Reader Comments

Where Are the Best Schools?

by Roseanna Defoor (2018-07-28)


Many print and web publications have ratings of the best music school usa schools in a particular area. These ratings are usually based on surveys of students, job recruiters and parents, singly or in various combinations.

In the case of universities, some ratings systems use the average salary of graduates as the criteria or as one component of the criteria for ranking schools. Ratings of the best schools though sometimes consist only of lists without reviews of what each school offers.

School directories provide more detailed information, and again the best ones are independent of the schools themselves. Common information included could be the size of the student body, class size, fee structure, academic matters and, in some cases, written reports by students, parents, etc.

Good sites will have information on the school's performance including graduation rates, grade performance of pupils and dropout rates. There should be extensive information on courses and degrees offered. Also, the review should provide the state of the school's infrastructure including the availability of computers and internet connection, and the availability and quality of the school's libraries.

Staff size and quality and staff turnover rates are important considerations. The site should provide information on the condition of the school's buildings and the general atmosphere and environment of the school. Recreational facilities like gyms, arcades, swimming pools and outdoor facilities should be included.

Where to find good reviews

The major search engines are always a good place to start. Most companies that provide independent school reviews have an online presence.

You can also browse the major web directories. Yahoo Directory, for example, has several categories where school reviews might be found. For example, you can browse the category: Regional > Countries > United Kingdom > Education > Primary and Secondary > Web Directories. The Open Directory (dmoz.org) is another useful web directory for finding school reviews in the United Kingdom.

If you do not find what you need browsing the directories, try conducting keyword searches on Google or Yahoo. Search for phrases like "find the best schools" or "school guides uk." Another possibility is to search for blogs, forums and social networking sites that deal with education in the UK and participate in the discussions.

Finding the best school is relatively easy using the tools available on the internet.