A new online profiles tool will let parents see a school or college's key details by searching a site name or their postcode, ending the need to spend hours looking through documents and websites when choosing a school.
Education Secretary Lucy Powell said she wants to make it easier for mums and dads to find basic information such as whether a prospective school has a breakfast club or its attainment rankings. Speaking to The Mirror, the Cabinet minister said it is "far too hard" to find relevant details under the current system and pledged to ensure parents aren't "spectators" in their child's education.
What the tool will offer
The online tool launches on Friday. It will bring together information about a school's location, age range, attendance, results and wider offerings, such as free breakfast clubs. For parents of older children, there will be information about secondary schools' GCSE subject entries and the next steps pupils took after year 11, such as further education, apprenticeships or employment.
The service will continue to develop after its launch. A side-by-side comparison feature currently offered for secondary schools will be rolled out to primary schools, and Ofsted reports will be incorporated next year.
Government partnerships and findings
The government is also announcing two new independent and expert-led School-Parent Partnership Alliances, bringing together experts, schools, trusts and parents to build stronger relationships between families and schools.
New findings show that children whose parents received clear information about their progress achieved higher GCSE results and were less likely to be persistently absent from school. Where parents described information about their child's progress as "very clear", pupils achieved around six additional Attainment 8 points in Year 11 and had 27% lower odds of persistent absence.
Minister's pledge
Ms Powell told The Mirror: "Parents shouldn't have to spend hours trawling through websites and documents just to understand what a school can offer their child.
"Basic information, from whether there's a breakfast club that means you can get to work on time, to the support available if your child is struggling, can be far too hard to find. Our new school profiles will start to bring that information together in one clear place, helping parents choose the right school and stay informed as their child grows.
"Parents aren't spectators in education. They know their children better than anyone, and if we want every child to participate, achieve and feel they belong, schools and families need the tools to work together.
"I will make sure every parent feels they have a voice in their child's education, and every child knows that the adults in their life are pulling together for them."
