Q: How can I make sure my child gets into a good secondary school? If my child fails to get into the primary/secondary school I want, is there anything that can be done about it, and if so, what?

It is the question I'm asked at every dinner party. It is the reason I've given up going to dinner parties!

There will be at least one couple, probably more. They will look embarrassed. They will apologise. But they will ask it anyway.

'There is only one decent state secondary school near where we live and it is hopelessly oversubscribed. How can we make sure that Johnny/Sally gets a place?'

The short answer is that you can't. State schools are required to publish what are known as 'admissions criteria'. Most schools will, for example, state that parents must live within a certain distance of the school. Many will give preference to children who already have brothers or sisters at the school. Faith schools will generally expect parents to be committed to their faith. Grammar schools will select on grounds of academic ability; specialist schools can allocate up to 10% of their places to children who demonstrate a particular 'aptitude' in their specialism. If you meet the criteria, then in theory there should be no problem. Your child ought to be accepted. The nightmare starts when you do not, or when more children fit the criteria than there are places at the school.

Doing your homework
My advice is to research all possible schools and the admissions process. It may be that there is only one good school, but the grapevine isn't always accurate and a change of head teacher can quickly affect a school – either way. You need, therefore, to ask each possible school for a copy of its latest Ofsted report (also available at www.ofsted.gov.uk) and information about examination results over the last five years. The next step is to visit every school you haven't eliminated, preferably popping into a few classrooms.

You will pretty quickly come to your own conclusions, and, what is equally important, you will have the chance to meet the head teacher. Heads soon won't be allowed to interview parents. Parents, though, can engage the head in a cheerful conversation designed to convince her that your child is the model pupil her school needs!

Make sure too that you understand what has to be done by when, during the admissions process. Details will be available from your Local Education Authority (LEA). The LEA coordinates admissions for all state schools other than City Academies. You will be asked to list the schools, in order of preference, you want your child to attend. Send the form to the right address and meet the deadline!

Have a plan B
If you are unsuccessful, then you should appeal. The odds are likely to be stacked against you but parents who can offer compelling reasons why their child deserves a place at one particular school, or who can show that the admissions criteria have been wrongly implemented, can and do win. It may be worth seeking legal advice to ensure that your case is as strong as it can possibly be.

Solicitors don't come cheap, but neither do the fees charged by private schools. And houses close to good schools command a huge premium, so if you decide you are going to have to move you need to think hard about the mortgage re-payments. The alternative is home tuition, but that is a subject for another article...

Read more of Chris Woodhead's columns:

Changes in the school system

Exercise in schools

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