceptionally lucky or have been coached.
"How accessible are teachers outside lessons?" This matters enormously at A-level. Can students email teachers with questions? Drop into office hours? Or do they feel they are on their own once the lesson ends?
Questions for admissions staff
"What are your entry requirements, and how flexible are you for students with uneven GCSE profiles?" Some colleges are rigid; others take a holistic view. Know which approach suits your child.
"Do you offer bursaries or financial support, and how do I apply?" Do not be embarrassed to ask. Many colleges have bursary funds that go underused because families assume they will not qualify.
"What happens if my child wants to change subjects after starting?" Flexibility in the first few weeks is important. A college that locks students into choices on day one is less responsive to individual needs.
"What is your UCAS and university application support like?" The best colleges start university preparation early in Year 12 with dedicated staff. If the answer is vague or mentions "the form tutor handles it," probe further. For families with Oxbridge ambitions, ask specifically about structured preparation programmes.
Red Flags to Watch For
Not every open day reveals a problem, but when one does, pay attention.
Vague answers about results or value-added. A good college is proud of its data and happy to discuss it in detail. If staff deflect questions about results, change the subject, or offer only headline percentages without context, that is a concern.
No opportunity to speak with current students. This is a significant red flag. If a college does not let you talk to students, ask yourself why. Most strong colleges actively encourage it because they know their students are their best ambassadors.
Pushy sales tactics or pressure to commit. A reputable college will give you time to decide. If you feel pressured to put down a deposit on the day, or told that places are "almost gone" in a way that feels manufactured, proceed with caution.
Facilities that do not match the brochure photos. Open days often involve a curated tour. If you notice that the rooms you are shown look very different from the ones in the prospectus, or if you are steered away from certain areas of the building, ask to see more.
High staff turnover. If several teachers are new this year, or if the head of sixth form has changed recently, it is worth understanding why. Stability in leadership and teaching staff is a strong indicator of a well-run college.
After the Visit: How to Compare
You have visited three, four, maybe five colleges. Your kitchen table is covered in prospectuses. Now what?
Score each college on your key criteria
Go back to the priority list you wrote before the first visit. Score each college on those specific criteria, not on the general impression. A college with a stunning campus but weak results in your child's subjects is not the right choice, however impressive it felt on the day.
Use our college comparison tool to see how colleges stack up on the data: results, class sizes, subject offerings, and fees. Combine this with your visit impressions for a complete picture.
Compare notes with your child
Your child's impression matters as much as yours, possibly more. They are the one who will spend two years there. Ask them to rank the colleges independently before you share your own views. If you disagree, have an honest conversation about why.
In my experience, the families who make the best choices are the ones where both parents and the student feel genuinely positive. If a child is reluctant about a college that ticks every box on paper, that reluctance is worth taking seriously.
Follow up with specific questions
After the visit, you will have new questions. Email the admissions team. A college that responds promptly and thoroughly at this stage is showing you how it communicates. One that takes two weeks to reply to a simple email is giving you information too.
If your child is still deciding between two or three colleges, ask whether a second visit is possible, perhaps a taster day or a chance to sit in on actual lessons. Most colleges are happy to arrange this.
Check the inspection report again
Now that you have visited, re-read the ISI inspection report with fresh eyes. Details that seemed abstract before the visit will make more sense after you have walked the corridors and met the staff.
When to Start Visiting
For families considering September 2026 entry, the spring term is the ideal window. Most private sixth form colleges run open events between February and May, with some offering additional dates in June for late deciders.
If your child is in Year 11 and has recently received mock results, this is the natural moment to explore options. Mock results give you a realistic picture of likely GCSE outcomes, which helps both you and admissions teams have productive conversations.
Do not wait until GCSE results day if you can avoid it. Families who have already visited and shortlisted colleges are in a far stronger position in August than those starting from scratch. That said, if results day does prompt a change of plan, our guide to switching after results day covers the practical steps.
You can browse college profiles to identify which colleges to visit, and use the comparison tool to narrow your shortlist before booking open days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should my child come to the open day?
Yes, wherever possible. This is their education, and their instinct about a place matters. Teenagers notice things parents miss: the social atmosphere, whether students seem genuinely happy, and whether the college feels like somewhere they could belong. If your child cannot attend the main open day, ask the college about alternative visit dates.
How many colleges should we visit?
Three to five is a sensible range. Fewer than three does not give you enough to compare. More than five and the visits start to blur together, even with good notes. Quality of visits matters more than quantity. If you have read the parent's guide to choosing a sixth form, you will have a clear sense of what to prioritise.
Is it worth visiting if we are not sure about private education?
Absolutely. Attending an open day does not commit you to anything. Many families visit private sixth forms out of curiosity and decide it is not right for them, which is a perfectly good outcome. Others visit expecting to rule it out and find it is exactly what their child needs. Either way, you are making an informed decision.
What if my child is considering international study or boarding?
If boarding is on the table, an open day visit is essential rather than optional. You need to see the boarding accommodation, meet the house staff, and get a sense of the evening and weekend routine. Ask to visit during a normal school day rather than a staged event if possible. For international students, ask specifically about English language support, integration programmes, and how the college helps students adjust to living away from home.
Jonny Rowse
Education Editor
