Secondary School Transfer Advice

Choice Advice Service

What is Choice Advice?

Choice Advice is a service that gives independent, impartial and free advice to parents and carers looking to find the right secondary school for their child.

At the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, we recognise that the transfer from primary to secondary school can be one of the most difficult times for families and children.

We are here to help to make navigating the school admissions system easier through providing guidance and necessary information that allows parents to make the best informed decision on which school to enrol their children in.

How can a Choice Advisor help you?

A Choice Adviser can:

  • help you to understand how the school admissions process works
  • help you to make realistic and informed decisions
  • complete paper-based and online application forms
  • obtain information on individual schools’ charging policies and details of schemes to help with cost of school trips and activities
  • give information on schools and academies in neighbouring authorities
  • find the schools that most suit your needs i.e. travel distances and special educational needs for your children
  • provide impartial information on other secondary schools, such as the facilities, performance, number of pupils
  • advice on how pupils will be allocated a place if there are too many applications for one school
  • assist new families that have settled in the authority to find a school
  • direct you to other services such as translation, interpreters, parent and carer support services

What Choice do I have?

Parents and carers must identify preferences for the schools they want to apply for. Choice Advisers will help you to optimise your choices by providing and explaining key information with your child’s educational needs and interests in mind.

However, Choice Advisers will not take decisions for you or recommend a school, and seeing a Choice Adviser will not guarantee your child a place for any school.

Do Choice Advisers give impartial advice?

The information and advice that you get from a Choice Adviser will be treated confidentially and the advice given will be impartial, as advisers act independently from the local authority.

Contact information and consultation times

The Choice Advice Service is part of the Family Information Service (FIS). Advice sessions are by appointment only. You can contact the FIS Choice Adviser to make an appointment any time between Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm on 0207 361 4319.

Please note that we do not have any influence on what secondary school your child will attend.