Guide for Parents

A brief parents guide to schools and education, answering some of the most commonly asked questions.

Home education - Most children are educated through normal schooling, but parents can decide to educate thier child at home - as long as they ensure their child receives a full-time education from the age of five. 

Choosing a school - Choosing a school for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make.  Making the right choice for you and your child may involve a lot of time weighing up the options  and you must remember, that to get your child into the school of your choice means yo must apply well in advance.

Online School Applications  - Cheshire County Council are inviting online applications for school places if your child will be starting in a Reception Class, Year 3 in a Junior School or Year 7 in a Secondary School for the first time.

OfSTED Reports - OfSTED reports for Cheshire schools are available for download

School Meals - All school meal's are required to reach the Government's Nutritional standards and be planned with children in mind.

School Uniforms - The governing body of each school decides on the uniform policy or dress code, and it is the headteacher's responsibility to make sure pupils keep to the rules. If you have any complaints about the uniform policy or dress code, talk to the school governing body.

Helping your child learn - It can be importat to start helping your child learn early on as early as possible.  Reading with your child and helping them with writing and spelling can help boost their achievement. Certain skills, like reading and counting, are worth really practising at home because they’re fundamental to your child’s progress later on. 

Starting school - Schools in Chester are under the control of the Cheshire Local Education Authority.  The information contained in this section should be used in conjunction with information at Cheshire County Council's Education Website (external link)

Educational Complaints - If your child has a problem at school you should be able to sort it out informally by talking to your child's teacher. If you can't resolve a problem through an informal discussion, your child's school should have a formal complaints procedure that you should follow.

Links for Parents - Links to some of the most useful UK parent/education sites on the web.

Truancy and Attendance - Local education authorities ( LEA s) are legally responsible for making sure that parents of children aged between five and 16 provide their children with an education either at home or at school.

Saver routes to school - The mode of travel chosen for a child's journey to school is recognised as having an impact not only on their safety but their health and personal development and of course the environment in which they live.

Dealing with Bullying - Bullying can be pretty much anything that involves someone who deliberately makes your life difficult - it can be physical, like being pushed, kicked or hit. It can be verbal, like being called names or threatened. It can be being left out of a group of friends.  It can be having your things taken off you or broken.  It can be someone spreading rumours about you - whether they're true or not.