Secondary schools – top tips when applying

• Research your local schools. Ofsted reports, exam results, performance data, catchment map information, independent reviews and much more can help you get a better feel for a particular school. Visit the schools website to read about the subjects and extracurricular activities it offers. Nothing beats actually visiting a school, so look out for the dates of open days or virtual tours if you are not able to visit in person. Read about the best way to approach open days.


• Trust your instinct. Parents know best what their child is like. Does the school have a particular emphasis on STEM, sport or discipline that will suit your child? Finding a school which appeals to your child’s skills, interests and personality can encourage them to work harder.


• Check the admissions criteria. This should be on both the school website and the local authority’s website. If your child doesn’t fit the admissions criteria and the school is oversubscribed year on year, then look elsewhere. Siblings generally - but not always - take priority. Faith schools are often popular with parents but many prioritise children who have been baptised and are from church-going families. Many schools do not have a catchment but use distance as a criteria which changes each year according to local demographics. Grammar schools, semi selective schools and schools with fair banding may require applicants to sit an entrance exam (and often require you to register in the summer term of year 5, so check dates carefully). But most state-funded academies, free schools and local authority-run comprehensive schools are usually non-selective. 


• Pick more than one school. Most local authorities ask for a list of three or four schools in order of preference. London requests six. Parents should not leave any blanks on the form and include at least one school where there is a strong chance of getting a place – even if it isn’t your ideal school. Otherwise, there is the risk of being offered a place only at an undesirable school some distance away. After all, parents don’t get to select a school, but rather list ones they find acceptable. List the school you like most first – schools don’t know what place they are on your list, and you will only be sent an offer from the highest listed school for which you qualify.


• Supply the right documentation. Read carefully what is required with your submission. Some schools, particularly faith schools, require a supplementary information form (SIF) to be sent directly to them. This form usually has a different deadline to the application which goes to the local authority. Failing to supply the right information on time could jeopardise your chances.


• Appeals? Appealing the decision if you are unhappy with the outcome of your application is unlikely to work. Successful secondary application appeals are unusual. Long journeys to the school or having siblings at a different school are not grounds for an appeal. It is not unusual for places to become available over the autumn term so make sure you stay on the shortlist if you're determined to find your child a different school. Read our advice on schools appeals.

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