Choosing a school

A beginner’s guide to choosing a school in London

London is a huge, diverse and fast-moving city. Its occupants live busy lives and demand high standards, not least from the educational establishments they choose for their children. London is home to some of the most academic state and private schools in the country but excellent sport, art, drama and music are often found in the capital's schools too.

Catchment area cheat

School catchment area frenzy is gripping the nation as anxious parents lie, cheat, and even change their religion to get their offspring into the right school. And as the cost of living continues to soar and many independent school fees remain out of reach for the majority, there’s no sign of the trend slowing down, with hordes of parents willing to do almost anything to get their children into the state school of their choice.

Changing school for sixth form

A change from single sex school to co-ed, day to boarding, private to state, A levels to IB -these or their vice versas are just a few of the reasons for moving to a different school after GCSEs. For some young people the motivation is less specific, they may just feel ready for a fresh start and new faces. If you think that a change of school might be on the horizon for your child then ideally you will need to get the ball rolling towards the end of their year 10 in time for sixth form open days and applications which generally take place the following autumn. 

Choosing a school - tips for parents

What do you want for your child? State school or fee-paying? Day or boarding school? Single sex or co-education? It helps to have a game plan, even if you change it at a later date. What do you want from the school? Undoubtedly you want to find a great school, one that's ideal for your child, with great teaching and possibly good facilities to match.

Coronavirus and school fees

School fees in the time of coronavirus: The Good Schools Guide’s view. We understand that the situation regarding payment of school fees at the current time is a huge concern for many parents. Please click here for our opinion on the situation and answers to your most common questions.

Educating the gifted child

Gifted children develop cognitively at a much faster rate than they develop physically, emotionally and socially, posing some interesting problems. For some, rapidly grasping what others cannot can lead to boredom, frustration and inappropriate behaviour. In all these cases there are challenges for parents, teachers and the child, who sees conforming to the norm as a major peer requirement.

Find school places for Ukrainian refugees

The government’s ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme aims to enable tens of thousands of people, including school-age children, to flee the war in Ukraine and come to the UK. So how can host families help find these children the right school and apply for a place?

From embryo to 18 - planning your child's education

A handful of schools literally demand that you apply for a place as soon as your child is born, which means it’s never too early to start planning your child’s education. In fact, it’s a process that can start even before you’ve conceived – and that goes for all parents, wherever they want their offspring to go to school.

From embryo to 18, read on to find out how to survive the education highway. Our lively look at education planning for children of all ages and their parents aims to guide you through the schooling stages in both the independent and state sectors, and to tell you what to plan for and when.

'Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children and no theories.' John Wilmot

With school gates firmly closed to visitors, prospective pupils and their parents need to find new ways of getting to know schools before making an informed decision. But in the middle of the Covid-19 lockdown how can you replicate that ‘gut feel’ experience of visiting a school? The experts at The Good Schools Guide talks 'virtual open days' and offers tips to get you on the right track.

Further reading

Getting the most out of parents’ evenings

Parents’ evenings – not to be confused with daytime TV game shows, speed-dating or the Spanish Inquisition - are a rare chance to sit face-to-face with your child’s teachers.

Inspection reports from Ofsted

Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills) https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people, and services providing education and skillstraining.

Mix and match state and private education

All those scary newspaper statistics about the long-term costs of keeping your child in nappies and birthday presents pale into insignificance when set beside the £250,000+ you’ll need to educate a child privately from nursery to university. But paying for a private education from finger painting to Freshers’ Week is not an option for most families. .

Online schools

Online schooling is an alternative to more traditional schooling, whereby children or young people learn either entirely or primarily online. Online schools and colleges have become particularly popular since COVID.

Pastoral care in schools

Children’s mental health has hit a worrying low, according to a raft of research from charities and professional bodies. From anxieties caused by exam stress and social media to the devastating toll of the pandemic, the picture has never been starker.

Performing Arts schools

At specialist music, dance or performing arts schools, the arts aren't optional extras. They’re intrinsic to the school curriculum. Students are expected to fit in high level training and hours of practice alongside a full academic provision.

School Open Days

They may not truly reflect day-to-day life at a school (this will be school at its best) but they'll give you a flavour of what's happening and allow you to soak up the atmosphere. They are your chance to have the upper hand, get a feel for the school and chat with pupils and staff. Do visit more than one school: it’s useful to compare and contrast.

Sexual misconduct among pupils – what you need to know

As if it wasn’t hard enough guiding your child through the complexities of social media – not to mention alcohol, drugs and sex – along come allegations of sexual harassment and assault among pupils and even a ‘rape culture’ in schools.

