With over 2,500 independent schools (also known as private schools) in the UK, choosing which to apply to can feel like an overwhelming task. Parents are likely to prioritise things such as: 

• Location
• School ranking and exam results
• School facilities
• Fees
• Opinions of other parents

But it is not always straightforward to locate all this information and get a good understanding of the school. Luckily, our expert team is here to provide some top tips and websites for researching independent schools, so you can find the right place for your child. 

1. Get the basics from the Independent Schools Council (ISC)

This useful website has several different search functions to enable you to search by school name, on a map, or by filtering specific criteria. Each school page provides basic information as well as links to the school’s website and latest inspection report. 

2. Understand the school from their website

Spend some time looking through the school’s own website. We recommend looking at the ‘School Life’ section in particular to get a good idea of what attending the school is like. Fees and admissions information are best sourced directly from school websites. You will also be able to view or request a prospectus with further information. 

3. Get the opinions of other parents

Websites like Mumsnet and even Google are free sources of reviews. You can also use specialist school ranking websites like SchoolGuide and The School Report to view further reviews (be aware that these may require membership for full access). When reading reviews, stay aware of: how old the review is; where the reviewer has got their information from (e.g. personal experience, or local gossip); and adverse experiences. 

4. Compare schools by results and ranking

There are many ways to compare schools, and every one is unique. Ranking websites are available to allow parents to directly compare schools, usually by exam results. When using a ranking website such as SchoolGuide, My Top Schools, or Top School Guide be aware that a ranking table can only give a very narrow picture of a school and that GCSE results do not capture the full experience your child might have. Check what information each website is using to rank schools to ensure you are getting the full picture. 

You can also find exam result information on individual school websites. These pages often give more information and you can compare how results have changed over the last few years. The government website Compare Schools also provides secondary school attainment information, but be aware that attainment figures for schools using iGCSEs or IB may appear lower than reality. 

5. Deep dive for specific information 

If there is something specific you want to learn about a school, then we suggest targeted web searching. For example, you could search for: 

• school name + sports teams
• school name + EAL (English as an Additional Language) / IELTS
• school name + facilities 
• school name + scholarship

You can also consult the school’s latest inspection report (linked on their ISC profile) to learn about their strengths and any weaknesses, as well as information about the type of pupils who attend. 

Our team has learned these tips and much more from years of experience supporting students to reach their goals and attend the schools of their dreams. For more information about our current courses including 11+ and 13+ preparation, visit our website or contact us. 

我應如何尋找有關英國independent schools（私立學校）的資訊並作資料搜集

英國有超過 2,500 所independent schools（亦即私立學校），決定申請哪所學校可能不是簡單的抉擇。家長可能需要優先考慮以下事項：

• 地點
• 學校排名和考試成績
• 學校設施
• 費用
• 其他家長的意見

我們知道，要找到所有這些資訊並充分了解學校並非易事。幸好我們的專家團隊可以為家長提供一些研究私立學校的重要貼士和網站，以便你可以為孩子找到合適的學校就讀。

1. 從 Independent Schools Council (ISC) 獲取基本資訊

這個實用的網站上有多種不同的搜尋功能，可讓你按學校名稱、地圖或透過過濾特定條件進行搜尋。每個學校頁面都提供基本資訊以及學校網站和最新評估報告的連結。

2.透過學校網站了解學校

花一些時間瀏覽學校自己的網站。我們建議重點查看「學校生活」部分，以充分了解學校的情況。費用和招生資訊最好直接從學校網站取得。你也可以查看或索取包含更多資訊的招生說明書。

3. 吸取其他家長的意見

Mumsnet、Google等網站都是免費的學校評價來源。你還可以使用 SchoolGuide 和 The School Report 等專業學校排名網站來查看進一步的評價（請注意，這些網站可能需要會員才能完全訪問）。閱讀評價反饋時，請留意以下幾點：評論的歷史有多長；投稿人從哪裡獲得資訊（例如個人經驗或當地傳聞）以及有沒有其他人的相反經驗。

4. 通過學校成績和排名比較學校

比較學校的方法有很多種，每種方法都有它獨特的參考性。學校排名網站可以讓家長直接通過考試成績比較學校。使用SchoolGuide, My Top Schools或Top School Guide等排名網站時，請注意，排名表只能提供學校非常有限的資訊，並且 GCSE 成績並不能反映你孩子可能擁有的全部經歷。檢查每個網站使用哪些資訊對學校進行排名，可以確保你足夠了解全貌。

你也可以在各學校的網站上找到考試結果資訊。這些頁面通常會提供更多信息，你可以比較過去幾年結果的變化。政府網站「Compare Schools 」也提供中學成績信息，但請注意，使用 iGCSEs 或 IB 學校的成績參考數字可能會低於實際情況。

5. 深入了解具體訊息

如果你想了解有關學校的具體信息，那麼我們建議有針對性地進行網路搜尋。例如，你可以搜尋：

• 學校名稱+運動隊
• 學校名稱+EAL（英語作為附加語言）/IELTS
• 學校名稱+設施
• 學校名稱+獎學金

你也可以查閱學校最新的評估報告（連結在其ISC簡介中），以了解學校的優勢和劣勢，以及就讀學生類型等資訊。
我們的團隊從多年來協助學生實現目標並進入夢想學校的經驗中吸收了這些技巧以及知識。有關我們當前課程（包括 11+ 和 13+ 準備）的更多信息，請瀏覽我們的網站或聯繫我們。