Guides for parents navigating school choice
These guides translate the jargon — Ofsted grades, performance measures and admissions language — into plain English, so you can understand your options and make a confident, informed choice.
Understanding the official signals
Ofsted ratings and performance data are useful starting points, but each summarises a whole school in a few numbers. These guides explain how to read them in context and where they fall short.
Looking beyond the data
Two schools with similar results can feel very different. Anonymised community insights help you understand behaviour, communication and pastoral care — the things families care about day to day.
Featured guides
Questions families ask
Are Ofsted ratings important?
They are a helpful starting point, but a rating summarises a whole school in one word and can be out of date. Read the full report and combine it with results data and a visit.
What is Attainment 8?
Attainment 8 measures a pupil's average achievement across eight GCSE subjects. It describes results across a cohort — it does not tell you whether a school is right for your child.
Related categories
Keep researching
Fammove educates, it does not recommend. We explain how families research schools using official data and anonymised community insights — this is information, not rankings or advice. We never fabricate statistics; always check the official source linked from each school.