Single sex school or coeducational school?

Whether you’re starting out on your child’s education journey for the first time or are a seasoned parent looking for a new secondary school or sixth form, the question of whether single sex or co-educational schools are best can be a hard one to answer.  

The UK school system

The first thing to know about the UK school system is that there isn’t one. Each of the four nations – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - operates differently, with different curricula. However, there are similarities too, especially in the independent sector.   

What is Further Education?

Further Education refers to educational choices made after reaching your 16th birthday. FE covers all qualifications lower than a degree.

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Alternative Schools

• Alternative schools

  Alternative schools – sometimes known as progressive schools - offer an unconventional approach to education. They suit parents who consider traditional schooling a straightjacket and children who don’t flourish in more traditional settings.

  Why alternative schools?

  As parents we are never quite sure if we are doing this right. There are no guidebooks to bringing up children and when it comes to schooling, there is nothing more likely to cause sleepless nights. So much emphasis is put on education that as a parent you feel you just have to get it right…but how do you find the right fit for your child?

  With ever-increasing emphasis on exam results, it takes a brave parent to step off the mainstream carousel of fact cramming, regular homework and testing. If you are the sort of tiger parent who has already, in your mind’s eye, seen your child off to Oxbridge, alternative schooling probably isn’t for you. But one ‘alternative’ parent described it as a refuge from mainstream education where children are ‘criticised and their self-esteem damaged…like workers in a factory’. Read more

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  Types of alternative education

• Forest schools

  Forest schools aren’t actual physical schools. Instead, they refer to regular outdoor sessions, mostly at nursery or primary school level, in natural environments to enable children to develop confidence through hands-on learning.

• Home schooling in the UK

  First, the myths. Home schooling isn’t illegal in the UK (though it is in some other countries such as Germany).

  Nor is it deviant or something undertaken only by weirdos whose extreme religious or dietary views put them at odds with society. You’ll definitely encounter a few distinctly quirky perspectives among home educating parents, but probably no more so than in any other community defending strongly held views that set it apart from the mainstream.

   

• Montessori schools

  Creativity and exploration – this ethos puts children firmly at the centre of society. Philosophy:  Based on self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play. Background: Pioneered by Maria Montessori, Italy’s first female doctor in 1907 to educate the poor in Italy. To the uninitiated, Montessori methods may seem like a free-for-all. Homework, testing and exams are seldom found. Montessori found that children learn best by doing ‘The essence of independence is to be able to do something for one’s self. A child works in order to grow, and is working to create the adult, the person that is to be.’ - Maria Montessori.

• Steiner-Waldorf schools in the UK

  Overview:  Steiner Waldorf aims to provide an unhurried and creative learning environment in harmony with different phases of a child’s development. Background: In 1919, Austrian philosopher and scientist, Rudolf Steiner, whose ideas founded the basis of Anthroposophy, began a school in Stuttgart for children of the workers at the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory. This inspired a worldwide movement of schools.

• The 'alternative' alternatives

  If you thought Steiner and Montessori schools were ‘alternative’, then take a look at The Guide’s ultimate alternative schools, so far removed from a traditional set up that some of them are world renowned. Categorised as ‘learning for life’, these schools take traditional schooling and turn it on its head. There are literally a handful scattered through the UK. Think Sands School in Devon, Brockwood Park and Summerhill. They are one of a kind and completely individual.

Grammar Schools

• Grammar school admissions

  State grammar schools select pupils by ability. Children are usually tested in the final year of primary school (aged 10/11), by an exam commonly known as the 11+, (see Understanding the 11+). A few schools test for entry at 13+, and many re-open their books at 16+. Some grammar schools now give preference to qualifying children on Pupil Premium. Read more

• Grammar school appeals

  Your child has passed the 11+, but has not been offered a grammar school place. Or perhaps your child has narrowly missed the required mark or has not performed as expected in the tests. What can you do? Unfortunately passing the 11+ does not always guarantee you a place at a grammar school. Some will select by the highest score, others by proximity to the school. Every year a substantial number of grammar ability children are not offered a grammar school place on National Offer Day. If this has happened to your child you will, understandably, feel both disappointed and, probably, that the system is unfair. Read more

• Grammar schools best value added

  We examined the value-added from KS2 to GCSE for 2024 to see which state selective grammar schools added the most value to their offspring. A note of caution - the more highly selective a grammar school, the less scope there will be to add value.

• Grammar schools in the UK

  Grammar schools are state-funded, academically selective senior schools. The education a child receives at grammar school is paid for by the state unlike at private schools which provide education for a fee. There are currently around 163 located in 36 English local authorities, with around 167,000 pupils between them. Northern Ireland has a further 67 grammar schools, but there are none in Wales or Scotland. A word of caution: there are private schools that have the word 'grammar' in their name but this is purely for historical reasons. 

