Confirm a place, the full fee schedule and the actual campus before committing to a home around a school.
Start with the child, then the school
Use KHDA’s official directory to research schools, curriculum, published reports and fees. Read the report date and the individual findings, rather than using a single overall rating as your decision. School quality, available places and the best fit for a particular child are different questions.
- Write down the child’s current year or grade, date of birth, curriculum, languages, interests and any additional support needs.
- Ask admissions to confirm year placement and any assessment or transfer requirements. Year names across curricula are not always equivalent.
- Consider future moves: examination courses, subject choices, language progression and transfer points can matter as much as this year’s timetable.
- For exam-year or mid-year entry, obtain subject-level confirmation before withdrawing from the current school.
Request an admissions answer you can plan around
Keep a second practical option until your first choice is confirmed. Ask the current school about notice periods and records early so the transfer does not stall over paperwork.
- Is a place available in the correct year at the intended campus and start date, or is this a waiting-list application?
- Which reports, transfer certificates, identity documents and vaccination records are needed, and when?
- Are there assessments, registration payments or acceptance deadlines? What is refundable if the move or residence is delayed?
- What are the daily hours, term dates, after-school options and arrangements for a staggered arrival?
- Who will confirm the offer in writing, and what conditions remain before enrolment is final?
Budget for the whole school year
Request the school’s current fees fact sheet and a written schedule for your child’s year. Tuition is only one line in a household budget. Establish what an employer allowance actually reimburses and whether you must pay first.
- Tuition and payment dates; application or registration payments and how they are credited.
- Bus service, route coverage and journey duration; uniform, books, devices and meals.
- Trips, examinations, activities, after-school care and holiday childcare.
- Any separately charged learning support and the process for agreeing it.
- The effect of siblings, discounts, missed deadlines and a mid-year departure on the total payable.
Inclusion, language support and wellbeing
Speak to the inclusion or learning-support team before accepting a place if your child has additional needs. Share relevant assessments through the school’s secure process and ask what support is available from the start, who delivers it and how progress is reviewed.
On a visit, discuss safeguarding, bullying response, counsellor access, language acquisition and how new pupils make friends. Ask to see the spaces and routines your child would actually use. A tour of impressive facilities does not answer these questions.
Nursery and childcare need their own checks
For younger children, confirm the provider’s current authorisation, age groups, hours, staff arrangements, sleep routines and settling-in approach. Ask about meals, allergies, collection permissions, holiday closures and late collection.
If considering a nanny or other household help, check the separate lawful employment and sponsorship route through the appropriate official service. Do not assume the family’s residence permission covers someone else’s employment.
Test the school run before choosing a home
Check the campus address rather than the school group’s name. Ask the transport operator whether the exact building or community phase is served. Travel the route at the relevant time, including the walk to the stop and queue at the school gate.
For two children at different campuses, map both drop-offs and afternoon collection. Compare the time saved by a better location against any housing premium using your actual daily schedule.
Common questions
Does living near a school guarantee a place?
No. Confirm admissions, year placement and any remaining conditions with the school before basing a property decision on it.
Should I choose only by inspection rating?
Use the report as one source of evidence alongside curriculum, support, available places, fees, your child’s needs and the daily journey.
Official sources and checking your case
Sources reviewed 28 September 2026. Check the live service details before applying or paying. This guide provides general information; the authority, school, insurer or other provider decides the requirements for your circumstances.