10 Questions to Ask Any Performing Arts Studio Before You Enrol (That Most Parents Never Think to Ask)

Most parents approach the process of choosing a performing arts studio the way they approach most things online: they look at the website, scroll the Instagram, check the reviews, and make a decision based on what they can see from the outside.

This is understandable. But it leaves a lot of the most important information on the table.

The things that determine whether a studio is truly right for your child and your family are often not visible on a website. They are revealed in direct conversation, in the questions you ask and the quality of the answers you receive.

Here are ten questions worth asking. And for full transparency: we've answered each one as we would answer it at MNM Creating and Performing, so you can see exactly what our answers look like.

1. What is included in the weekly fee, and what is not?

This is the most important financial question you can ask, and the answer will tell you a great deal about the studio's values. At MNM Creating and Performing, the weekly fee includes your child's class, their uniform, and their costume for performances. There are no additional charges for standard participation.

2. What qualifications do your teachers hold?

Look for qualifications in both the performing arts discipline and in early childhood education or child development, particularly for studios working with under-5s. At MNM Creating and Performing, all teachers hold relevant performing arts qualifications and have training in early childhood development.

3. What is your teacher-to-child ratio?

This matters enormously for young children. A ratio of 1:8 or lower is ideal for toddler and preschool classes. Ask what the maximum class size is and whether there is ever a second adult in the room. At MNM, our class sizes are deliberately kept small to ensure every child receives genuine individual attention.

4. How do you handle separation anxiety and settling-in?

Any studio working with children under 5 should have a clear, thoughtful answer to this question. Vague reassurances ("they usually settle quickly") are a yellow flag. At MNM Creating and Performing, we have a specific, layered transition approach that we are happy to walk families through in detail before enrolment.

5. How do you communicate with parents about what's happening in class?

Does communication happen via automated newsletter, or is there genuine, individualised contact when something is worth sharing? At MNM, our teachers communicate directly with families, before and after class, and via message when we observe something worth noting.

6. What happens if we need to miss classes or take a break?

Life happens. A studio's answer to this question reveals how it thinks about families. Rigid "no refunds, no exceptions" policies indicate a transactional relationship. At MNM Creating and Performing, we approach this with flexibility and genuine humanity, because we understand that being a family is complicated.

7. How long have your teachers been with you?

Teacher retention is a proxy for culture. Studios where teachers stay year after year are studios where teachers feel valued, and where children can build lasting relationships with consistent adults. At MNM, our teachers stay because they love the work and feel genuinely supported.

8. Can I observe a class before enrolling?

A studio that is confident in its culture and its teaching will welcome observation. A studio that restricts or discourages it is protecting something. At MNM Creating and Performing, we offer a free trial class, because we believe you should experience what we do before you commit to it.

9. How do you handle it if something isn't working for my child?

This question gets at a studio's genuine commitment to individual children versus its commitment to running smooth, undisrupted classes. At MNM, we initiate these conversations, we don't wait for parents to raise concerns. We tell you what we're observing and we problem-solve together.

10. What do families typically say when they leave?

Not "why do families leave", that's too confronting a question to yield an honest answer. But "what do they say?" reveals a studio's relationship with its own performance. At MNM Creating and Performing, the most common things families say when they (eventually) outgrow us are: "I wish we'd started sooner" and "Can you recommend somewhere just like this for older kids?"

These ten questions will not make your decision for you. But they will give you significantly more information than the website alone, and they will reveal, in the quality and confidence of the answers, more than any brochure ever could.

Ask us any of these questions, we love them. Book a free trial or a chat with MNM Creating and Performing, Baulkham Hills.