Welcome to the September edition of Educate.

With the start of a new school year, many students are embarking on the next phase of their academic or career journey, armed with their A-level, GCSE, or vocational qualifications obtained in August. Year 12 students have already made their selections for their A-level subjects, while Year 9 students will be choosing their GCSE options this year. Following results days, the focus naturally turns to subject entry data, with an analysis aimed at identifying shifts in the popularity of various subjects. In this edition, we reveal the emerging trends in subject selection. The process of making educational choices commences long before the decision of which subjects to study. Parents are tasked with the responsibility of considering the most suitable childcare options for their young ones from a very early age, all while navigating what funding is available. Our special nursery feature aims to make things easy to understand when it comes to funding and how funding is set to change in 2024. The comprehensive guide for parents also offers advice and tips on what to look for when choosing a nursery for your child. What about choosing a secondary school, another significant decision parents make alongside their child? This choice involves numerous options and a constantly evolving educational landscape, including an increasing number of schools joining multi-academy trusts. It’s essential to navigate this process effectively to ensure you make the right choice. Attending open events at various schools is an important part of the decision-making process. It allows your child to experience in person the learning environment and gather information about each school you’re considering. During these events, you’ll have the opportunity to hear from the headteacher and meet other staff members. Therefore, ensuring you don’t miss any of these open events is really important. To help we’ve created an easy-to-use calendar providing an at-a-glance overview of open days and evenings. In this issue, we have the pleasure of meeting a secondary school headteacher. De La Salle School in Eccleston, St Helens, boasts a proud Lasallian heritage, tightly woven with strong traditions and values. Leading the way is Andy Rannard, who has held the position since 2017. For Andy, the primary objective is to provide young people with an exceptional educational experience. Discover more about Andy’s career journey to headship, his role in bringing stability to De La Salle School, and his passionate commitment to ensuring that young people receive the best career advice and support.