Finding the right school for your child

Begin by thinking about your child's needs in terms of:

• Talents and interests
• Social and emotional confidence
• Learning styles and teaching needs
• Does your child have a statement of special educational needs or do they have particular needs that a specific school could address?
• If your child has special needs, do you feel the school is confident about meeting them? Is there any special expertise or support among the staff?
• Location - what will the journey to school be like? Will you, as a parent or carer, be able to get your child to school easily?
• Does the school have any special facilities that interest your child?
• How are parents or carers encouraged to become involved with the school?
• Are there lunchtime or after school clubs to inspire your child's learning?
• How will your application measure up against the school's admission criteria? What are your realistic chances of a place?
• Is the school improving year by year?
• What significant changes have taken place in the last couple of years?
• Will your child be safe and respected? Ask about anti bullying policies, site security etc
• If English is not your first language, is information from the school accessible to you?
• What are your child's views? What are the parents or carers of your child's friends thinking of doing?
• Try to think of your child as you would like them to be as they grow up. Will the school still meet their needs?
• Will your child be able to make new friends who live in your neighbourhood?

Start finding out about schools now

Talk to teachers and other parents and carers. Think about what is important to you and your child. All the information you need should be available in our Starting secondary school in Southwark 2012/13 brochure and Starting primary school in Southwark 2012/13 brochure, at schools, on our website or by contacting Southwark Council's school admissions team on 020 7525 5337.

Visit as many schools as possible

Parents and carers are strongly encouraged to contact schools directly to arrange a visit to see what each school has to offer before completing the common application form and listing preferences. If you would like to visit a secondary school in Southwark please view page 9 of our Starting secondary school in Southwark 2012/13 brochure to check dates for school open days and evenings.

All schools produce their own brochures which contain far more information about the school than we can give. Many schools also have their own website which can be a valuable source of information. To help you research which school could be right for your child, all Southwark Council libraries and one stop shops offer free access to the internet with staff on hand to help. To find your local library or one stop shop contact Southwark Council's customer service centre on 020 7525 5000.

Look at the most recent Ofsted reports

All schools in Southwark are inspected regularly by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).You can check the latest report on any school by asking the school for a copy or by visiting the Ofsted website.

Get your application in on time

The closing dates for returning applications are:

• Secondary - Monday 31 October 2011. However, we are encouraging applicants to submit their application no later than Friday 21 October 2011 (Friday before half term) to allow sufficient time for checking and processing. If you need help, view the step by step guide for completing your secondary school CAF form
• Primary - Sunday 15 January 2012. If you need help, view the step by step guide for completing your primary school CAF form