After deciding to start a family, the most important decision you will ever make as a parent is choosing which school will be the best fit for your child. Focusing on words like ‘right’ or ‘best’ is more helpful than ‘good’ because this can often be tied up with Ofsted ratings and top exam results – which may not always equal a school setting where your child will thrive and fulfil their potential. School Guide has helped more than 20 million parents make a confident and clear school choice and here are their tips on what to look for before you press submit on a school application.
Be an early bird
Like any important decision, reduce stress and give yourself the best opportunity to prepare your school application with peace of mind by researching your options at least one year before it’s time to press submit. For primary school (entry at age 5), it’s beneficial to start even earlier as your choice of pre-school may influence your first choice. Nurseries and pre-schools can be ‘feeders’ to certain primary schools, so check before you enrol your child. In fact, when it comes to planning your child’s first school, it’s never too early to start.
When choosing a secondary school (entry at age 11), create a short list and start attending open days in Year 5 (the year before the final year at primary school). Do bear in mind that pupils can develop and change a lot during the final two years of primary school but starting early gives you the luxury of having a long list which makes it easier to create a confident short list when the time comes to apply.
Consider your type on paper
Norwegians have more than fifty words for snow and the same principle should apply to the word 'school'. There is a wide range of types of schools; all with their own unique features and benefits. It can be helpful to start with a simple either/or list of questions like so:
- Religious OR not religious?
- Co-educational OR single sex?
- Private OR state?
- Academically selective (e.g. grammar school) OR inclusive?
- Sporty OR arty
- Nurturing OR highly ambitious
- Online OR bricks & mortar?
Obviously some of these are not mutually exclusive but it can start to help formulate ideas.
If you are making the decision with a partner, do go through the list together. It may surprise you that you have different opinions on what’s important, which is another reason to start planning early so you have plenty of time to negotiate.
Drop the pin on the map
Thinking about location and transport links will be key, whether you are choosing a school due to a house move or not. Location often goes hand-in-hand with catchment areas, which can and do change every year and can be a minefield for parents to understand. Check out our essential guide to catchment areas or search for schools in your local area and explore School Guide’s catchment checker tool to give yourself peace of mind when it comes to likelihood of admission to a school based on a postcode.
Examine the exam results (and inspect the inspection report)
Following the controversy over one-word gradings (like Outstanding or Inadequate), Ofsted introduced a new traffic light report card in 2025. There are five ratings across six core areas of inspection and this means parents may need to unpack a more detailed and potentially more ‘spiky’ profile to find key strengths and weaknesses. While it requires a bit more homework, it’s worth the deep dive, and it’s important to apply the same inspection methods to the older style reports. Don’t rely on the headline judgement, especially as some schools have one-word gradings from over a decade ago. When it comes to considering academic performance, don’t assume that the school with all the dazzling A* exam results at the top of the league table is right for your child. Top grades often come with streaming children by their ability to pass exams (i.e. putting children into high, middle and low classes or sets), and it’s well worth looking at softer metrics such as progress measures and non-academic scores like School Guide’s happiness rating.
Get set for open days
Even if you feel you have your decision in the bag, do visit at least one other school so you can be either 100% sure or discover some aspects to school life that you may not have previously considered. Book open day slots in advance and make sure you prioritise listening to the head teacher’s talk. The head will influence staffing decisions and give you a good sense of the culture and ethos of the school. It’s important that you like him or her – not in terms of whether you would be friends but whether you feel a connection with their general attitude and approach to learning. Go armed with any specific questions relating to your child such as Special Educational Needs (SEN) or the school’s capacity to nurture a special talent or sporting interest. Don’t forget to ask about areas of school life that are fast changing such as their approach to AI – is a bot allowed to help with homework research or not? – and their mobile phone policy. Schools currently decide themselves whether pupils have access to smartphones during the school day and schools with stricter rules are growing in popularity with parents.
Finally, an important DO and DON’T
There are two really important aspects to choosing a school that have nothing to do with passing exams, achieving good grades or where you live:
DO involve your child in the decision. When choosing a primary school, ask your preschooler which parts of their day they enjoy the most. If they seem unsure, check with their key worker at preschool or nursery. Children preparing for secondary school are very likely to have an opinion on the secondary school they like and you should take them to all the open days and, if offered, any taster sessions. While it’s natural for them to be influenced by where their friends are going, try and help them understand that it’s common to make new friends at secondary school and moving on a group can have its pros and cons.
DON’T forget that you are an expert when it comes to your child. Trust your instincts in terms of the school setting that you think will tick the most boxes for them. And one final don’t: don’t forget that even a decision as big as starting a new school is not set in stone. Children can and do change schools and can be very adaptable.
