New online tool to help parents choose the right school

13 Nov 2026 11:57 AM

As primary school applications open, new digital tool brings information including attendance, attainment and wider offers like breakfast clubs into one place.

Parents will be better able to choose the right school for their child as the government launches its new “find and compare school and college profiles” online tool today, putting clearer information about schools at their fingertips. 

The new online profiles for each school bring together answers to parents’ first questions – the school’s location, age range, attendance, results and wider offerings, like free breakfast clubs – an everyday fix that pulls clear, accessible information in one, easy to find place.  

The launch comes as primary school applications are now open in every local area, with parents given until January to choose the best fit for their family. 

For parents of older children, there will be information about secondary schools’ GCSE subject entries and the next steps pupils at that school have taken into further education, apprenticeships or employment after year 11.

The service will continue to develop after launch, with a side-by-side comparison feature currently offered for secondary schools rolled out to primary, and Ofsted reports added to show where different schools excel launching next year.

With upcoming government plans to supercharge schools’ enrichment offer as part of its curriculum overhaul – reducing curriculum overload to make more space in the school day for arts, sports, nature and future skills – information on what children can do at each school outside of the classroom will also be added in coming years.

This work is part of the Department’s wider drive to broaden opportunity and excellence for every young person through a more engaging curriculum, better support for children with SEND, richer experiences beyond the classroom and a stronger partnership with parents, so every child can flourish and leave school ready for further education, training or work.

Schools Minister Georgia Gould said:

Choosing a school for your child is a big decision, and not one that parents take lightly.

We are putting clearer information at parents’ fingertips – an everyday fix to help them find the right fit and keep them in the know throughout those all-important school years.

This is about helping parents become a partner in their child’s education from day one, with more information, more choice, and better outcomes.

Profiles come online as the government launches two new expert-led alliances to spearhead a renewed focus on enrichment and parental engagement.

New findings show that children whose parents received very clear information about their progress achieved higher in their GCSE results and were less likely to be persistently absent from school.

The new Enrichment Alliance and School-Parent Partnership Alliance will bring together sector experts, schools, trusts and parents, to test what works and share best practice on giving every child a richer school experience and strengthening the partnership between home and school. 

To kick-start this, the School-Parent Partnership Alliance is inviting parents, teachers and school leaders to share their experiences through their website.

Whether it’s through parent forums, school apps or transition days for the whole family, the alliance wants to know all the ways that parents and schools are working in partnership – with the most effective suggestions to be tested in more schools from next year. 

Ed Vainker, Co-chair of the School-Parent Partnership Alliance, said: 

Teachers and leaders know that children do best with schools and families work in partnership.

I am delighted to be working with Fiona to identify ways in which relationships can be strengthened and children better supported, and to share these with schools around the country.” 

Fiona Forbes, Co-chair of the School-Parent Partnership Alliance, said: 

Parents are the most important people in their children’s lives, and a key, but under-utilised, stakeholder in our education system.

Our research in the Parent Voice Project has demonstrated how often they feel underappreciated by schools in the educational journey. As such I am very pleased to get the School-Parent Partnership underway and to launch its mission to strengthen how teachers and parents can work together.  

But to do that we need to hear from as many parents and school staff as possible through our listening exercise - I urge people to get involved.” 

Steve Chalke MBE, Chair of the Enrichment Alliance and Founder of Oasis Charitable Trust, said:

Enrichment is not an optional extra. It is an essential part of every child’s education. It helps them discover who they are. It builds confidence, widens horizons and creates a sense of belonging.

The Enrichment Alliance brings schools and partner organisations together to share and test practical ideas, while listening to children and young people about what works for them. Together, we want to open doors for every child to a future they might never otherwise have imagined.

Building on the new Enrichment Framework published earlier this year, the Enrichment Alliance will test ways that schools can offer an accessible, engaging extra-curricular offer that’s shaped by the community. 

It will help prepare schools for upcoming curriculum reforms to make room for the experiences that inspire young people, from practical experiments to debate, performance and learning beyond the classroom, helping tackle the sharp drop-off in engagement and attendance during the early secondary years.

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