How can I find the best primary schools in Hertfordshire?

Primary schools - first, infant, middle and junior schools

1. First of all, let's check out schools near your house. Hertfordshire has been divided up into three areas, by Hertfordshire County Council (see above). Select the SchoolGuru map you need from the choices below. The map will open up on another page, so you can still see these instructions.

Primary school map of East 1 Hertfordshire
Primary school map of East 2 Hertfordshire
Primary school map of West Hertfordshire

Got your map open? Primary schools have pink place-markers. Middle and junior schools have pink place-markers with a dot in the middle. Scroll through the list of schools on the left (they are in alphabetical order). Alternatively, if you know the name of the school you want, go to 'Find...' (under 'Edit' in your menu bar). Type in the name of the school – and it will jump to it. Click on any school you're interested in. You can use the '+/-' feature at the top of the page to zoom in and explore the area around the school. Draw up a list of all the primary schools within a suitable distance from your house.

2. Look at the primary league tables for Hertfordshire
Strike off any schools that don't make the grade (if that's important for you).

3. Now, it's time to work out how far away you live from the first school you're interested in. The easiest way is to use the Admission Calculator. Once you've selected a school, its location will pop up on the map below the Calculator. If you then put in your address (eg, 25 Sadleir Road, St Albans, AL1 2BL), and click, a little blue place marker will appear with a house logo. You can drag it, if you need to, until it pinpoints your house. When you press the button that says '...then calculate distance', a suggested route from your house, to the school, will appear on the map, in blue. The estimated distance will automatically appear in the Calculator.

Alternatively, do your own measurements and experiment with other routes. Here's how:

• You'll need a free Google Account – and then save any of the maps you're interested in ('Save to My Maps'). Select the distance measuring tool. You can then follow short cuts, cycle paths, etc, to work out your own distances. Once you've played around with this for a few minutes, you'll see how easy it is... promise! For more info on measuring, click here.

4. We're now going to work out which rule you'll be considered under, if the school is oversubscribed. The rules will automatically appear under the map once you select a school using the Admission Calculator. Go through the rules, starting at 1, then 2, then 3 etc etc. Select the first rule that applies to your child. Put the rule number into the Admission Calculator. You could find that you're applying under a different rule for each of your schools. You can find out more about the types of school here.

5. Community and voluntary-controlled schools only. If you need to know the name of your closest community or voluntary-controlled school, to work out which rule you'll qualify under, call Herts CC on 01438 737500. Even if it seems obvious from the map, it's best to double check.

• Top tip: while you're waiting for a response from Herts CC, use Rule 6 in the Admission Calculator - if you're interested in the school, that's your worst case scenario.

6. You now have everything you need for the Admission Calculator. Pop in the info, press 'calculate' and you will get a school report, showing your chances of getting a place. You'll also be see the latest Sats results, Ofsted report, the school profile, and the school's contact details and website address.

7. Print out your results for future reference.

8. Repeat until you've got print-outs of all the schools you're interested in.

9. Enjoy a cappuccino as you compare your results. Plan to visit as many schools as you can, to help you make your final selection (you can name three schools, in total, on your application form). Please, please include at least one 'safe' school in your preferences. Or you might regret it later, as you risk not getting any of them.

Actually, I wanted secondary schools

Ask SchoolGuru - your questions answered