The Good Schools Guide newsletter, Chalk & Chat and blog

'Winning Scholarship to Harrow changed my life'

A lucky recipient of The Peter Beckwith Scholarship at Harrow School describes his upbringing, studying at Harrow School and his journey to Harvard. 

6 essential questions to ask a school in 2023

Some things never change. Certain topics are always at the forefront of a parent’s thoughts when researching a new school. How good is the academic performance? What extra-curricular options are available? Do the pupils get much homework? We have plenty more general questions to ask a prospective school. These are perennial issues for schools and families but there’s nothing like a new year to remind us of time’s constant onwards thrust and the change it generates. It’s inevitable that the ever-shifting landscape of your children’s education throws up new quandaries and questions for both you and them.  

6 insider tips for choosing a boarding school

Despite a drop in international pupils due to the pandemic and world events, UK boarding is as strong as ever. Growth has been recorded across all age groups and while the number of younger boarders remains modest, senior schools have seen a surge in interest and a third of private school 6th formers now board. So, for those families feeling drawn to the dorm, here are six insider tips from our boarding school experts to help find the right school for your child. 

A levels 2022 - what next?

When A level results are opened on Thursday this week, some young people will find that they have not received the grades required to study at their first-choice university. Grade inflation, stretched university resources and a higher number of deferred entries caused by the Covid 19 pandemic have conspired to reduce the options available to school leavers this year.  

Are private schools pricing you out?

Another day, another newspaper article predicting extinction of the middle-class parent able to choose a private education for their children.

Ask our experts - April 2020

Home schooling? To pay fees or not? How to manage family life with everyone at home? School choices? State or independent? What about life after non-existent exam results? Read on as our education consultants tackle your queries.

Ask our experts - August 2020

Q: I am keen to relocate my family back to the UK from Hong Kong due to uncertainty around the current political situation but I have no idea of the educational landscape. I have a table tennis mad 7 year old girl and 14 year old bookworm boy. Where do I start?

Ask our experts - December 2020

Ask our experts - January 2021

This month our expert consultants give answers to a range of questions from parents on the subject of paying school fees while schools are shut during the coronavirus lockdown

Ask our experts - July 2020

My daughter read avidly from the age of 4 and had finished all the Harry Potter books by the time she was 9. My son is now 9 and I can't get him to read anything other than football magazines. He resists all my attempts to start him on proper books. What can I do?

Ask our experts - May 2020

My friends say I'm mad - but I want to keep home educating after lockdown. What do I need to know? Our consultants help with your education concerns, questions and quandaries.

Ask our experts - Mock exams help

This month we hear from a family where a child has not got the GCSE mock exam results they had hoped for.

Ask our experts - Targeting a top academic school

This month we help a family keen to set their son on the path to academic success from a very young age. There’s no magic formula; all children are different and a common sense approach is best. Read on for our thoughts and advice. 

Back to school in the 'new normal'

With just a few short days or weeks until our children return to school, parents, carers and schools are busy preparing for what is arguably the biggest step back towards normality since schools closed their doors on the 20th of March 2020. Schools have issued their Covid-19 pandemic protocols; new shoes, blazers and pencil cases have been purchased and our children and young people can’t wait to get back to school again. Or can they? 

Children's books for Christmas

“One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.”  

Socks or books, socks or books? Our apologies to the world’s most famous wizard but however great socks may be, it is a fairly obvious decision for most when you consider the hours of enjoyment derived from settling down with a good read. And when buying a book for a child – particularly a reluctant reader – you want to make sure that the gift interests and excites from the moment the wrapping paper is first ripped and doesn’t leave the recipient wishing for socks instead. 

Children's books for Christmas 2023

From the youngest possible age, an enjoyment of books and reading is essential for the development of knowledge, language and cultural awareness. Quite apart from the thought-provoking and mind-expanding benefits of reading, it’s one of those things that all private schools are keen to see from their applicants. With that in mind, we asked our team of writers and education consultants to name some of their current favourite books for children. 

Children's books this Christmas: our consultants' top picks

Landfill-bound plastic toys have never been less fashionable. To keep not only the recipient but also their parents happy, we say a book is the way to go for gifting this year. No nasty packaging, no batteries required, and they can open it time and time again.

Combining state and private education in London

London is an expensive place to live and frequently families find themselves choosing to educate their children in both the state and private sectors in order to stretch funds. If you're a Londoner who would like to educate your children privately but baulk at the costs, read on. 

Coronavirus and school fees: your legal questions answered

What should parents and schools do about the payment of fees? In our view the only sensible approach is collaboration between schools and parents: there is no precedent for the current circumstances and all parties are learning as they go. The legal relationship between the parties is set out in the contracts that parents sign, however we anticipate these may need to be varied by mutual agreement where possible to avoid parties challenging or enforcing their terms.

