Check Your School Catchment
Enter your postcode to see which schools you're likely to get into
How school catchment areas really work
Most state schools in England don't have a catchment area in the sense of a line on a map. Each one has a published set of oversubscription criteria, used only when more families apply than there are places. Children with an Education, Health and Care plan naming the school are admitted first. Then come looked-after and previously looked-after children, usually followed by siblings, any faith or medical priorities, and then distance. The "catchment" most parents talk about is simply how far that last distance place went in a given year.
Some councils and schools do draw catchment or priority areas, especially in rural counties and for secondary schools that serve a group of villages. If yours does, living inside the area moves you into a higher group, and distance only decides between families within it. Faith schools, grammar schools and some academies set their own criteria, so the same street can be well inside the cut-off for one school and miles outside it for another.
How far places went
The last place offered on distance, at schools whose council publishes it.
- Under 0.5 miles42
- 0.5 to 1 mile48
- 1 to 2 miles40
- 2 to 3 miles21
- Over 3 miles21
Typical (median) primary cut-off: 0.86 miles
- Under 0.5 miles7
- 0.5 to 1 mile23
- 1 to 2 miles30
- 2 to 3 miles13
- Over 3 miles10
Typical (median) secondary cut-off: 1.23 miles
Source: Council admissions booklets, latest year, 51 councils
First choices in 2026
Share of applicants offered their first preference. These councils had the lowest rates.
- Greenwich60.2%
- Wandsworth60.4%
- Lambeth61.4%
- Richmond upon Thames62.2%
- Lewisham63.5%
- Harrow65.6%
- Westminster65.8%
- Islington66.2%
- Bromley66.3%
- Wandsworth78.5%
- Islington79.4%
- Lambeth80.6%
- Camden81.5%
- Westminster82.4%
- Southwark84.3%
- Haringey86%
- Barnet86.1%
- Offered first preference
- 83.6%92.4%
Source: Department for Education, secondary and primary school applications and offers
How to read your results
For each nearby school the checker gives a likelihood and says how it got there. "Published cut-off" means your council published how far places went, and we have compared your straight-line distance with that real figure. "Estimate" means no figure has been published, so we estimate from your distance, how many schools of the same phase are nearby and the type of school. Treat anything close to the line as uncertain either way: cut-offs move by a few hundred metres in an ordinary year, and a large group of siblings can shrink them sharply.
Look at the trend, not one year. A school whose cut-off has fallen three years running is getting more popular, often because of new housing or a strong inspection, and next year's line may be shorter still. Each school page shows its admissions history year by year where the council publishes it, along with applications per place.
Making your application count
In England you can name several schools, usually between three and six depending on your council, and every preference is considered equally. Ranking a school first does not cost you a place at your second choice, so put the schools in the order you genuinely want them, and include at least one where you are comfortably inside the cut-off. Families who list only long-shot schools are the ones most often allocated a school they did not choose.
Apply on time: by 31 October for secondary and 15 January for reception, through your home council even if the schools are in another area. Late applications are usually considered only after every on-time one. If you are moving, check how your council treats a move before the deadline, and keep the evidence. And if the offer is not what you hoped for, join the waiting lists and consider an appeal: places do change hands between March and September.
Questions parents ask about catchment areas
Does living in the catchment area guarantee a place?
No. Most schools in England have no fixed boundary: when they have more applicants than places, they offer places to the eligible children who live closest until the year group is full. Where a school does have a defined catchment or priority area, living inside it puts you in a higher group, but a popular school can still fill before every child in the area gets a place.
How is distance to school measured?
Each council says in its admissions booklet. Most measure a straight line from your home's address point to a point at the school, often the main gate; some use the shortest walking route. We use straight-line distance, so if you are close to last year's cut-off, check your council's method before you rely on it.
What does last distance offered mean?
It is how far from the school the last child offered a place on distance lived, on national offer day. It changes every year with the number of siblings and applicants, and it can grow later as families turn places down and the waiting list moves. Across the schools we hold figures for, the typical primary cut-off was 0.86 miles and the typical secondary 1.23 miles.
Can I use a relative's address or rent near the school?
Councils check addresses, and applying from an address that is not your child's genuine home can lead to the offer being withdrawn, even after your child has started. A move made before the deadline to a home you really live in is treated like any other address; councils may ask for proof such as council tax and tenancy or completion documents.
What if we don't get our first choice?
You will be offered a place at your highest-ranked school with room, or a school the council finds for you. You can join the waiting list for the schools you ranked higher and appeal to an independent panel. In 2026, 83.6% of secondary applicants and 92.4% of primary applicants in England got their first preference.