Increasing school choice has been an active objective of policy in England but not in Scotland. Whereas in England all families are expected to list a rank ordering of schools, in Scotland the vast majority of children attend their catchment school by default. This article reviews the differences in approach, family experience and outcomes between the two countries. It argues that choice in England has delivered at best modest educational gains, exacerbated school segregation and generated unnecessary stress and anxiety for the families that undergo the process.