The Good Schools Guide
About

History

The Good Schools Guide launched into a world of big hair and shoulder pads, where school research meant prospectuses and open days. The UK’s education landscape has been shifting ever since and The Guide has adapted to move with the times.
A child dismayed that the dog ate her homework

1983

Sarah Drummond is approached by editors at Harpers & Queen magazine to write and edit a guide to British schools.

1986

The first edition of The Good Schools Guide is published. Written and edited by Sarah Drummond and Amanda Atha. 253 school reviews. Serialised in The Times the month before publication – Oct 6th 1986.

Front cover of the 1st edition of The Good Schools Guide (1986)

1989

Second edition of The Good Schools Guide is published with 276 school reviews.

Cover of the 2nd edition of The Good Schools Guide (1989)

1995

The Good Gap Year and Sixth Form Guide is published by The Good Schools Guide.

1998

Launch of our website www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk containing advice articles, plain text reviews and an online bookshop.

The first Good Schools Guide website in 1998

2003

Eighth edition is published – the first time we have school fee information printed alongside our reviews.

The cover of The Good Schools Guide 8th Edition

2005

University in the USA is published for the first time.

2005

10th edition is published with 677 school reviews.

The cover of The Good Schools Guide 10th Edition

2006

The Good Schools Guide Special Educational Needs is published for the first time.

The cover of The Good Schools Guide Special Educational Needs 1st edition

2006

The International section of The Good Schools Guide is launched.

2008

The first time all The Good Schools Guide’s school reviews and additional data are available to read online.

A laptop computer showing the website in 2008

2010

The Good Schools Guide Advisory Service (now Education Consultants) is reestablished.

2014

London North and London South from The Good Schools Guide are published for the first time.

The covers of Good Schools Guide London North and London South - first editions 2014

2015

Special hardback 20th edition is published with 1,153 schools reviewed.

The cover of The Good Schools Guide 20th edition (2015)

2016

Boarding Schools from The Good Schools Guide published for the first time.

The first edition of Boarding Schools from The Good Schools Guide

2019

Final ‘Big Book’, 22nd edition is published with more than 1,300 schools reviewed.

Cover of The Good Schools Guide 22nd edition (2019)

2025

Launch of our new website – the sixth since 1998.

What makes us different?

We know about all types of schools

State, independent, international, online schools and schools for children with SEND. We appraise them all through the lens of a prospective parent. 

We’ve always been independent

Schools cannot choose to be included in – or excluded from – The Good Schools Guide. Our reviews are entirely free from commercial considerations. No school can pay to be in our good books.

We’ve been doing this since 1986

For almost 40 years, we’ve helped parents with every aspect of choosing the best education for their children. We have information on over 30,000 schools, with 1,600 reviews of the best UK and international schools.

We provide expert advice

Our education consultants all visit and review schools for The Good Schools Guide. They are specialists in all aspects of schooling, from state education and admissions appeals to SEND; from boarding schools to scholarships and bursaries.

We collect exclusive school data

We love data. We pull together all the available data for every school in the UK and, for the schools we review, we collect extra information that you won’t find anywhere else. 

We have unrivalled SEND knowledge

Our SEND writers and consultants are unmatched in their understanding of educating children with additional needs. Their empathy and expertise will guide you through every aspect of this challenging landscape.