Starting school is a big step in your child’s life, but how do you decide which school will be best suited for your little one?
Here are some suggestions about what to look out for when the time comes to choose a primary school for your child.
When you begin your search for the best school for your child, it may help to start by thinking about what you want a school to do for your child, and consider if they have any specific needs that will need to be met by the school.
There are many things to consider, a few include:
When you are finding out more about schools in your area, and their suitability for your child, it is important to research and get more information about the schools to find the ones that seem to be the best fit. There are lots of ways you can do this:
NB: this terminology may be different, depending on where you live. A new system is to be implemented in September 2021 in Wales, and SENCo will be replaced with ALANCo (Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator).
If your child has reduced mobility or issues with balance or spatial awareness, an accessibility plan will be required. During your visit, you may wish to also check:
If continence management is a particular concern, ask questions about staff training for providing assistance with continence and personal care and how they will maintain your child’s privacy. You should ask the school about having a secure space to store supplies (e.g. catheters; pads; changes of clothes etc..) that your child may need during the school day.
You may want an
to set out the support required for your child’ medical needs.
NB: In Northern Ireland, children need to be registered on the Medical Register and the Special Educational Needs (SEN) to ensure their medical needs are taken into account.
There are plans to introduce an Individual Health plan (IHP) in NI, when new legislation is introduced)
Once you have visited schools you will need to weigh up your options and decide which school you feel will be best for your child.
You may not find a school that fulfils every requirement and may need to compromise in some areas to gain in others.
In England: You should apply through your local council. Unless your child has an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, you are not able to choose a specific school. Instead, you can list up to 6 choices of schools in order of preference.
In Wales: Your Local Authority (LA) website will provide you with lists of local schools and provision offered and their admissions information. Click here to find your local authority. You can also contact your LA by phone, letter or by visiting your local ‘one stop shop’.
Other websites offering excellent school search engines are:
In Northern Ireland: an online application process must be completed between 7th Jan to Jan 29 each year. You must choose AT LEAST 4 schools and can choose up to 6. Parents are informed of the decision in April online. Click here for more information
Appealing a decision may be difficult because your concerns about having a long journey to school or having siblings at a different school are not seen as sufficient grounds for appeal.
England I Wales I Northern Ireland
Get Information about Schools is the Government’s database that lists schools.
https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-primary-school-place
See your Local Offer to find out about schools in your area. All Local Authorities in England must have their Local Offer available on their websites. You should be able to find the Local Offer for your area by going to your local authority’s website and searching for ‘Local Offer’.
If your child has Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), your local Independent Advice and Support Service (IASS) can support you to find a school that is able to meet your child’s needs, whether this is a mainstream or special school. If you live in England, each Local Authority (LA) has a Local Offer, a directory of all the SEND services in the area for children and young people. You should be able to find the Local Offer for your area by going to your LA’s website and searching for ‘Local Offer’.
You may wish to read the schools Ofsted report, to find out how they are performing and/or search Parent’s Views on the school’s Ofsted report.
Contact your local Parent Carer Forum to discover their opinions, good or bad, of the schools you are planning to visit.
For further information, the Department for Education has produced this guide.
Your Local Authority Admissions Guide explains how to apply and lists the admissions criteria for schools in your area. Contact also has guidance about school admissions.
School performances can be compared using this government website.
The Good Schools Guide has a checklist for choosing an education setting.
Government policy on appeals is outlined in this publication.
My local school is a Welsh Government website, designed to give access to school data for parents and all others with an interest in their local school.
Search Estyn’s Find a Provider for the latest school inspection report
SNAP Cymru offer advice and information on finding a school with additional learning needs provision
NB: Changes to the Special Educational Provision in Wales:
The Welsh Government are reforming the current system and introducing the ALN (Additional Learning Needs) new statutory support system for children and young people aged 0 to 25 in Wales and is due to come into force in September 2021.
The old system “Statements” will be replaced by a new single document called an IDP (Individual Development Plan). Children with current statements will transferred gradually to IDP’s and the new legislation will apply. Any request for a “Statutory Assessment” made after the introduction of the new system will be subject to the new legislation.
For more information, click here
Search for schools here
The Education Authority NI also provides information about the admissions process and applying for places.
Visit Northern Ireland’s Training and Education Inspectorate for school inspection reports.
SENAC offers independent advice on getting the right support for children with SEN
www.early-years.org also provide some useful information on childcare for 0 – 18-year-olds.
If you would like further information about finding the right school, you can contact Shine here.