finding a new school

[opt123]

how easy has everyone found researching new future schools? whats the most important topics to look into? if there one place to find all the info?

Do you mean a school for your child to go to at the start of year 7?

What options are there locally - that's usually the best place to start.

Which schools could your child actually get into? Where will their friends be going? How are the schools' Ofsted reports and GCSE results - and more importantly what impression do you get of them when you look round?

Often in the UK there are very few reasonable options at secondary anyway, so your choices may be limited.

yes, at year 7. my options are quite spread out, ive got a few choices. but i havent got a huge amount of time. if there a way of getting an impression online which is impartial? have you had to do this sort of research before?

im basically wanting to know if there is a way mums can find all the imformation on a school online? and if not why?! would we want that?

I assume yr child is now in yr 5 - which means you will have missed open evenings held in the autumn, but anyway they are intended for yr 6 really.

You can look at Ofsted reports of specific schools online, which is one place to start, but read them carefully - grades are less important IMO than detail of teaching quality, leadership, pastoral care etc.

Most schools have websites which may give you a flavour. You could contact schools to see if they will let you look round.

Will your child genuinely have a chance at a number of schools? And if so, are they all schools where you and they would want them to go?

Wot Clary said.

Frankly, there's no substitute for going to visit them, I found.

right. well, what about if there was an online collection of school pages, with the ofsted stuff and extras like catchment area, school info like open days and their facilities. would people use it if it were there? it would cut online tralling for hours i dont have!

Well, that is all online.

Ofsted is your website for ofsted reports, local council website will tell you all catchment areas, then look at individual school websites for open day info (tho that's only in September).

Really there are 2 websites to look at to narrow down your options, then the school websites of your main choices, unlikely surely to be more than about 3? That's 5 websites, hardly an onerous task?

Your local authority webpage is the starting point unless you are looking at indie schools. This will have most of the info that you need.

but you still have to delve into those websites for a long time - if there was just one platform, you dont think parents would use it?

You really shouldn't have to delve into your LA site for very long? They should publish a guide with most of the pertinent info in it. Certainly my LA site covers all the open days etc. And personally I want to look at the school website myself - after all I'm goings to be using that site for the next 5 + years.

There have been a number of sites that try to pull all the info together, but given that ONLY the LA site will be truly up to date, you will save most time by starting there. The risk of using other sites as the starting point is you don't know how up to date the info is. So if you're looking to save time, start with the LA.

Are you actually looking for a school OP or hoping to start an online time-saving platform???

Because tbh if it's the latter then I don't think you'll have many takers.

And if it's the former, then I agree with ladymuck, you shouldn't have to look very far to find the info you need. Whereabouts are you?

How is it that you don't have much time? If your child is in yr 5, you have nearly a year. If in year 6, errmm, you've missed the deadline!

But I agree this sounds more like an optimistic business idea than a bewildered parent atm.