Research a school

A little research can help you make the right school preferences for your child.

The Hertfordshire schools directory lists all schools, together with:

• each school's admission rules (how places are allocated)
• how places were allocated in previous years
• dates for upcoming open events to visit the school
• Ofsted and performance ratings.

We don't advise parents to use private admissions websites because the data is frequently inaccurate, misleading, out of date or incomplete. Information on admissions in previous years is available in the schools directory and on the previous years' admissions page.

Think about:

• Primary admissions rules or secondary admissions rules – which rules apply to your child?
• Find your nearest school – home to school distance is an important factor for many schools. We recommend including your nearest school (as we define it) in your preferences. See our definition of nearest school.
• Previous years' admissions – look at how places at particular schools were allocated in previous years. For example, you can find how far away from the school the furthest child lives who got a place last year. You can compare your own distance to the school to get an idea of your chances.
• Transport to school – how will your child get to school? Very few are entitled to free or discounted transport
• Hertfordshire County Council's determined admission arrangements
• Academy, voluntary aided and foundation school determined admission arrangements.