Choosing a school for your child can be a difficult decisionm but it is one that is worth taking your time over to ensure your child reaches their full potential.
The first step in this process should be to find out about the schools available in your area and make a shortlist of the things you are looking for in a school.
This could be as simple as distance from home or more defined, such as the school’s sports provision or academic achievement.
Now create a short list of schools you think may be suitable and do a bit more research.
You can find out about individual schools by looking at their most recent Ofsted inspection and by comparing them in the national league tables, both of which are available online.
The school’s own website is also obviously a useful source of information.
Every school’s website must include information about:
- the amount of money they get from taking underprivileged children (the ‘pupil premium’), what they do with it and the effect it’s had
- details of the curriculum
- admission criteria
- behaviour policy
- special educational needs policy
- disability policy
- links to Ofsted reports
- links to performance data
- the school’s latest key stage 2 and 4 attainment and progress measures.
Talking to other parents about the schools their children attend is also another good way of getting a feel for a school. Ask them if their children are happy there? What do they think of the teachers? What is discipline like? How are they getting on academically?
When you have narrowed your search down it is time to get a first hand impression of the school.
Nothing can sway a decision more than seeing for yourself how the school is run, meeting the staff and seeing how the children behave.
Many schools have open days where you can go along and see the school “in action”.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and go with your gut – even the best school on paper might not be the best fit for your child, so trust your own intuition too.
Even if the first school you visit seems to be a perfect fit for your child and offers everything you have been looking for, it is always worth visiting one or two more just to confirm the feeling.
For more help and advice on choosing schools, go to www.gov.uk/schools-admissions/, where you can also get help on applying for places.
