Selecting a secondary school is a significant decision that can shape your child’s future. There are lots of factors to weigh up and it’s important to carefully consider all of these so that your child gets the best education. It’s possible that your child may already have their sights set on a particular school, but it can still be worth looking at other schools in the area – just to make sure there’s not a better option available. Below are some of the important factors that can be worth considering.

Distance from home

A long commute to school could mean having to get up earlier and it could affect your child’s morale. Start by considering which schools are within walking distance – you’ll save a lot of money on petrol/bus tickets if your child is able to walk to school, and it’s good exercise for them, however you don’t want your child to have to go on a 5 mile hike every morning. When it comes to schools that are out of walking range, consider how easy the route is to get there. If you can’t drive them there, is there a bus they can take? The catchment area could also be important to consider – some schools won’t accept students from outside of a certain area. In the case of prestigious schools, some families even move house just to be closer to a school so that their child is more likely to be accepted.

Entry requirements

Understanding the entry requirements of secondary schools is crucial, particularly if your child is planning to take the 11 plus exams. These assessments are designed for entry into selective schools and may require your child to undertake 11 plus tuition to prepare effectively. Different schools will have different criteria such as independent assessments or interviews. Make sure to research these entry requirements so that you can adequately prepare and increase your chances of your child getting into their school of choice.

Academic performance

It’s worth looking into what grades students are getting at certain schools. The academic performance of students at a school can be a significant indicator of a school’s quality – it can provide a window into the quality of teaching and the types of children who choose that school. GCSE and A-level results can be found online. It could be worth checking how school results have changed over the years – are they getting better or worse?

Ofsted rating

Ofsted reports are used to assess the overall quality of a school. They can measure things like student behaviour, teaching quality and leadership quality. A school with a strong Ofsted rating is likely to be a more supportive and enriching environment for your child. You can find recent Ofsted reports online and look at the areas where different schools excel – as well as assessing areas where you think improvement may be needed. As with looking at academic performance, consider how ofsted reports have changed over the years.

Gender considerations

It’s possible that there could be a mixture of single-sex and co-educational schools in your area. You should consider whether you feel more comfortable sending your child to a single-sex or mixed-gender school. Single-sex schools may improve academic performance by reducing distractions and by adopting gender-focused learning methods. However, co-educational schools may have the benefit of preparing kids for future interactions with both genders. In some areas, there may be a boys’ school and a girls’ school and they may collaborate with each other – hosting dual-events and clubs that give boys and girls a chance to still mix.

Faith considerations

Some schools are centred around a certain faith and may incorporate this into lessons and assemblies. For example, some schools are heavily protestant while others are catholic. You can also find muslim schools, jewish schools and hindu schools around the UK. Consider whether a certain faith is important to you and whether you would like your child to be educated in a school environment that nurtures this faith. It may not be wise for your child to attend a faith-based school if they do not follow that faith. That said, some faith-based schools do have good grades and do not require students to be a practising member of a certain religion to be accepted – just expect them to be encouraged to follow that faith throughout their school years.

Disabilities support

If you have a child with a disability – whether it’s mental or physical – it could be important to make sure that they go to a school that is well-equipped to support them. There are some schools targeted at certain disabilities. Some parents may feel that this is the best environment for their child, as the school will be specially set up to focus all learning around that disability. Other parents may prefer their child to attend a mainstream school so that they can learn to mix with able-bodied and neurotypical students – which may help prepare them for life after school. It all depends on the severity of the disabilities and level of support offered by schools in your area.

School subject specialism

Some schools are specialists in a certain subject. They may still have teachers to teach every key subject, however they may have extra resources dedicated to certain departments. For example, some schools are centred around science and have top of the range laboratories and a range of top quality science teachers. Others may be focused around drama, technology, sport or foreign languages. If there is a certain subject that your child thrives in, consider whether there is a school in the area that caters heavily to this subject.

Extracurricular activities

It could be worth looking into what clubs are available for your child to take part in after school. Some schools offer a range of different clubs to help further your children’s learning. Others may have few to no extracurricular activities going on. If you want your child to take up extra clubs after school like drama, football, music or computer programming, consider looking into what clubs the schools in your area offer. You may still be able to sign up your child to extracurricular clubs at other locations, however clubs at your child’s school may be cheaper and more convenient.

General facilities

It’s important to also compare the general facilities of schools in your area. The best way to do this is to attend open days so that you can see them for yourself. Assess the quality of furniture and technology in classrooms. Do classrooms feel dated? Or does everything feel relatively new? It could also be important to assess the quality of the sports facilities if your child is into sport. Do they have high-quality indoor sports halls and playing fields? Do they supply equipment? You should also consider the state of the library, the canteen and main hall. Make sure that none of it feels meagre or neglected – a good school will know how to evenly distribute its funding so that all facilities are at an acceptable quality. 

Conclusion

These are just some of the main factors to consider when choosing the right secondary school. You can research all these factors by visiting schools in person, by talking to other parents who have their kids there, and by looking up information online. Remember that your child’s opinion matters – it is they who will be attending the school after all. Just make sure that they have weighed up all the factors and are not just eager to go to a school because that is where their friends are going.

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