Is your child in year 6? Have you just found out whether they have a place at the secondary school of their choice? Or are you still waiting for the thud of a letter to hit the doormat?
Figures compiled by Jeevan Vasagar show up to 40% of children could fail to win a place at their first choice of secondary school in some of the most competitive areas of the country.
Once you know what school your child has been allocated, you'll probably be on the phone to find out where their friends are going - and if anyone you know is being sent to your local School from Hell.
And then you may need some advice. We have persuaded the Advisory Centre for Education - which provides free independent advice to parents who have children at state schools - to parachute in an expert to sort out all your dilemmas. She'll be here from 2.30 this afternoon, so start posting your questions for her now.
Education news from the Guardian
• Kenneth Baker (remember him?) is back and he's brought a Very Big Idea with him. It goes by the somewhat confusing name of University Technical College, and will provide vocational educational for 14- to 19-year-olds. Lord Baker tells Peter Wilby:
"I want about 1000 by 2015. After about 10 years, there will probably be 200 to 300."
He's hugely enthusiastic about the project, insisting that everyone from parents to employers loves it.
"This is going to be the answer to all the mistakes we've made in English education."
• Everyone scoffed at the "nappy curriculum" embodied in the early years foundation stage (EYFS). Dorothy Lepkowska admits she did. But now she has a young child, she can see its enormous value.
• The School I'd Like is generating some wonderful ideas from children around the country. What they want is beanbags, iPads, dogs, celebrity teachers, a school that can fly, smiley teachers, dolphins and respect.
• Patrick Barkham finds out about the dogs that listen to children read.
• Colleges are working out what is going to have to go, in the face of funding cuts. It'll be all the extras that make college life special, they say.
Guardian views
Peter Scott It's time we stopped being snooty about European universities - they could be rewarding allies.
David Clifford How is Cambridge going to attract more state students when it's forced to charge such high fees?
Research news
• The Research Excellence Framework, due to begin in 2013, is going to make researchers' lives a trial - especially its plan to take into account the work's impact outside of academic circles. Anthea Lipsett takes an exclusive peek at the guidelines.
• Can your tummy's rumblings really be a secret language? You'd be amazed at how much research time has been devoted to finding out.
Education news from around the web
• Last night's Panorama programme Classroom Warriors on the use of soldiers in US schools, coming hard on the heels of the government's announcement that former members of the armed forces will become mentors to young people in UK schools, brought Twitter out in hives.
@Paul_Lewis tweeted:
"Tragic to see the once great Panorama run a puff piece on the army bringing discipline to schools."
@brianlightman said:
"Astonishing sweeping statements about broken down discipline in our schools bear no relation to evidence."
@superdooperal added:
"Govt @ war with children and young people. Troops to teachers play into that mindset. As parent I find it v upsetting."
• The Telegraph reports that David Starkey has accused one of the pupils in Jamie Oliver's Dream School of being overweight. In the programme to be aired tomorrow, Starkey provokes a backlash among the teenagers by telling the boy that he could benefit from the "dieting opportunities" offered by Jamie's food.
"The historian later refuses to return to the classroom until pupils' behaviour improves, saying they have already had too much of the milk of human kindness and should be subjected to back-to-basics discipline."
• The Telegraph also reports on "a bizarre row" between top independent schools. Ian Walker, head of King's school in Rochester, Kent, has reported rival Gad's Hill School in Higham to the Advertising Standards Authority for making "cobblers" claims about its results and claims it only does well because its pupils study "Mickey Mouse subjects".
• Suffolk's teachers reportedly took off almost 10,000 days in sick leave last year due to "depression" and "psychiatric stress", the council disclosed yesterday. That's the equivalent of about 50 academic years of lost teaching time.
Unions blamed a huge increase in workload, the threat of inspections and the pressure of exams and league tables.
Insight into journalism seminars for teachers
A unique opportunity for teachers to spend a day at the Guardian, find out how a national news media organisation works and get ideas and resources that can be used in the classroom.
News 11 March Learn about the 24 news cycle; meet news reporters, feature writers, picture and sub editors; understand the role newspaper advertising; go on a tour of the editorial floors and take part in a workshop creating you own news front page which will be evaluated by an editor.
Multimedia 31 March Writing for a news website, web editing, blogging, the use of social media, video production; podcasting.
Places are limited and likely to fill up quickly, so book soon.
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