Parents often treat school type like a quality signal. It is not. A school's type mainly tells you who runs it, how it is governed, and which rules it follows for things like curriculum and admissions.
Once you understand the types, you will read admissions criteria and Ofsted reports more accurately, and you will avoid false assumptions like "academy equals better" or "maintained equals old-fashioned".
Key takeaways
- School type explains governance and rules, not quality.
- Admissions criteria determine feasibility, not the school label.
- Judge schools on culture, teaching, and support systems.
In this guide
Maintained vs academy vs free school (what changes in practice)
Maintained schools are overseen by the local authority. Academies and free schools are state-funded but run independently of the local authority, often as part of a multi-academy trust (MAT).
In practice, what matters for families is less the label and more how the school applies behaviour, curriculum choices, pastoral support, and communication with parents.
- Academies/free schools can have more flexibility over curriculum and school day.
- Maintained schools have local authority oversight and support structures.
Trusts, governance, and why it matters
If a school is part of a MAT, the trust influences strategy, staffing support, and sometimes curriculum and policies across multiple schools.
A strong trust can stabilise schools and share good practice. A weak trust can standardise policies without improving teaching quality. Always judge the specific school as well as the broader group.
Admissions: the part parents most often misunderstand
School type does not tell you how hard it is to get in. Admissions criteria do. Read the oversubscription rules first because they define whether a school is a realistic option for your address and situation.
Grammar schools and some faith schools have extra criteria (selection tests, faith evidence). Even within the same category, rules vary significantly.
- Check the tie-break order (distance, siblings, feeder schools, etc.).
- Check the evidence requirements (address, faith practice, test registration).
Curriculum and culture still win
Whatever the type, the school experience is shaped by teaching quality, behaviour consistency, and pastoral care. These are not guaranteed by a governance model.
Use school type to ask better questions, not to shortcut the decision.
A simple plan you can follow
Use this as a lightweight workflow as you shortlist, visit, and decide.
- List the school types in your area and identify who runs each school (local authority or trust).
- Read admissions criteria first to understand feasibility.
- Compare curriculum offer and pastoral/SEND provision.
- Visit and ask how policies work in practice day-to-day.
- Choose based on fit and stability, not labels.
Practical templates
Use these lists as prompts on open days and when comparing schools side-by-side.
- School type understood (academy/maintained/free/grammar/faith).
- Trust/local authority identified.
- Admissions tie-break rules read end-to-end.
- Curriculum options checked (languages, EBacc, vocational routes where relevant).
- Pastoral and SEND provision understood.
- Costs checked (uniform, trips, transport).
- Who runs the school and what support does the trust/local authority provide?
- How are curriculum options decided and reviewed?
- What does oversubscription look like and how are ties broken?
- What evidence is required for selection or faith criteria (if relevant)?
- How do you support SEND and disadvantaged pupils day-to-day?
- Assuming a school type predicts outcomes or culture.
- Ignoring admissions details until too late.
- Not checking what subjects/options are actually offered.
- Choosing based on brand rather than fit and stability.
Use this with Schoolboard
Turn the guide into a shortlist you can compare on the map and school pages.
- Filter by school type to understand your local mix.
- Compare schools within the same phase and with similar cohorts.
- Use the school pages to cross-check Ofsted, key metrics, and context.