https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog Practical advice for UK parents on choosing schools, admissions, fees, exams and SEN support. en-GB https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/vat-on-private-school-fees https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/vat-on-private-school-fees VAT has applied to private school fees since January 2025. What changed, why fees didn't all rise 20%, and what to check before you commit to a school. Fees & Funding Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/hidden-costs-of-private-school https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/hidden-costs-of-private-school Uniform, trips, music lessons, exam entries, transport and the development fund — what independent school really costs once you add up all the extras. Fees & Funding Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/how-to-pay-private-school-fees https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/how-to-pay-private-school-fees Fees in advance, help from grandparents, school payment plans, bursaries and phased planning — how families fund independent school, and the real trade-offs. Fees & Funding Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/affordable-private-schools-uk https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/affordable-private-schools-uk Independent school fees vary hugely by region and school type. What you get at the lower end of the market, and how to judge value rather than price. Fees & Funding Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/iseb-common-pre-tests-explained https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/iseb-common-pre-tests-explained What the ISEB Common Pre-Test involves, when it is sat, how the adaptive format works and how to prepare your child without turning it into a campaign. Exams Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/does-my-child-need-a-tutor https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/does-my-child-need-a-tutor When tutoring genuinely helps, when it does more harm than good, what it costs, and how to tell a good tutor from an expensive one. Exams Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/4-plus-assessment-london-pre-preps https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/4-plus-assessment-london-pre-preps What happens at a 4+ assessment, when to register, what schools are actually looking for in a three-year-old, and how to prepare without preparing. Admissions Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/summer-born-children-deferred-entry https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/summer-born-children-deferred-entry If your child is born between April and August you can delay reception by a year. How the rules work, how to request it, and how independent schools differ. Admissions Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/school-waiting-lists-and-appeals https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/school-waiting-lists-and-appeals Didn't get the place you wanted? How state school appeals work, how waiting lists really move, and what independent school waiting lists mean in practice. Admissions Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/applying-to-grammar-schools-out-of-area https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/applying-to-grammar-schools-out-of-area You don't have to live in a grammar county to apply. How out-of-catchment grammar admissions work, where the selective areas are, and what the realities are. Admissions Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/changing-school-for-sixth-form https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/changing-school-for-sixth-form Moving at 16 is easier than at 11 and often less competitive. Deadlines, entry requirements, scholarships and how to judge whether a move is worth it. Sixth Form & University Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/school-league-tables-explained https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/school-league-tables-explained League tables measure intake as much as teaching. What Progress 8, A*-B and 9-7 figures really tell you, and the questions they can never answer. Choosing a School Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/what-is-a-prep-school https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/what-is-a-prep-school Pre-prep, prep, public school, independent, grammar, academy — what the terms actually mean in the English system, and why the labels confuse everyone. Choosing a School Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/ofsted-report-cards-explained https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/ofsted-report-cards-explained Ofsted scrapped single-word judgements. What the new report cards grade, what the five-point scale means, and how ISI reports changed too. Choosing a School Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/how-far-is-too-far-school-commute https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/how-far-is-too-far-school-commute A long commute costs more than time. How to judge distance realistically, what school coach services involve, and when a nearer school is the better school. Choosing a School Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/dyslexia-and-choosing-a-school https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/dyslexia-and-choosing-a-school How to tell a school that genuinely supports dyslexic pupils from one with a policy document. Questions to ask, accreditations to check, and warning signs. SEN & Support Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/autism-adhd-and-school-choice https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/autism-adhd-and-school-choice What actually matters when choosing a school for a neurodivergent child — environment, predictability, staff understanding — and the questions to ask on a visit. SEN & Support Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/boarding-for-international-families https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/boarding-for-international-families Visas, guardianship, English language requirements, choosing a school from abroad and what full boarding really involves for an overseas pupil. Boarding Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/private-schools-london-commuter-belt https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/private-schools-london-commuter-belt Surrey, Kent, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Essex offer strong independent schools at lower fees than central London. How the areas compare. Area Guides Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/how-to-choose-a-private-school https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/how-to-choose-a-private-school A practical, step-by-step guide to choosing the right independent school for your child — from fees and results to ethos, location and the questions that matter. Choosing a School Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/understanding-the-11-plus https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/understanding-the-11-plus What the 11-plus involves, how grammar school admissions work, when to register, which test your area uses, and how to support your child without over-tutoring. Admissions Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/private-schools-north-of-england https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/private-schools-north-of-england The North has excellent independent schools at a fraction of southern fees. A guide to Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire, Merseyside and the North East. Area Guides Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/ehcps-and-independent-schools-parents-guide https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/ehcps-and-independent-schools-parents-guide How EHCPs work with independent schools: getting a private school named, who pays, the role of Section 41, and how the process really works. SEN & Support Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/sen-support-in-independent-schools https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/sen-support-in-independent-schools How SEN support works in independent schools, the questions every parent should ask, and how to judge whether a private school can meet your child's needs. SEN & Support Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/how-school-catchment-areas-work https://www.schoolfinder.info/blog/how-school-catchment-areas-work How school catchment areas work in the UK, why they move each year, and how to check a catchment properly before you rely on it. Admissions Sun, 07 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT