The most common and logical place to start is by contacting your schools of interest and asking for a copy of their prospectus in both DVD and hard copy format. It's also a good idea to visit the school's own website or obtain a copy of a school magazine, as well as any record of the school's recent activities and achievements.

Check whether your chosen schools have ISC accreditation. Accreditation indicates that the quality of a school is assessed and confirmed by rigorous inspection. As a condition of continued membership, schools are required to undergo a thorough Ofsted-approved inspection every six years to ensure that all standards are maintained and improved. Full reports can be obtained by prospective parents by directly contacting the school in question.

By all means consult school league tables before making a list or decision but bear in mind that tables can often be misleading.

Open days are a great opportunity to get a taste of the world your child will be studying within as well as showcasing a school's facilities and they give parents the chance to meet staff and pupils. And some schools offer open mornings or afternoons where smaller groups of parents are allowed to experience a school's normal working week day at which you will get more of a sense of what the school, its classes, pupils, teachers, studies and school days are typically like.

Before you go, it's a good idea to plan your visit. Be prepared - make a list of questions that you wish to ask during the school visit.

*What don't they tell you that could be important to your decision?

*What arrangements does a school have for pastoral care? Who will have primary and immediate responsibility for your child's welfare? To whom should your child go if there is a problem?

*What is the standard of the school's buildings and facilities?

*Are the staff and pupils friendly and interested in you and your child?

*Try to get an opportunity to speak to the pupils without the head or other members of staff present.

*What complaints procedures does a school have and how seriously does it deal with any issues that arise?

What standards and facilities do they have for children with special needs such as dyslexia or a physical or mental impairment?

*What are the destinations of a school's leavers? How many are accepted into higher education?

*What is the range of subjects and abilities on display? Is the work innovative and covering a range of disciplines?

*Are there any future changes to be aware of? eg: head master or mistress leaving, a single-sex school switching to co-educational, disruptions caused by planned work or refurbishment.

Finally, and perhaps most important of all, take on board your child's comments and opinions. After all it is they who will be spending most of their time at school. If it looks right and feels right then more than likely, it will be.

If he or she isn't going to be happy there then the whole process can only end in tears.

*The ISC information & advice service (ISCias) offers a free information service, established by the Independent Schools Council to give comprehensive and impartial advice on accredited independent schools in the UK and Ireland. For further information go to www.isc.co.uk