What should you look for when choosing a school in England? Ofsted, performance tables, academies, grammar and private schools

Who does this apply to?

• This is general information. It does not assess anyone's personal situation and does not recommend a school. It is for England. It is based on the GOV.UK pages "Types of school", "School admissions" and "Find and compare schools in England" (October 2026).

What GOV.UK suggests

• Visit the school, read its latest Ofsted report, check the performance tables and talk to other parents.
• Schools must publish their admission arrangements, including how to apply, on their websites.
• The GOV.UK "Find and compare schools in England" service lets you search primary, secondary and special schools and colleges near you and see each school's exam and test results, Ofsted reports and financial information.

School types

• Community (local authority) schools: run by the local authority and follow the national curriculum.
• Foundation and voluntary schools: funded by the local authority; some have support from religious group representatives.
• Academies and free schools: run by not-for-profit academy trusts, independent from the local authority, and can follow a different curriculum.
• Grammar schools: select pupils by academic ability; entry requires a test. The GOV.UK page does not name the "11-plus".
• Special schools: specialise in particular special educational needs.
• Independent (private) schools: you apply directly to the school. They are on the Department for Education register and are inspected by Ofsted or the Independent Schools Inspectorate; you can check registration on "Get information about schools".

What to watch when choosing

• Your address matters. At schools that use distance or catchment criteria, how far you live affects your ranking. If you apply with an overseas address and give no evidence of a move, that address can be used.
• An Ofsted report alone is not enough. Look at its date and at what it says about behaviour and safeguarding.
• Your child's English. For new arrivals, ask whether the school gives extra language support. There is no national official page with those details; the school has to tell you.
• Do not forget the timetable. For secondary the application closes on 31 October; see the post on how to enrol a child in a state school.

Points to watch

• Official pages change. This post is a general summary.

What can you do?

• Use Find and compare schools in England.
• Read Types of school.
• For a private school, check the register on Get information about schools.