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MySchoolCompass journal

Helpful reading for parents

Clear articles to make school choices, visits, forms, tutoring and appeals easier.

Parent and child looking over school notes together at a kitchen table Featured guide
A good place to begin

Your summer school-choice checklist

The simple tasks to complete in July and August so your family is ready when open evenings and applications begin.

✓ Keep one shortlist only✓ Check dates before September✓ Save every school note in one place
Admissions planning · 9 min read
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Parent guide library

Practical help for each decision

Choose the question you are dealing with now. Every guide ends with clear next steps.

Family reviewing school options together on a laptop 2
Parent guide

How to build a realistic school shortlist

Balance distance, admissions criteria, school culture and your child’s needs with confidence.

School choice · 9 min read
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School buildings and grounds viewed from the front 3
Parent guide

School admissions routes guide

Choose the right route for grammar, independent, state secondary or primary-school applications.

Admissions guide · 12 min read
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School buildings and grounds viewed from the front 4
Parent guide

What to ask at open evenings

Use practical questions to compare teaching, culture and support.

Open evenings · 8 min read
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A bright secondary-school corridor representing the school application journey 5
Parent guide

How to complete the Common Application Form

Understand equal preference, order your school choices correctly and submit a realistic CAF.

School applications · 8 min read
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Parent and child looking over school notes together at a kitchen table 6
Parent guide

Understanding supplementary forms

Know when extra forms are needed and how to complete them.

School applications · 7 min read
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Family reviewing school options together on a laptop 7
Parent guide

Finding the right tutor

Choose support that fits your child’s needs, route and confidence.

Tutoring · 8 min read
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A parent reviewing grammar-school admission information 8
Parent guide

Grammar-school appeals: a parent’s guide

What to do after the 11+ result, when selection review may apply and how to prepare a grammar-school admission appeal.

Grammar schools · 9 min read
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