New Online Tool Launched to Help Parents Choose Schools

The UK government has launched a new online tool to help parents choose the right school for their child. The tool, called “find and compare school and college profiles,” provides parents with clearer information about schools at their fingertips.

The new online profiles for each school include answers to parents’ first questions, such as the school’s location, age range, attendance, results, and wider offerings, like free breakfast clubs. The launch coincides with the opening of primary school applications, which are now open in every local area, with parents given until January to choose the best fit for their family.

For parents of older children, the service will provide information about secondary schools’ GCSE subject entries and the next steps pupils at that school have taken into further education, apprenticeships, or employment after year 11. The service will continue to develop, with a side-by-side comparison feature currently offered for secondary schools being rolled out to primary schools, and Ofsted reports being added next year.

Schools Minister Georgia Gould said the tool is designed to help parents become a partner in their child’s education from day one, with more information, more choice, and better outcomes. The government also announced the launch of two new expert-led alliances to spearhead a renewed focus on enrichment and parental engagement: the Enrichment Alliance and the School-Parent Partnership Alliance.