Coronavirus: A level & GCSE results

As the current situation with Covid-19 rumbles on, this week’s spotlight falls on students who should have taken either GCSEs or A levels earlier in the summer. The class of 2020 will go down in history as the cohort either (depending on how you look at it ) from whom the opportunity to prove themselves on exam day was snatched – or alternatively who side stepped onerous exams and got the chance to learn to cook, perfect their golf swing / gaming technique and spend the post lockdown part of summer care-free, hanging out with their friends.

Covid-19 lockdown: is this what your school is missing?

To say that schools are so much more than buildings with classrooms, staff and pupils is an obvious understatement. They are so much more than a sum of their parts; above all, they are communities, each with their own unique DNA and characteristics.

Don’t blame teachers for grade inflation

Controversy over decisions made by the Department for Education should not be allowed to undermine pupils’ GCSE and A level achievements. 

Last year saw a huge grade inflation of around 10-12 per cent in the wake of the pandemic and it is likely – in fact, inevitable - that this year many pupils will once again attain better grades than they would have received had they sat the traditional round of exams.

This isn’t because anyone is trying to game the system, it’s the system itself. Schools and teachers should not be criticised for wanting the best for, and seeing the best in, their pupils. Criticism should instead be directed towards those at the DfE who came up with the rules. 

GCSE results day 2022

As with A levels last week, 2022 is the year that the grade inflation from the two covid-impacted years starts to be brought under control. The Department for Education has decided that grade boundaries must return to those seen in pre-pandemic years by next year and so 2022 is a midway point between the generous 2021 grades and next years' grades which will be more like those

Is private school still worth the money?

Small classes, long school days, space for extra-curricular options and time to take part in them. Spending money on private education has long been seen as the best way to set a child up for success. Finding equivalent provision in the state sector is hard, if not impossible, and if something comparable exists, the chances are it comes with huge demand, tricky admissions criteria and a pricey catchment area. Opting for the fee-paying school which specialises in sport, arts, academics, or all three is attractive for those who can afford it. But in recent years, families are starting to question whether shelling out for private school, instead of furthering their child’s chances, might actually count against them in the future.

Is your family eligible for a private school bursary?

More children than ever are receiving financial help to enable them to pay private school fees. This is according to the latest data from the Independent Schools Council, the body that represents most UK fee-paying schools.

Londoners on the move

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, many organisations have adapted to make working from home more manageable for staff. This has led to people asking whether leaving London might represent a better deal for their family. 

Mastering private school interviews

The summer holidays are little more than half a term away and many parents already have one eye on the private school assessments taking place over the proceeding autumn. For this GUEST BLOG, we asked the experts in interview preparation and mentoring at Oppidan Education to divulge some of their valuable knowledge on the subject. 

Moving from HK to UK and need help finding a school?

If you are one of the estimated 200,000 people the Foreign Office has estimated will move from Hong Kong to the UK with a BNO visa following recent political changes, making the decision to repatriate may seem to be the hardest one of many. However, if you have school-aged children, the most challenging decisions are likely to centre around education and schools.

Ofsted gradings: misleading and unhelpful

Single word judgements used by Ofsted to grade schools are misleading and should be abolished in favour of more holistic information.

Royals pick Lambrook School

It’s official! After months of speculation, The Cambridges are off to Lambrook. William and Kate have done their due diligence, visiting a handful of prep schools (each time sparking a fresh wave of gossip through the home counties) close to their new base in Windsor. What is it about Lambrook that’s won the family over? And how will the school prepare these junior royals for a lifetime of leadership and duty? 

School fees in the latest lockdown: what now?

Payment of school fees continues to be a huge concern for many parents. Schools are also now under intense financial pressure so striking a fair balance to address the needs of both parties is essential.

Schools offer fees help during pandemic

Special times for special needs

With hordes of children with EHC plans now learning at home, parents are faced with a raft of new challenges. The Good Schools Guide SEN editor looks at ways to ease the strain and where to go for help if you need further support

T levels: what do I need to know?

What are T Levels? T Levels are new qualifications that follow GCSEs, which are equivalent to 3 A levels. Around 80% of a T Level student’s time will be spent in the classroom, with the other 20% spent with an employer on a comprehensive industry placement of at least 9 weeks. 

