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| School Research |  The most essential thing you can do before selecting a school for your child is to do your research. It is good idea to collect as much information as possible about the school you are interested in. You can begin your research by doing the following:
1. Visit the school
Visiting a school in person is the best way to assess it. Using this way, you will receive first-hand information of where your child will be spending their day. Many schools hold open days and evenings, where you can see the staff and view children's work. Don’t forget, you can also arrange a meeting to visit the school and ask to speak to the headteacher. There is also Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) in a school. You can gain an extra knowledge from these associations about the school and get advice on the admissions process.
If you want to know the how teachers and children work together, you can learn it by touring the school and observing them. You should take into account the following things:
• The location of the school. Is it far? Will you have to take public transport or drive? Can your children safely walk to school when they are older? Do not forget, long travel to school is tiresome for your child, and it may be hard to arrange.
• See the children's work and check the school's resources. Do you think it is good to attend school where everyone is serious about learning?
• Get to know how the school involves parents.
• Was the school welcoming? Would your child like it?
2. Obtain the LEA booklets
Your local authority (LA) publishes a booklet which contains all the schools in your area and includes essential information on each, such as:
• How many pupils they admit
• The oversubscription criteria and admissions arrangements
• The quantity of applications each school receives compared to the number of places they offer
• Where to find more information
3. Obtain the school prospectus
Every year, each school produces a brochure called a prospectus which tells you more about that particular school than the LA booklet can. You can receive a hard copy of the prospectus from the school and most have an online version that can be accessed from either the school's or the relevant local authority's websites. Make sure to obtain and study the prospectus from all the schools you might be interested in, as it is an important document.
4. Check the Achievement and Attainment Tables
Each year the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) produces Achievement and Attainment Tables for schools and colleges. The Tables provide a guide to how well a school or college is doing though they cannot give a complete picture of a school.
5. Research Ofsted reports
It is also advisable to read the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) reports, which are published by the Government's school inspectors. You can get the report in every school in the country.
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