Few things cause so much angst for parents as finding the right school for their child. Once offspring have been through the system most parents wise up to what’s really on offer, how good a school actually is; what they really want for their child.
But unless you’ve got a crystal ball the best advice we can give is: do your homework; check out inspection reports; seek the opinions of neighbours, friends, fellow parents, specialist advisers; visit schools; and use unbiased guides such as this one.
We outline how to draw-up a shortlist of schools to visit.
How do parents decide what's right for their child? What qualifications are ultimately valued by universities, colleges and employers?
Which exams and curricula will prove 'good earners'? And why is Imperial College one of a number of universities that looks to its own entrance exams to recruit the brightest and the best?
Curriculum and examination systems in the UK are in a continuing state of flux. There are now a wide range of curricula on offer, with more on the way, as the fitness of the old stalwarts of A level and GCSE are increasingly questioned. For parents who can move to take advantage of all these new opportunities, this is an unalloyed good.
We take a critical look at the principal players on offer.
All those scary newspaper statistics about the long-term costs of keeping your child in nappies and birthday presents pale into insignificance when set beside the £100,000+ you’ll need to educate a child privately from nursery school to university.
Paying for a private education from finger painting to Freshers’ Week is no longer the necessity it was once. There may be more people than ever before opting for the independent sector, but those without private means or surplus wealth are often choosing to pay selectively.