11 things to look for when choosing a secondary school, according to headteachers

Close to three quarters of a million children begin their final year in primary school this month. Across the country, schools are holding open events now to help parents decide where to apply by the deadline of 31 October (and parents like me, with children in Year 5, are already looking ahead). As a place where teenagers spend much of their time – up to 70 per cent – for five or seven years, parents’ choice of a secondary school can have a huge impact on the next stage of their children’s lives. If you’re lucky enough to have a choice of suitable schools in your area, it’s important to make the most of any access. As the prospective parent of a Year 7 student for the first time, I’m keen to use any time on school grounds wisely – and asked parents and headteachers for advice on how to make the most of a visit. Shorts Look beyond reputation Sean Maher, headteacher at Richard Challoner School, an all-boys Catholic secondary in Kingston, London, says the very best thing to take to an open event is an open mind. “Some places will have historic reputations, but you shouldn’t listen to what your hairdresser or someone who went there years ago says,” he advises. “Personal recommendations are best.” And be cautious of thinking that private schools are better than state schools. “Some private schools are fantastic but some really aren’t value for money.” Put the child first, not yourself Mark Pain is headteacher of the Charter School North Dulwich, one of the country’s top performing non-selective schools, though he admits it is selective in that the area is affluent and people buy houses there for proximity to his school. He has children in Year 6 himself at the moment. His top piece of advice is to consider their needs as much, if not more, than your own. “Make sure it’s about what your child wants as opposed to what you want. One of the things I do [at his own school’s open events] is deliberately talk to the children rather than the parents.” “I think it’s as much their decision as yours. As parents we can get carried away thinking, ‘This is the right school as they get amazing academic outcomes or they do this sport and that sport.’” Happiness, mental health and pastoral care are vital So what does matter to children? “It’s more about whether the student’s going to be happy, and about making sure they have a sense of belonging,” he says. “Parents should look out for whether the staff are engaging with children as well as with them.” Jo MacDonald, founder of Creative Counselling Margate, is also looking at secondary schools for the first time. “As a parent, I know how hard it is to set aside your own assumptions and ambitions,” she says. “But as a therapist, I know the real question isn’t which school looks right to me, but which one feels right to them. I’ll always ask about the behaviour policy – it tells you more about a school’s soul than any league table. And you won’t be surprised to hear that I’ll check whether there’s a counsellor on-site, and how easily an anxious eleven-year-old could actually find them. In the end, the best school isn’t the one you’d choose for your child, it’s the one you helped your child choose for themselves.” Do your homework Neil Renton is the headteacher of Harrogate Grammar School, a large secondary school and a grammar only in name. He suggests that parents do as much research as possible before any open event to get a feel for whether the school is a good fit for them and their child. “Look at the social media, website and how the school communicates,” he says. “Does this fit with you as a parent?” Look at the Progress 8 score Choosing a school based on its academic results is something that I struggle with. It’s easy to have one’s head turned by a bevvy of starred grades, but deep down I know they’re no marker for a life well-lived. Sean Maher says that looking at the academic outcomes of any school you’re considering is crucial, but to pay attention to progress as well as attainment. Each school will publish a Progress 8 score, showing how its pupils have developed from the SATs taken in Year 6 as well as an Attainment 8, which measures average academic achievement across GCSEs. (There won’t be Progress 8 scores for the year that missed taking SATs in 2020.) ‘I encourage parents to look at the breadth of the offer over the whole time of the child in the school. Interests change,’ says headteacher Neil Renton (Photo: Harrogate Grammar School) Ask about uniform, discipline and smartphones While an initial visit to any school might be packed with a tour and questions, Neil Renton recommends taking time to think about the feel and culture of any school and whether your child might thrive in that environment. “Think also about some of the school expectations around uniform and technology,” he says. “These expectations need to fit with your own outlook as a parent, as you will be asked to support the school in these kinds of areas.” When I ask parents I know who already have children at secondary schools, this somewhat nebulous idea of how a school feels – the overall atmosphere and culture or, as most of them put it, “vibes” – stands out as the most important factor in all of their decision-making. Many parents have to balance the varying needs of multiple children. Emily Joret lives in north London and has three children in secondary school. “Our main issue was balancing pastoral care with results,” she recalls. “For our eldest, we didn’t want the school to be too strict as we knew that wouldn’t work for her. But we knew our son would need some rules!” Transition support Renton advises looking at the transition offer from any school you’re considering. “At HGS Year 6 students spend a minimum of six days so they feel established before they even start at the school.” Red flags Maher says it’s a good idea to speak to as many children as possible when visiting a school. “On the flipside, if there aren’t many children present, suggesting they weren’t keen to come and represent their school, that could be something to be cautious of,” he warns. He also advises caution when considering a school’s results, which might appear more impressive than they actually are. “Schools can dress up stats in all sorts of ways and it can be quite bamboozling.” Renton agrees: “Be cautious about quoted data and Ofsted reports, you need to get a feel for the school yourself and not selective info presented in headteacher presentations.” Watch the kids closely Maher says that a creative way to gain an insight into a school is to look at the pupils as they arrive at and leave their school. “Are they smart, calm and well-behaved?” Because these moments are unstructured time when the children aren’t closely monitored, their behaviour can give you an idea of how pupils feel about their school. Look past Year 7 Getting an idea of the wider curriculum such as sports and music as well as facilities is important on an open evening, but remember the needs of your child will evolve. “Often parents think that their child has an interest in drama, sport or music and they focus on these things at open events,” says Renton. “I encourage parents to look at the breadth of the offer over the whole time of the child in the school. Interests change and the breadth of the curriculum offer and enrichment offer is what can challenge and spark development in different areas.” School lunches While the heads I speak to don’t mention food, for me it’s a vital component of any school day. Secondary school is the phase when pupils start to make more of their own decisions about breakfast, lunch and snacks and I’ll be asking what’s available to them, how it’s paid for and whether they can leave the school premises for lunch at any open events that I attend. The new school food standards campaigned for by Jamie Oliver will come into effect over the next few years, but I already know that every potential secondary for my daughter is within walking distance of McDonald’s!