What is an open day?

An open day is a great day for all the potential students to take a look around the school and get a feel to if they would like to go there. Moving into a secondary school can be a massive step and picking the right secondary for you is really important. Open day let’s all the subjects show off the amazing teachers and facilities. In addition, open days are a great way for parents to ask questions on any queries they may have, e.g. Does the school have special facilities helping children with autism, dyslexia or mobility?

Decorating your classroom ready for an open day

Each child will be looking round your classroom to see if they like what they see. Decorating your classroom with practical things is a great way to get the children mingling and talking. For example:

Science– Get the Bunsen burners out, setting fire to things is a great way to get everyone chatting away. I’ve been to many open days and leaving the children with a bang, fizzle or pop never fails to impress!

English– print out large definitions and key words, get the students to try and match them up as quick as possible, if they do it under a certain amount of time, they win a prize of a sweet or English stationary.

Geography – A quiz using a map and timer can be great fun and get everyone’s adrenaline pumping!

Art – When looking around art you want to admire all the amazing artwork that a child may aspire to do. Taking part in easy crafts such as mono printing or chalk gives them something to take home and remember how amazing your school was.

Music – An obvious one is to get the best music students to play as students look around the room, this gives them an idea of the amazing

P.E – Keeping the students occupied on an open day is perfect for them to remember the great school. Getting out the badminton and having mats out to show basic gymnastic moves means parents and students can get involved.

Stalls – DIY

Making your open day into a sort of fund-raising event as well means you can have other stalls such as:

Hook a duck – Lots of parents when looking around open days bring their younger children, so providing something for the whole family to do is perfect. A small baby paddling pool with rubber ducks is an easy method. However, if you want to shake it up a bit you can put colour on the bottom, relating to prize size.

The last trick, which is just as good is a raffle. Asking local businesses and existing parents of school to donate prizes is an excellent way to create the perfect raffle.

Stalls – Hired

Just as an allrounder for any subject is having an animal encounter:

Teaching Talons (The Animal Ambassadors) Ltd. can bring our animal encounters team to your school for an unforgettable learning experience in the comfort of the classroom! We have our own jungle-themed stand, backdrop and tables that we bring with us and decorate to make our visit extra special and exciting. Why not save expensive mini-bus hire, hours of planning and risk assessments by letting our team do the hard work for you!

Something for the science department is: Science Shows

The science magic show is packed with science tricks, stunts and puzzles. Dr Matt – The Science Magician – challenges the audience to discover the sneaky scientific secrets behind the surprising illusions. This is not just an awe & wonder show but one that encourages scientific enquiry, in addition to critical thinking skills. Along the way the audience will be taught a host of science tricks using everyday household objects that they can go away and try later; extending the learning and providing teachers with lots of follow up opportunities. During the show, Matt will share his background and love of science.