Boarding School Campus Visit Checklist: What to See, What to Ask and How to Plan the Drive

On a boarding school visit, see where your child will live daily: dorm, washrooms, mess at a meal time, study hall, infirmary and sports grounds. Ask the warden who is on duty at night, the phone and visit rules, and how food, medical care and studies are handled. Plan a full day, with two to three hours on campus.

A brochure and a website show you a school at its best. A visit shows you how children actually live there. This guide gives you what to look at, what to ask and how to plan the day, plus a printable checklist you can carry with you. It works for any boarding school you visit.

Book a campus visit

What to look for when you visit a boarding school

Spend most of your time where your child will spend most of theirs. Classrooms matter, but the hostel, the mess and the evening routine shape a boarder's day far more.

Dorms and hostel rooms

How many children share a room or dorm, and how beds and cupboards are arranged.
Where the warden's or rector's room is in relation to the children's rooms.
Whether boys' and girls' hostels are separate, and how entry is controlled.
Light, ventilation, fans, and where clothes are dried.
Where personal belongings are kept and whether they can be locked.

Washrooms

The number of toilets and bathrooms per floor compared with the number of children.
Cleanliness at the time you visit, not only after a scheduled cleaning.
Hot water arrangements and bathing timings.
Whether younger children get help from staff.

Mess and dining hall

Try to visit at a meal time and, if allowed, eat what the children eat.
Look at the kitchen, drinking water source and how utensils are washed.
Ask to see the weekly menu and how often it changes.
Watch whether teachers or wardens eat with the children.

Study hall and academic block

Where boarders do homework in the evening and who supervises it.
The library, its timings and whether boarders can use it after classes.
Science and computer labs, if your child will be in the senior classes.

Infirmary

Whether the infirmary is open around the clock and who staffs it at night.
How many beds there are and where a sick child rests.
How far the nearest hospital is and how a child is taken there.

Sports grounds and activity spaces

Which sports are actually played every day, not just listed.
Whether a coach or teacher is present during games time.
Spaces for music, art and indoor games for rainy days and evenings.

People, not just buildings

Notice how students greet staff, whether they look relaxed, and whether staff know children by name. If you can, speak to a student on your own for a minute and ask what a normal weekday looks like.

Questions to ask a boarding school

Questions for the warden or rector

Who is on duty in the hostel at night, and where do they sleep?
How often are night rounds done, and is attendance taken at bedtime?
What does a normal weekday look like from wake-up to lights out?
How do you help a child who is homesick in the first weeks?
How does a child raise a problem, and how quickly is a parent told?
How are bullying and fights handled?

Phone calls, visits and outings

When can my child call home, and from which phone?
How often can parents visit, and on which days?
What are the rules for outings, home leave and who may pick up the child?
How do parents get updates on studies and well-being?

Food

Is the menu vegetarian, non-vegetarian or both, and how are special diets handled?
How many meals and snacks are served in a day?
Can children have extra milk or fruit if they are hungry at night?

Medical care

Who checks a child who feels unwell at night?
How are regular medicines and allergies recorded and given?
When are parents informed, and who takes a child to a hospital if needed?
Is there counselling support, and how often is the counsellor on campus?

Academics

Which board is the school affiliated to, and what is the affiliation number?
How are evening study and weekend study supervised?
What extra help is given to a child who falls behind?
For Class XI and XII, which streams are offered?
How often are parents sent progress reports?

Check the board and affiliation number against the board's public records. A good school will be happy to show you documents and will not mind you writing answers down.

Pick a visit slot

How to plan the visit day and the drive

Book ahead. Choose a slot in advance so a member of the admissions team and a warden can meet you. A booked visit usually means you can see the hostel, not just the office.
Bring your child. Children notice how other students behave and whether the food suits them. Ask your child to prepare one question of their own.
Plan a full day. Allow two to three hours on campus, plus travel and a meal break. Starting early avoids rushing the hostel tour.
Plan the drive. Check the route the night before, keep the school's address saved offline in case of weak network on highways, and carry water and snacks for the children.
Visit at a meal time or evening study, if allowed. These are the moments that show daily life best.
Carry documents. Your child's latest report card and birth certificate copies help if you decide to start the admission process the same day.
Take notes and photos where permitted. After two or three visits, schools blur together. Use the checklist below to compare.
Talk on the drive home. Ask your child what they liked and what worried them before you share your own view.

Visiting Shivneri School & Junior College

If you are visiting us, here is what is useful to know before you set out.

Where: Khanapur, Narayangaon-Junnar Road, Taluka Junnar, Dist. Pune, Maharashtra 410502, about 75 km from Pune and 150 km from Mumbai.
Who boards: Shivneri School & Junior College is a CBSE-affiliated (Affiliation No. 1130133) English-medium, co-educational CBSE residential (boarding) school. Boarding is from Class I to Class XII, with separate hostels for boys and girls. Pre-primary (Play Group to Sr KG) runs as day classes. Junior College (Class XI-XII) is in Science and Commerce.
What you can see: a 13-acre campus with a 700-seat dining hall, a library of 35,000+ books, a 1,000-seat auditorium and a 24/7 in-house infirmary with nurses.
Who to meet: ask to meet a dorm warden. Pastoral care includes dorm wardens and weekly counsellor visits.
Background: Shivneri Foundation, a public trust, was established in 2004 and the school opened in 2005. The school has 100% Class X results, all 16 batches.

Ask us every question on the checklist below. We would rather you leave with answers than with doubts.

Book a campus visit at Shivneri

Frequently asked questions

What should I look for when visiting a boarding school?

Look at the places your child will use every day: the dorm and how many share a room, the washrooms and their cleanliness, the mess or dining hall at a meal time, the evening study hall, the infirmary and who staffs it at night, and the sports grounds. Notice how students and staff talk to each other.

What questions should I ask a boarding school warden or rector?

Ask who is on duty in the hostel at night and where they sleep, how often they do rounds, how homesickness is handled, the rules for phone calls and parent visits, how a sick child is cared for and when parents are told, and how a complaint from a child reaches the warden.

How long does a boarding school campus visit take?

Plan for two to three hours on campus so you can see the dorms, dining hall, infirmary, academic block and sports areas and still have time to meet the admissions team and a warden. Add travel time and plan the drive so you arrive rested.

Should my child come on the campus visit?

Yes, if possible. Your child notices things adults miss, such as how other students behave, how the dorm feels and whether the food suits them. Let your child ask at least one question of their own and talk about the visit together on the drive home.

How do I book a campus visit at Shivneri School & Junior College?

Book a slot online at shivnerischool.com/admissions/#book. The campus is in Khanapur, Narayangaon-Junnar Road, Taluka Junnar, Dist. Pune, Maharashtra 410502, about 75 km from Pune and 150 km from Mumbai.