A preschool tour is a sales meeting. The school controls what you see; your questions control what you learn. Take these fifteen with you.
Safety and supervision
1. "Who can pick my child up, and how do you verify it?" Good answer: a named-person system with ID or a pickup card, no exceptions. Worrying answer: "We know all our parents."
2. "Can I see the CCTV setup? Do parents get access?" You're checking coverage of classrooms and play areas, and whether the cameras actually work.
3. "Who on staff is first-aid trained, and where is the nearest hospital tie-up?" There should be a specific name and a specific clinic, not "everyone knows basics".
4. "What is your policy when a child is unwell or has an accident?" Listen for: parent called immediately, incident logged in writing.
Staffing
5. "How many children and how many adults in my child's batch, for the full session?" See our ratio guide: 1:5 for toddlers, 1:10 for nursery, 1:15 for KG.
6. "What qualifications and training do the teachers have?" NTT/ECCE diplomas, Montessori certification if claimed, and, importantly, ongoing training.
7. "How long has the lead teacher been here?" High teacher turnover is the strongest hidden signal of a badly run centre.
8. "Who is with the children during meal and washroom time?"
Program and daily life
9. "Walk me through a normal Tuesday." The single best question. Specific schedules mean a real program; adjectives mean a brochure.
10. "How much outdoor time do children get daily?" Under 30 minutes is a red flag at this age.
11. "Is there homework?" For ages 2 to 4 the right answer is no. Worksheets sent home daily contradict every ECCE framework.
12. "How will I know what my child did today?" App updates, diary, photos, or a weekly note, pick a school that communicates.
Money
13. "What is the all-inclusive annual cost, in writing?" Admission + tuition + kit + uniform + transport + activity charges + annual day. Schools that resist writing it down usually have a reason.
14. "What is the refund policy if we withdraw mid-year?"
15. "Which costs will increase next year, and by how much?" Fee hikes of 10 to 15% a year are common; surprise hikes of 30% are not okay.
After the tour
Stand at the gate at pickup time and ask two current parents one question: "Would you choose this school again?" Their faces will answer before their words do.