Your little one is approaching the end of preschool, and you find yourself wondering, “how has this come around so fast!?”
This can seem pretty daunting but don’t worry, we’re here with our top tips to help you find the right primary school.
The first thing you need to know is that children born between 1st September 2020 and 31st August 2021 have from September 2024 in London or 4th November in Surrey until 15th January 2025 to apply for a space at a Primary School.
So, how do you even find out about your local Primary Schools?
The best way to find your best local primary schools is to head on over to the government search function - click here to check it out.
There you’ll be able to find all registered schools alongside their contact info, their OFSTED status/reports and overall test scores.
OFSTED reports are a good way to determine the quality of the school through their inspections and incident reports.
Most primary schools will also have their own websites, some may even print brochures. This is a good start to get a feel of what the school is like, as well as their ethos and teaching methods.
But how do you choose the right one?
When having a look for a Primary School, test results aren’t everything! This may sound a little odd but trust us.
It’s important to actually visit the school, have a look around and speak to the teachers.
Same as when you chose a nursery… If you feel the place is right for your little one, then it probably is!
Because it’s much more important for your little one to thrive within the learning environment rather than just to be scoring high marks on a test.
When planning visits and looking at different Primary Schools, be sure to visit as many as you can! This can take some time, but you won’t get the real feel of the school till you’re there, in a classroom and speaking to the teachers.
When you’re at the school visit, be sure to ask as many questions as you can think of – it’s better to be over than under-informed! We’ve included links to a few handy checklists which you can print off to take with you.
On a final note… Did you know most councils actually ask you to list 3-4 schools in order of preference? Make sure you do this as you may be offered a far away or undesirable school otherwise.
Additional Resources
Next, check out our guide to registering for Primary School.
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