This is for you to decide. To help you make your decision it is important you obtain as much information as possible about the schools you are considering. You may find it helpful to talk to parents of children already attending the school. You have the right to express a preference for the school you wish your child to attend. We will endeavour to meet your preference providing there are not more applicants than there are places. Where this occurs we will allocate places in accordance with the criteria set out in section 3 for infant, primary and junior schools and section 4 for secondary schools of this booklet.
All schools publish information about their school which includes:
Information about admissions
- The school curriculum (including religious education, collective worship and sex education)
- Statement of school's ethos and values.
- Rates of pupils' authorised and unauthorised absence
- Information about the governing body's policy on pupils with special educational needs
- A summary of the schools National Curriculum assessments
- Charges for any additional school activities
- Complaints procedure
Schools are also inspected by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED). They are responsible for inspecting all schools and producing reports. The report is an external and independent view of what is good and not so good about a school. If you want a copy of the report for a particular school you can contact that school who must make available a copy of the report. You can also access the ofsted reports online.
The Department for Education and Skills has a website with a specific section for parents. It includes advice on expressing a preference and information on performance tables.