School choice advice

Do you have a child in Year 5 or 6 at school?

Have you considered which secondary schools you might like your child to go to?

We can help you with free, impartial advice and information to support you through the process of deciding and applying for a secondary school place.

When your child begins Year 6 you will receive an application pack, including a Guide for Parents. You have a short period of time to complete the forms and hand into your child's school, or complete the online application form. We recommend you start thinking about this important decision when your child is in Year 5.

Getting started

• Use our directory of all the schools in Buckinghamshire - it include the address, type of school, name of head teacher, contact details and a link to the school's own website.
• Use our postcode checker to find out your catchment area school.
• Use our catchment area maps to see which schools are near where you live, but whose catchment area you live outside of.
• If you live close to the border of Buckinghamshire you can apply for a place in another county. Try visiting other Local Authority websites to find out about their schools. Contact details for popular neighbouring authority schools can be found towards the back of the Guide For Parents. If you live in Buckinghamshire, you need to complete the Buckinghamshire application form even if applying for schools outside the county.
• You have a right to state which schools you would prefer your child to attend, but not to actually choose the school they will go to.
• School places are allocated using a set of rules, these are in the Guide For Parents.

Choosing between schools

There are many things to consider. You will probably have an idea of what you think a school is like, we believe the best way to find out about a school is to actually visit it. Most schools hold their open evenings in the Autumn Term. We recommend you visit all of your catchment area schools and any others you're interested in. Be open-minded and make a list of things you want to know. If you are unable to attend the open evening, many schools will be happy to show you around at another time, either individually or with a group of other parents.

Some things to think about

• What sort of school would be right for your child? Find out more about our selective secondary education system.  
• Is it an Upper or Grammar School? Which would be right for your child?
• Location - find out about the school's transport policies.
• School specialism - many schools have a specialist status, you will be able to find out about this on their website.
• Do you have another child already at this school?
• What are your child's expectations of their new school?
• What are the academic results like? You can see the performance and achievement tables on the DCSF website.
• What extra-curricular activities do they offer?
• Do you need a school with extended services, i.e. breakfast available, homework clubs?
• How big is the school?
• What is the uniform like, how much will it cost?
• What is the ethos of the school?
• Do you need a school with some Special education needs provision?
• What is the pastoral care like?
• What did Ofsted think when they inspected the school last? You can see the report on the Ofsted website.

You will have your own ideas about what is important, we would encourage you to discuss all of these things with your child and listen to what is important to them - they will achieve more if they are happy at school.

Try to visit all the schools in your area - you cannot make a decision about the suitability of the school without visiting it and meeting some of the staff. Ask them questions that are relevant to you and your child.

Don't just listen to what other people say about a school - make up your own mind by visiting it, reading the prospectus, visiting their website.

If you would like support with making this decision we would be very happy to help you. Your child's headteacher can put you in touch us.