• State grammar school local authorities

  State grammar schools are located in 38 UK local authorities, including Barnet, Bexley, Bromley, Enfield, Kingston upon Thames See complete list

Independent Schools

• Applying to a selective private school

  A place at an academically selective private senior school is the holy grail for many parents. These schools know how to get the most from pupils and open doors to leading universities but the admissions process are complex and must be successfully navigated before the offer of a place lands in your inbox.

• Boarding prep schools: what you need to know

  Nearly all boarding preps go up to age 13 (year 8) because they prepare pupils for senior boarding schools that start in year 9. The majority of pupils at these prep schools start ‘proper’ boarding at around age 11 although some may have tried it out previously via flexi boarding or doing the occasional ‘taster’ night. A few prep schools admit boarders under 10 and make special provision for them with bedrooms that look much closer to how things are at home and, because numbers are small, a regime that is flexible.

• Boarding school for the sixth form

  It’s quite common for young people to want a change of scene after GCSEs and some may choose to move to a school where they can board for their last two years. We visit many schools where there are more boarders in the sixth form than lower down the school – largely because 16- to 18-year-olds are keen to concentrate on their studies, socialise with their friends in their spare time and get a taste of living away from home prior to university.

• Choir schools explained

  A choir school is a school attached to a Christian cathedral, major church or college chapel and educates the girl and boy choristers who sing at services. Nearly all choir schools (Westminster Abbey is the exception) also take children who are not interested in becoming choristers, in fact, the choristers are usually in the minority but the presence of a professional choir and the close relationship with ancient religious foundations means that these schools are unique and provide an unusual educational experience. 

• Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI)

  The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is an independent inspectorate appointed by the Department for Education (DfE) to inspect schools that are members of the associations that make up the Independent Schools Council (ISC).

• Prep and pre-prep schools: what do I need to know?

  As their name suggests, the main aim of ‘preparatory schools’, or prep schools, is to prepare children for entry to fee-paying senior schools at 11 or 13. Traditionally, pre-preps take children from 3 or 4 and prepare them for moving on to preps at 7 or 8. There are fewer stand-alone pre-preps than there used to be as their main market, the boarding prep, has declined in numbers.

• Preparing your child for private school interviews

  While state schools are prohibited from interviewing any but potential sixth form students, the interview is an integral part of nearly every private school admissions process, and tends to send the applicant’s parents, rather than the actual applicant, into a spin. Parents feel considerably more responsible for their child’s social presentation than for his or her ability to do long division or conjugate French verbs.

• Private school fees explained: what are you paying for?

  Rewind a few decades and the general position on private school fees was, 'if you have to ask how much, you probably can’t afford it.' Even The Good Schools Guide didn’t publish them in early editions.

• Private school scholarships and bursaries

  Private schools offer scholarships and bursaries in order to attract talented pupils and to make a place affordable for those families unable to pay fees.

• Private schools in the UK

  Left scratching your head about the difference between public school, private school and independent school? And where on earth prep schools and boarding schools fit into the picture? Fear not – our at a glance guide will set you straight:

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  Independent Schools further reading

• Registration fees and deposits explained

  Every private school sets its own admissions procedure. But while there is no fixed model, most schools ask parents to part with considerable sums of money – some refundable, some not - at certain points of the admissions journey.

  You may find you’re asked to pay more than you expected and that the sums quickly add up especially if you’re applying to more than one school.

• What type of boarding - full, weekly or flexi?

  If you’re reading this you’ve probably already decided that boarding might suit your son or daughter. If so the next step is to consider the arrangement that best suits your family. Unlike the old days, when youngsters were packed off to school at the age of 7 or 8 and didn’t see home again until the end of term, today’s boarding schools offer parents a choice of full boarding, weekly boarding, flexi boarding or even a combination of these. For instance, flexi boarders may wish to weekly board during exam times or become full boarders in the sixth form.

Nursery Schools

• Childcare choices for under 5s

  What type of childcare suits your family best? We’ve not met a parent who has done birth to school without some form of help. Everyone needs a new perspective on – or a break from - their children at some point in those 5 years. Children also need interaction and to form attachments with those other than their parents for their well-being. Read more

• Nurseries and early years – your questions answered

  All work and no play? All play and no work? Or something inbetween? Whatever you choose, think safety first. Nursery / early years education should be an exciting, important, formative part of your child's development but finding what's ideal for your child isn't always easy.  Read more

• Nursery schools – finding the right one

  The right preschool setting will be one in which your child can thrive, flourish and develop - socially, cognitively, emotionally, physically. But there are no hard and fast rules about which ones are best, so try not to have too many preconceived ideas and explore all options so you make the right decision for you. Read more

State Schools

• A guide to state schools

  In the UK, a state school provides a free education for children aged between 4 and 18. State schools are government-funded, paid for by taxes, and every child in the country is entitled to a place. 

