Find out about local schools.
This will help you to decide which ones to apply to.
First, go to Schools Finder.
Put in your postcode. Choose – 1 mile, 2 miles, 3 miles etc. from home. You will get a list of schools. Then you can get information about them.
How far is it from your home? How easy is it to travel to the school?
Some schools have school buses. You can find out more about school transport from the following links:
West Yorkshire Metro School Buses
Your child may be able to get free transport to school. You can find out more about assistance with travel to home, school and college.
You can phone the Travel Assistance Team on: 01274 439 450.
Visit the school – all schools have open days.
Look at the schools’ websites.
Talk to parents of children who study there.
Look at schools’ Ofsted reports.
(Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. It is a government department which inspects schools [and colleges, childcare and other services] regularly. Every time Ofsted inspects a school they produce a report and give the school a grade. The report tells you about the effectiveness of the school, including the quality of teaching and the achievement of the pupils. You can find the latest Ofsted report for any school on the Ofsted website. Use the “Distance from your home” option to search for all your local schools, using your postcode.)
Look at the school performance league tables.
This is a system that gives each school a rating based on their Ofsted report, how well their pupils do in exams and their finances.
