Sharing what I've found useful. Standard questions get standard answers. These three got me much more honest responses:
- 'What's a recent change you've made because parents pushed back?' — tells you how much they listen.
- 'Where do you think you're weakest compared to your competitor set?' — heads who can answer this honestly are usually the ones I trusted most.
- 'How do your Year 11 results split between mainstream A-level providers and the Sixth Form here?' — gives you a sense of retention vs flight.
What are yours?