Choosing a school: common questions
Picking a school is one of the harder decisions a parent makes, and the numbers only tell part of the story. These answers cover the questions that come up most often, from how far a catchment reaches to how much weight to put on an inspection. Admission rules differ across England, Wales and Scotland, so where that matters we say so.
Questions parents ask
- How should I compare two schools?
- Start with the things a page can show you plainly: the inspection report and its date, the size and make-up of the school, and, in England, the published results read with their cohort in mind. Treat those as a way to draw up a shortlist rather than a verdict, then visit, because a school that suits one child may not suit another. We never rank schools across nations or across different inspection frameworks, because the measures are not comparable.
- What is a catchment area?
- A catchment area is the zone a school gives priority to when it has more applicants than places. Living inside it does not guarantee a place, and living outside it does not rule one out, because siblings, faith and other criteria often come first. Councils publish the furthest distance a school offered a place to in the previous year, which is a better guide than the catchment line on its own.
- How many schools should I put on the application form?
- Use every preference you are allowed, which is usually up to three in England and often more elsewhere, and list them in genuine order of preference. Ranking a school lower does not harm your chances at a school placed higher, and naming only one school does not improve your odds; it just leaves you with no fallback if that school is full.
- Does a school's inspection grade tell me if it is right for my child?
- It tells you what inspectors found on a set of measures on a particular date, which is useful but partial. An older grade describes the school as it was then, a newer report card in England grades several areas separately rather than giving one word, and neither captures what you notice on a visit, such as how settled the pupils seem. Read the grade with its date and treat it as one input among several.
- Should I visit schools before applying?
- Yes, if you can. Most schools run open days and tours in the autumn term before the application deadlines, and many are happy to arrange a look round at other times. A visit answers questions no dataset can, such as how the school communicates with parents, how it handles pastoral care, and whether your child can picture themselves there.
- We are moving house. How does that affect our application?
- Tell the council you are applying to as early as you can, because most will only use a new address once you can show a tenancy or a completed purchase, to stop temporary moves being used to gain a place. Keep evidence of the move, apply on time from your current address if the new one is not yet confirmed, and ask the council how it treats an address change part-way through the round.