This page sets out how we build the rankings, comparisons and city guides on this site. We publish it because parents reading our work deserve to know what is and isn't verified, where our data comes from, and where the limits of our research sit. We are an editorial-led, advertising-free guide for parents. We do not take payment from schools to feature them. We do not run sponsored content.
What we verify
For every school we feature: accreditation status with the relevant inspection body (KHDA, ADEK, BSME, COBIS, BSO, ISI, AdvancED, IB, CIS), most recent inspection rating and date, fee tier across senior year groups, curriculum offered with examination board, headline outcomes (IB average, GCSE Grade 9-7 percentage, A-Level A*-B percentage) for the past three years where published. We verify against primary sources: school websites, regulator filings, IB annual reports, exam board public statistics.
What we do not assert
Cohort-level data we cannot independently verify, including: predicted-grade accuracy at named schools, specific university placement counts unless published by the school, parent satisfaction beyond our verified review database, and staff turnover unless we have multi-year confirmation.
Where our data comes from
Primary: school websites, regulator filings, IB and Cambridge published statistics, government school inspection databases (KHDA, ADEK, ESTYN, Ofsted, ISI). Secondary: published industry research (Carfax, ISC Research), our own verified parent review database, anonymised admissions team interviews. We cite sources where the underlying data is not obvious.
How we keep editorial independence
We do not accept payment from schools to be featured. We do not run sponsored content marked or unmarked. Our newsletter and website are advertising-free for parents. We monetise through tools (the cost calculator, the school finder, premium guides) and through paid-for institutional partnerships disclosed openly in our list-your-school page. None of these affect ranking, inclusion or removal from the guides.
Updating cadence
Every school profile and every fee dataset is reviewed on a rolling 12-month cycle. City guides are updated when material changes occur (regulatory changes, major school openings or closures, fee structure changes). We publish dateModified visibly on every page.
Corrections
If you spot an error, mail us at our contact form. We acknowledge within 24 hours during weekdays and publish a correction visibly on the page where the error sat.