Open Days

Open Days As part of your child’s S6 curriculum the school will sanction permitted attendance at a maximum of 2 open days. In order to apply the appropriate attendance code for your child we should be alerted in advance to which open days your child will attend. It should be noted that lectures/activities for specific courses are often planned for different times throughout the day and students can select the most appropriate lecture/activity for their chosen course. Please note that it is now quite common that those who wish to attend an open day register their interest in advance with the appropriate institution. Open days can be attended on: an in person or virtual basis. Increasingly weekends are made available as part of the programme. This is to assist with attendance, travel and also to help parents attend. As well as your child not missing school to attend an open day, this often allows parents to attend as well. Discussions with university colleagues are invaluable and quite insightful, particularly regarding current entrance requirements. Weekend attendance is the school’s preferred option, ensuring that pupils are attending school as much as possible.

When a young person applies to a university there is an expectation as part of their personal statement that they demonstrate their course and university choices are informed ones. Open days play are an important part in this research and decision making process, which is commented upon in both the personal statement and reference submitted as part of the UCAS application process.

Each session in August pupils are made aware of the dates of the more commonly attended open days (of pupils at Calderside). This is not an exhaustive list and should an institution be omitted that is of interest to your child you should seek details of this independently.

Where a pupil is choosing to attend an open day and miss school for that day, they should provide their Pupil Support teacher with a parental note in advance of attendance.