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Original poster

How do I find out if a school is real

39 replies

Hexandthecity · 19/10/2023 21:14

Don't want to be recognised, so I won't be mentioning names or locations, but I was just wondering how I can find out if a school in England actually exists? Or rather: confirm it doesn't? I've tried Googling it, looking up the name on the Ofsted website, looking it up on the ISI website and nothing. Does this mean the name etc are made up? Am I missing something, meaning I can't find it?

OP posts:
YourNameGoesHere · 19/10/2023 21:16

If nothing comes up on a Google search with the school name and location and there's no record of it anywhere then I would say it doesn't exist.

SomimliaDacor · 19/10/2023 21:17

Schools have an online presence which makes this seem like it definitely doesn't exist if you are spelling it correctly. They all have websites filled with photos of children engaging in activities.

Spendonsend · 19/10/2023 21:19

I'm not sure muggles can see it.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General education
GunboatDiplomacy · 19/10/2023 21:20

Is it a school which is meant to exist now? Or somewhere on someone's CV WHAT which used to exist and might have changed its name?

Are we talking about a state school / conventional regulated private school / tiny unregulated religious school?

Neolara · 19/10/2023 21:22

Sometimes schools change names when they become academies.

mnahmnah · 19/10/2023 21:23

Many schools change their names when they become academies. Or for another reason. Schools close, and if they closed before the internet then there won’t be an online presence probably.

Original poster
Hexandthecity · 19/10/2023 21:23

Spendonsend · 19/10/2023 21:19

I'm not sure muggles can see it.

Well played😂 Not referring to anything supernatural though

OP posts:
nocoolnamesleft · 19/10/2023 21:24

Is it meant to be a current school (unlikely to have zero online presence) or a past school, which may have predated social media? Are you sure you've got the name exactly right?

Original poster
Hexandthecity · 19/10/2023 21:24

GunboatDiplomacy · 19/10/2023 21:20

Is it a school which is meant to exist now? Or somewhere on someone's CV WHAT which used to exist and might have changed its name?

Are we talking about a state school / conventional regulated private school / tiny unregulated religious school?

Current. No idea about the type, other than it may be a special school.

OP posts:
RoyKentFanclub · 19/10/2023 21:26

If it’s is or was real some record will exist online. My school closed in 1989. The full record of it including its DfE number etc is on the gov.Uk website.

pizzaHeart · 19/10/2023 21:27

Could it be a unit or satellite of another school?

Original poster
Hexandthecity · 19/10/2023 21:29

pizzaHeart · 19/10/2023 21:27

Could it be a unit or satellite of another school?

I've also got a name for a trust (possibly a MAT?) and getting no hits for that either

OP posts:
bookgirl1982 · 19/10/2023 21:31

You can put the name or postcode into the gias website - it's the governments list of all schools

usernother · 19/10/2023 21:31

Where have you heard about it and why do you want to know about it OP?

Imperfectp3rf3ction · 19/10/2023 21:32

Some additional needs school names are misleading if for example they're under and umbrella of schools or outreach or not actually classified as a 'school'

realitychequer · 19/10/2023 21:33

Faith school?

Original poster
Hexandthecity · 19/10/2023 21:33

usernother · 19/10/2023 21:31

Where have you heard about it and why do you want to know about it OP?

I think someone is lying about their employment, I'll leave it at that

OP posts:
pizzaHeart · 19/10/2023 21:38

Do you know the name of the town or at least county?
E.g if you think the name is “Highgrove primary school” I would google Highgrove school, Highgrove unit, Highgrove satellite and then will try Googling with town or county or trust in different combinations.

pizzaHeart · 19/10/2023 21:40

In this case I would put in the postcode to check local authority and then go into local authority website to check the list. Or even call them tomorrow.

Saschka · 19/10/2023 21:41

But surely they will have been to school somewhere, so why lie… or did they claim to work in a school?

MajesticWhine · 19/10/2023 21:41

Sounds like it's been made up. Surely something would come up online if it's existed in the last 25 years?

mnahmnah · 19/10/2023 21:43

If it is a member of staff claiming to have worked at that school and you are now considering employing them, how did they think you wouldn’t notice?! Do they not think references would be taken or their background looked into?

RubaiyatOfAnyone · 19/10/2023 21:47

There are people on MN from everywhere - why not give the school name and town and see if a local can identify it? It’s hardly state secrets, even if your colleague/employee/BiL found out you’d put it on MN, you hadn’t done anything identifying them in relation to it.

CICTGIGF · 19/10/2023 21:48

A few schools in my area have been rebuilt, relocated and renamed. Could it be something like that? I don’t know if their old names and locations are online as I’ve never checked. But if someone was new to this area they wouldn’t know the old schools existed IYSWIM.

mnahmnah · 19/10/2023 21:51

I’ve just checked my old high school, which closed in 2008, knocked down, new build and merged with another school with a whole new name. Still easily googled and has a wiki page