Happy children more important than exam results research finds

Forget parents pouring over Ofsted reports, exam results matter less to parents than their child being happy when choosing a school.

Results of more than 420,000 surveys completed by parents, has found that discipline, teaching quality, the happiness of the children , control of bullying and caring teachers were the top five requirements of a school.

The survey forms the research in Knowing Your Parents, published by Kirkland Rowell Surveys and the National Governors’ Association.

Chief Executive, National Governors’ Association, Emma Knights said: “Governing bodies need to understand what parents think about their school. Parents’ views can inform both the evaluation of the school’s current performance, and the strategic plans for the future. The National Governors’ Association is encouraging all governing bodies to make sure they are collecting and thoroughly considering information from parents.”