Choose a grammar school.Start with your child.

Start with route, not reputation

A useful school search begins with two questions: can your child be considered under the admission rules, and could they travel there for an ordinary school week? Answer these before comparing reputations.

Find the Year 7 intake and the correct-year policy. Identify the test organiser, stages, academic requirements, address rules and priority category. A mixed sixth form does not necessarily mean a mixed Year 7 intake. A nearby school does not necessarily give your address priority.

The five filters that make a school worth keeping

1. Eligibility

   Check age, intake, testing and any residence requirements. Confirm separate forms or test stages.

2. Admission priority

   Identify how your child would be ranked after qualification. Use historical offers only as context for the same category.

3. Travel

   Try the weekday journey and the trip home after an activity. Include walking, waiting, fares and disruption.

4. Learning

   Read the Year 7 curriculum and later subject options. Ask how teaching supports pupils who struggle in a subject or need more challenge.

5. Pastoral and practical support

   Explore induction, bullying procedures, SEND support, homework and access to a trusted adult. Ask for concrete examples.

A school should earn its place on the list

Record two or three reasons a school suits your child and any unanswered questions. “Offers the language my child wants and has a direct bus” is more useful than “excellent reputation”.

Listen to your child without making one open-evening reaction decisive. Ask which lessons, spaces or conversations felt comfortable, and what worried them. Follow up concerns with the school rather than dismissing them or assuming a polished presentation answers everything.

Compare suitable non-selective schools on the same criteria. They are real options, not simply names to add at the end of an application.

When to use rankings

Results can help you investigate a school’s academic outcomes. Check the measure, cohort and year: GCSE grades, Attainment 8 and A-level outcomes answer different questions. Selective intake is also relevant when comparing raw attainment.

Ofsted’s newer report cards use grades for separate areas rather than one overall grade. Read the findings and inspection date; old labels and new report-card grades are not directly interchangeable.

Use rankings to explore a named measure, then check eligibility, school life and travel. A small ranking difference does not establish which school will support your child better.

Red flags in a grammar school shortlist

Pause if you cannot explain the admission category, are relying on an unverified catchment claim, or have not tried a long journey at school time. Those uncertainties affect whether the school is a usable option.

Ask more questions if a school’s published curriculum or support information does not address your child’s needs. Do not infer that high results guarantee strong support in every situation. Equally, a website omission is a reason to ask—not proof that support is absent.

A better order for choosing schools

1. 1

   Check admission and travel

   Remove options that cannot work under the relevant rules or everyday journey.

2. 2

   Read about teaching and support

   Identify a few specific questions for each school.

3. 3

   Visit and compare

   Record evidence and your child’s impressions while the visit is fresh.

4. 4

   Order genuine preferences

   Use your final list for CAF order, keeping suitable realistic alternatives.

The school comparison tool is useful once you have a few relevant schools. Keep a separate note for facts that require an official reply rather than guessing a value.