It pays to do as much research as possible into all the schools in your area, as early as possible, when choosing the right school for your child. School open days are a great opportunity to look around schools. These will usually include a presentation by the Headteacher and a guided tour of the whole school, where you will get the chance to look at examples of work and talk to the teachers. It is at these visits where you should really get a feel for the atmosphere of a school and whether the pupils appear happy and relaxed, which can sometimes be of more importance than how well a school peforms academically.

The following videos give tips and advice by experts and parents themselves, with subjects such as choosing a school, preparing your child for school, changing schools, parents evenings and many other issues that could affect your child throughout their school years.

TOP TIP: You can do online research and a comparison of all schools in England by visiting Schools in England at Gov UK. For schools in Scotland, visit Schools in Scotland at Gov Scot. For Schools in Wales Schools in Wales at Gov Wales