Parents often ask us how they should go about finding good local schools. For many looking for the first time, there seems a lot of questions to ask, and limited places in which to find the answers. This article is designed to help you find the knowledge you need to make sure you pick the right primary school for your children, even if you think there is too much information to learn and not enough places to find the answers!

So, here's our definitive guide to finding the best schools near you -

1. Ask other local parents - if you already live in the area where you are hoping to send your child to school, then hopefully you will know some parents of local children who attend the various schools. Your first port of call should be to ask them for their advice about the schools, and speak to the children, they are surprisingly honest when it comes to sharing information! If you don't live in the area already, see if you can check some local Facebook groups or parents groups relating to schools near me. There are plenty of forums for discussions on the subject.

2. Look at OFSTED reports - OFSTED reports give you a great insight not just into the individual schools near me, but allow comparison between schools due to the scale being universal. Remember, there is much more to the OFSTED score than just the number, so take the time to read the report, find out if and how the school has improved, and what recommendations the inspectors have put in place to make the school better. OFSTED reports are a great insight into the quality of primary schools.

3. Go to the school open days - all primary schools near me hold open days for their prospective intake to call in and take a look around. This is your chance to get an idea of the school day, the feel of the classrooms, meet the teachers, and view the extra facilities like sports and play areas. School open days will help you in more than any other way as you can see and hear first-hand what is good and bad about a particular school. There are often pupils in attendance too, so don't forget to ask them their opinion too!

4. Check the local press - local newspapers and magazines will often have stories, articles and advertisements about the local schools near me, and are a very easy place to go looking for information about primary schools. These articles are usually informative and well written (as they are done so by professional journalists) and should be unbiased. They will give you a good insight into what the schools near me are really like!

5. Go on the schools websites - most primary schools near me have their own website. Don't judge a school based on the quality of their site - this is never a good barometer as the school has had the site made by an outside source. Judge the school on the website content - there will be lots of information on there about the school, the curriculum, the out of school activities, the catering and the teaching staff and many other things, but a school leadership team that has put effort into making their site great to attract the best school in usa college children probably puts effort into all areas of the school as well, making this a good barometer of quality.

Looking for schools near you and making the right choice is not easy, but with a little effort the process can be both straightforward and enjoyable. Using our advice should help you make the right choice in the long term for your child.