Parents and the Process of Choosing Secondary Schools: Implications for Schools

Abstract

Dr Anne West and Jean Hailes are members of the Centre for Research at the London School of Economics and Politics. Professor Miriam David and Dr Jane Ribbens are members of the Social Sciences Research Centre of South Bank University. In this paper they report upon a study which examines how parents choose secondary schools for their children. Among other things, it is suggested that different groups of parents start thinking about this issue at a variety of different times and do so for different reasons. In the latter part of their paper, the authors identify nine possible implications which their findings might have for schools who wish to improve their policy and practice in this area.