The future of private school fees

What will independent fees look like in a few years’ time or longer? If you’re hoping to educate your child privately for some or all their school years, you’ll want to know what lies in store. Independent schools are expensive. Putting to one side all the optional (and not so optional) extras – music lessons, trips, uniform, sports kit etc - those parents shelling out for full fees are often paying sums well above the average UK annual income. Few families choosing independent schools can do so without a certain amount of belt tightening and penny counting. 

The Good Schools Guide blog

Read the latest news, views and reviews of schools and all matters educational. For all blog enquiries please contact: [email protected] or 0203 286 6824

UCAS to blame for A Level unfairness

UCAS is unsung villain of A levels fiasco, says Ralph Lucas, editor-in-chief of The Good Schools Guide.

UCAS has known for years and years that something like 75% of pupils are over-predicted1, but have done nothing to improve things.

They know that disadvantaged children are particularly over-predicted – but have not, as far as I know, mounted a large-scale investigation into the reasons for this underperformance – which might have led to ways of reducing it.

What price an education?

A private school education is expensive. Of the few who can afford it, only a small minority do so without cutting costs elsewhere. But these sacrifices can provide children with enviable opportunities and experiences. David Quintrell of financial experts Brewin Dolphin, guest blogs for us and explores some of the financial options for parents.

What the SEND Green Paper means to you

We now have the government’s Green Paper consultation on Special Educational Needs and Disability provision, which has reviewed the burning questions and concerns of parents and practitioners about SEND provision, and yet again it boils down to the three Rs, delivering The Right Support, the Right Place, at the Right Time.

What to ask at a school open day in 2021

In-person open days are back up and running (for now, at least) and head teachers are poised to take your questions, hoping that their school fits the bill for young Charlie or Charlotte. But will the usual ‘what are the lunches like?’ or ‘how much homework will they get?’ tick the right boxes in pandemic times? 

What’s the scoop on the covid summer holidays?

We’re all grappling with the prospect of six or more weeks of school holiday. Most of us can forget about sandy beaches and reclining by the pool. Instead, as we approach the indistinct point when term ends and holiday begins, the forecast is for more of the same. Given that most of us have been stuck at home juggling jobs, work supervision and never-ending meal preparation since mid-March, labelling the summer holidays ‘keep calm and carry on (and on)’, probably feels about right. Right?

The Good Schools Guide newsletter August 2019

As schools up and down the country prepare for the first day of the autumn term, parents are busy sewing on name tapes, hunting down pencil cases and PE kit and desperately trying to persuade children to start (let alone finish) their holiday projects. For those of us whose children are starting school or nursery for the first time the beginning of term can be daunting to say the least – especially if your child is anxious about the prospect of being parted from you.

The Good Schools Guide Newsletter February 2019

A levels followed by university may still be the route most young people will take towards their career, but it’s by no means the only way. In the past vocational options such as BTECs and apprenticeships have suffered from being regarded as somehow inferior to academic qualifications, but such unfavourable comparison is long out of date. If the prospect of A levels, university and a large debt is giving you or your child pause for thought, it could be time to consider alternatives.

The Good Schools Guide newsletter January 2019

Now the school and university years are over. One of our senior editors reflects on the lessons she’s learned during 20 years of her children’s education. My son has just loaded his most treasured possessions into his ancient Volvo estate. The haul included two bikes, a turbo trainer, bike pump, pots and pans, pictures, sound system, books and clothes. He slammed the car boot and after a hug and a wave he was off to his new life in Bristol. He’s got his first graduate job as an engineer and after years of sharing damp, tumbledown student houses with friends, he’s moved into his own rented flat. He’s as happy as Larry.

The Good Schools Guide newsletter March 2019

The latest edition of The Good Schools Guide is now at the printers (the exhausted editorial team is having a little lie down after checking all 1,900 pages) and will be published on May 6th. So what better time to reflect on where it all began?

The Good Schools Guide newsletter May 2019

Monopoly money. If you’re planning a family trip to London during the holidays the British Museum has an interesting free exhibition on until the end of September. Playing with money: currency and games www.britishmuseum.org takes a look at how board games, toys, gambling and role-playing games have contributed to our understanding of money from the 19th century onwards.

The Good Schools Guide newsletter October 2019

School in the great outdoors. Autumn is the season of collecting leaves, building bonfires and toasting marshmallows and popcorn by the fire. But a growing number of children are getting the chance to enjoy pursuits like this all year round. More and more primary and prep schools are introducing forest schools into the curriculum, using outdoor activities like building dens, climbing trees and learning about nature to develop children’s confidence and resilience.

The Good Schools Guide newsletter September 2019

How can your children improve their graduate job prospects? It’s no secret that fresh graduates struggle to get hired, let alone find themselves entering the workplace in a job they really want. How can young people improve their graduate job prospects before they even start their degree?