Self-described “mom-in-chief” Michelle Obama has been busy preparing her troops for their advance on the capital, taking daughters Malia and Sasha on a reconnaissance of DC schools and their soon-to-be home.

Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, looked round Georgetown Day School on Monday and yesterday toured Sidwell Friends — the two private schools that appear to be their mother’s favourites after she visited the campuses alone last week.

The Obamas’ educational choices are currently the talk of DC parental circles but the First Couple-elect are keen to keep the details of the selection process out of the media, with both aides and school officials told to maintain a strict silence.

Nevertheless sources close to the process have suggested that the choices have been whittled down to three — GDS, Sidwell and Maret.

Mrs Obama had been expected to visit the latter last week but did not show up and insiders cited by The Washington Post said that the couple had concerns about the smaller size of the school — it has 600 pupils, compared with 1,600 at the children’s present school in Chicago.

All three schools are exalted private DC institutions with prices to match. Sasha and Malia currently attend the private University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, where fees for second-graders like Sasha are $18,492 (£12,300) a year and fifth-graders such as Malia $20,286. Any of the Obamas' choices will mean an increase in fees, all of them charging between $25,000 for the youngest students and $30,000 for the higher grades.

Sidwell, long the preferred choice of many of Washington’s elite families, costs more than $28,000 merely to enrol a child in pre-kindergarten. However its academic excellence may win over the Obamas, as it did the Gores and the Clintons during the last Democratic Administration. Split across two campuses, the former Quaker school has more than 1,000 students and is known for its competitive environment as well as its emphasis on environmental issues.

All three schools are politically liberal, though Georgetown Day School, where students call teachers by their first names, is seen as the most progressive. Also on two campuses, it was founded in 1945 as the first integrated school in the city, and continues to put diversity at the heart of its ethos and curriculum. About 37 per cent of its 1,000 students identify themselves as non-white, compared with 39 per cent at Sidwell and 35 per cent at Maret.

The latter was founded as a French primary school for girls in 1911 and later became a co-ed school — as are all three of the Obamas’ choices. Once seen as a cliquey institution with a socially rather than academically elitist approach, it has shed that reputation in the past 15 years since Marjo Talbott took over as headmistress. It is the only one of the three schools with a single campus.

Public (state-run) schools are not necessarily off the agenda, however. Though DC is not known for a good public system, there are some high-performing institutions and city officials say that the Obamas have met the mayor, Adrian Fenty, and the Schools Chancellor, Michelle Rhee, to discuss their options. Such a move would be a break with presidential tradition as a First Kid has not attended a public school since Amy Carter in 1971 — who herself was the first in 70 years.

Wherever Sasha and Malia go, they will complete this term at their Chicago School before making the switch so as to keep disruption to a minimum.

After taking in their educational options, the girls were today treated to a personal tour of the White House by Laura Bush. The First Lady flew back from an event in Kentucky to show the children around their new home, including their bedrooms. At 7, Sasha will be the youngest child to live at the White House since the Kennedy era

Mrs Obama's spokeswoman, Katie McCormick Lelyveld, said that the girls were accompanied by their mother and grandmother Marion Robinson, who is moving into the White House with the family.

"The First Lady graciously invited Mrs Obama, her mother and the girls to visit what will be their new home," Ms Lelyveld said. "Of course, Mrs Obama greatly appreciated this invitation to provide an opportunity for the girls to feel at home and become comfortable in this transition process."

On 60 Minutes on Sunday, Mrs Obama spoke warmly of Mrs Bush, saying that she and her staff had been "working closely just to make us feel welcome".

In the interview Mrs Obama said: "We want to make sure that we're upholding what that house stands for. But I couldn't help but envisioning the girls running into their rooms and, you know, running down the hall and — with a dog. And, you know, you start picturing your life there, and our hope is that the White House will feel open and fun and full of life and energy."

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