Why we exist
A school can look perfect until you try the pickup. Or discover that the child who loves building things must also sing on stage. That might be exactly what you want. It might take a little more thought.
Admissions Diary helps with that thought. Our guides connect school requirements and concrete classroom details to the choices families face. Our “Our read” sections explain what we make of the evidence, and where we are less certain.
The parent questions come first
What will my child do all day? Which grades admit new students? What happens when a child needs help, or is ready for more? What does the year cost after tuition, travel and aftercare? These are the questions we want a guide to answer.
We work from school documents, public records, reporting and attributable accounts. A school’s description tells us what it offers; it cannot tell us how every child experiences it. We identify whose account we are using and do not pretend to have visited a classroom or raised a child at a school.
Our point of view
We value worthwhile challenges, adults who notice children, clear answers and a family life that still works. The best choice for one child may be a poor choice for their sibling. That is why we explain tradeoffs instead of declaring a winner.
Schools have limits too: places, staff, time and the support they can provide. We want families to understand those limits without treating every one as a failing.
Our public byline is Admissions Diary Editorial Team. It represents an accountable editorial process, not an invented person, consultant, or former-parent identity.
A little school life alongside the paperwork
Our blog, Notes from the School Gates, follows the stories behind school life: the rivalry, the class project, the tradition somebody takes very seriously. It has more room to smile. The practical guides are where to return for application steps, costs and deadlines.
Read our editorial standards for how we use sources and AI, or send a correction when something needs another look.
Sister publications
The same editorial team also publishes:
- Eleven Plus Diary, on UK independent schools and the 11+
- European School Guide, on schools across Europe
- NewSchoolRun, on international schools for families abroad