How Academic?

Try to make an honest assessment of your child's aptitudes and needs. It is not good for children to flounder at the bottom of the class after being over-coached and just getting through the entrance exam into a school where they find the academic pressures too great. They are too likely to be discouraged and to under-perform. On the other hand, if they can work faster than the rest they will be frustrated by working at a slower pace.

Will your child do better in a school where there is a good deal of academic pressure or would a school catering for a wider range of academic abilities be more suitable? If your child is bright and obviously able, and you have decided on day education, look particularly at independent grammar schools. You might qualify for help with the fees through scholarships awarded by the schools. If your child is less academically inclined, consider a smaller school with small classes. An increasing number of schools now offer advanced vocational qualifications alongside traditional academic ones.