• Faith schools in the UK

  From assemblies on Diwali to collecting food for Harvest Festival, religion plays a role in all UK schools, teaching children about different cultures, beliefs and the world around them. Faith schools make religion a bigger focal point of school life and their reputation for strong communities, traditional principles and positive academic results make them an attractive prospect for many families on the hunt for a good state school.

• Primary school admissions

  You must apply through your local authority for a place at a primary school, even if it’s linked to your child’s current nursery. Normal primary school admissions are at 4+ into the reception class. Applications open on different days in each local council area - usually at the start of the autumn term of the year before your child is due to start school. Check your local authority website for details of the catchment area for primary schools nearby, faith requirements and key dates.

• Primary schools – top tips when applying

  Parents of children born between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021 have until 15 January 2025 to apply for a primary school place for the academic year starting in September 2025. Below you will find some key pointers for completing your primary school application. These bullet points represent the basics, however many parents will want, or even need, to get into the minutiae.

• School appeals – do I stand a chance?

  Can I appeal my child's secondary school offer? You have a legal right to appeal to any school named on your original preference form. This will come as a huge relief to those still suffering from the shock of receiving an offer for ‘Unpopular Academy’ instead of the high-flying secondary school you preferred. But it’s vital to have a back-up plan alongside the appeals process.

• Secondary school admissions

  For a place at secondary school, you must apply through your local authority, even if it’s linked to your child’s current primary school. Normal secondary school admissions are at 11+ into year 7. Applications open on different days in each local council area - usually at the start of the autumn term of year 6, though for most grammar schools you will need to register for the entrance test during the summer term of year 5.

• Secondary schools – top tips when applying

  The Good Schools Guide has been helping parents choose the right school for their children for more than 30 years. Here are our top tips and pitfalls to avoid on your secondary school application, which is due to land with your local authority by 31 October.

• State boarding schools

  If you think your child would benefit from a boarding school education, but are put off by the high fees and consequent limited social mix of a typical independent boarding school, you may find that a state boarding school is the answer. Read more...

  State grammar schools

  Counties such as Kent or Buckinghamshire are ‘selective authorities’ and most families will have at least one grammar school close to where they live. Elsewhere, for example in Reading or Kingston-on-Thames, there are just one or two grammar schools and competition for places at these is ferocious. Grammar schools are located in 36 English local authorities. Read more...

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  Further reading

  Northern Ireland Education System The education system in Northern Ireland has some important differences to the one in England and Wales. Whilst the school year also starts in September, the child’s age on 1 July (rather than 1 September, as in England and Wales) determines when they start school and what school year they are in. As elsewhere, children start primary school at 4+ and move on to secondary school at 11+.

  Scottish Education System The education system in Scotland is completely different from the rest of the UK. It is based on the Curriculum for Excellence which covers education from 3-18 years old. Children in Scotland usually start primary school in mid to late August when they are aged between four-and-a-half and five-and-a-half years old. Your child will be at primary school for seven years (p1-p7) before progressing to secondary school around the age of 11/12.

  Catchment area cheat Pressure for places in the UK’s best state schools is intensifying with state grammar schools leading the way. Popular schools see upwards of 10 applicants for every place. In 2014, almost half of children in some areas have been rejected from their preferred secondary school. Catchment areas are already shrinking as parents who had planned on private schooling join the battle for places in the best state schools.

  Inspection reports from Ofsted As with most reports, there’s a code to decipher and a few questions to ask. The local school gets a glowing report, yet you know half the population are banned from the shopping centre. Puzzling? So just what do inspection reports tell us and have they any value? The answers are lots, and yes, if you know how to read them.

  Understanding the British school system Normal primary school admissions are at 3+ into the nursery or 4+ into the reception class. Some are divided into infant and junior schools, the latter starting at 7 years. Most secondary schools start at 11. For a normal application, you will need to apply – with a local address - by around mid-January for primary schools and the end of October of the year before entry for secondary schools.

  When to put your child’s name down for a school A handful of schools literally demand that you apply for a place as soon as your child is born, which means it’s never too early to start planning your child’s education. In fact, it’s a process that can start even before you’ve conceived – and that goes for all parents, wherever they want their offspring to go to school.