ABSTRACT
Groucho Marx did not want to join any club which would accept somebody like him as a member. If admission arrangements to clubs can be opaque, those to schools are often not exactly transparent. Where parents can afford it, they may seek admission for their child to an independent school by contacting the school to establish its admission arrangements. Independent schools have, in theory, complete control over admissions but schools tend to be chosen by parents so that the ethos, support and curriculum of the school match the parents’ perception of what their child needs. Leaving the issue of preparatory schools aside, the government wants parents to be able to send their children to their preferred school, wherever possible, whether it is a community, voluntary or foundation school (Department for Education and Employment, 1997).
