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Advice on choosing schools

How can a Choice Adviser help?

If your child is transferring from junior school to secondary school, the Choice Advice Service can offer you individual support and guidance to express a preference for your child. The Choice Advice Service is free, impartial, and independent of the admission and allocation process.

What are our aims?

To provide support and advice to parents through the school admissions procedure.

• To provide advice and guidance so that parents and carers can make realistic and informed preferences for their child.
• To provide free, confidential and impartial advice to parents and carers.
• To provide advice sessions at schools and other local community venues.
• To make the school admissions process clearer.

We will arrange a meeting at a time and place to suit you. We will listen to any concerns or difficulties you are having with the admissions process.  We can discuss your own preferences and the options available to you.

Would you like more information or help filling in the Common Application Form?

You may have already received a School Admission booklet, containing the Common Application Form . If you feel that you need help obtaining performance information and other data about the schools in your area or you would like some support in deciding which school might be right for your child, one of the independent Choice Advisers could help you.  You may just want someone to help you fill in the Common Application Form. A Choice Adviser can help you with this too.

Choice Advisers can offer:

• Advice, information and support on all aspects of the school admissions process.
• Individual (one-to-one) support and guidance.
• Help with completing the Common Application Form  .
• A wide range of information on local schools:
  • times of school day and term dates;
  • council transport policy and the provision of free transport to and from school, and the eligibility criteria;
  • school uniform policy and how to obtain help with costs;
  • school ethos, curriculum and any specialisms;
  • charging policy in relation to school trips and activities.
• Help and information on how to apply for schools in neighbouring authorities.
• Support to parents and carers in making informed and realistic decisions when expressing their preferences.
• A friendly and flexible service to meet individual needs.

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