What Parents Look For When Choosing A School

Choosing a school Academic achievement, proximity.... but forget religion.

A survey of parents by The Good Schools Guide has revealed that parents’ top criteria in choosing a school for their child is its academic performance, followed by how close the school is to their home.

But that's not all...

Also key to their decision making are less tangible criteria – the right “feeling” or a good “fit” – and parents emphasised the importance of impressions made when visiting.

Results of the Good Schools Guide Survey:

Rate the following school selection criteria in order of importance to you.

Academic performance
Proximity to home
Quality of buildings and equipment
Pastoral care
Other parents and pupils
Strong discipline
Competitive sports
Music
Drama
Co-ed
Availability of scholarships and bursaries
Special needs provision
Religion
Single sex (girl)
Single sex (boy)
Boarding school

98% of parents said academic performance was important or very important while 81% of parents said proximity was key in choosing a school.

Touchy-feely qualities parents were looking for included:

Whether the school feels right for my son when we visit it.

Is it a suitable fit for our child?

At the end of the day the impression I got and feeling I felt about the school when visiting sealed my decision

The output - would I be happy with my children turning out like the current 6th form or with friends like the current 6th form.

Overall ethos of the school being inspirational

The headmaster when he showed us around the school was really enthusiastic about the school and the children.

Welcoming, happy and professional atmosphere experienced during our visit to the school.

The Good Schools Guide survey of 489 parents was carried out the first week of March 2012 by educational publishers Galore Park.

Online only - Exclusive to Subscribers** of The Good Schools Guide - Examine:

Academic Performance

School performance data* for KS2, GCSE and A-level
Value-added data* .Does the school make a difference to all pupils or just some?
University information*. Details of which universities pupils go on to and what they study.

Proximity to home

And, for English state schools, make sure you make the right move by examining catchment area data and seeing which schools pupils come from and which schools they move on to.

*We indicate on a school's page here data is available. We do not have data for schools outside of England.

**Buy NOW - be online in minutes. A one month introductory subscription costs £9.99 or subscribe for a whole year for just £39.

For those new to the process of choosing a school:

From Embryo To Eighteen - How To Survive The Education Highway

Mix and Match State and Private Education

Choosing A School - Thoughts For Parents

Sussing Out Independents School and Horses For Courses

Choosing A School For A Talented Child

Inspection Reports From Ofsted And Others

For those visiting schools:

School Open Evenings

Questions To Ask Staff When Visiting A School

Questions To Ask When Visiting A School - Academic Matters

Questions To Ask When Visiting A School - Financial Factors

Questions To Ask When Visiting A School - Beyond the Classroom

Visiting A School - Questions For Pupils

For those contemplating the admissions process:

State School Admissions - How To Secure A Place

Independent School Admissions - Insider Information On Getting In!

Independent School Admissions - It's Not Just Ability To Pay

SEN Admission To Independent School

For all:

The Good Schools Guide Advice Services Independent, impartial advice from our experienced consultants.

Tel 0203 286 6825

email: gsgdvice@goodschoolsguide.co.uk

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Written by parents for parents The Guide reviews over 1,000 schools from ages 5 to 18, and offers well-seasoned advice on how to choose the right school and secure a place in it. Not to be confused with the so-called 'guides' which consist of advertisements or entries paid for by the schools. We don’t put schools in unless we like them - we won’t take them out if they don’t like what we say - and we charge them nothing to be in The Guide.

"Like its predecessors, this edition is based on visits and the views of parents, pupils and staff. It is just as untroubled by the sensibilities of schools - and as cavalier in the face of squawks from those it has offended." The Times Educational Supplement.

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