YOU can spot an up-and-coming school -- before the waiting lists grow -- by simply following nine steps.

The trick is to take a pupil's eye view of the world!

Interest: You can't force children to learn but if you make learning fun and exciting, they will lap it up.

Ask: Do you enjoy going into class? Would you go to school if you didn't have to?

Standards: Do staff and pupils carry with them a sense of excellence and ambition?

Ask: Are you always expected to try hard? Do you find the work you are set difficult?

Clarity: Knowing why you are doing something helps you do it better.

Ask: When you study something, are you clear about which bits you will be tested on? By the end of the lesson, do you know what you were supposed to have learned?

Safety: Children cannot pay attention if they are distracted by fear.

Ask: In class, do pupils ever damage each other's things or hurt each other?

Support: Everyone makes mistakes, especially when they are being stretched. If pupils think they will be laughed at they won't bother.

Ask: Is it OK to say when you don't understand something? Do pupils help each other to solve problems?

Fairness: Noticing effort and rewarding it constantly are vital if children are going to keep trying.

Ask: If you do your best, are you praised? Are good marks given when someone hasn't done a good piece of work?

Participation: Do all pupils have the chance to ask questions, discuss issues and work in small groups?

Ask: Do you get the chance to discuss things in class? Are you encouraged to say what you think in lessons?

Environment: A dirty, drab room implies children are not important and encourages them to treat their work in the same way.

Ask: Is your classroom clean and tidy?

Order: Classroom "buzz" must be balanced with a sense of discipline and structure.

Ask: Do lessons usually start and finish on time? Do you pay attention in class?

The original research was conducted by the Hay Group on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills.