School Catchment Finder

This tool finds all primary and secondary schools within a chosen radius of any UK postcode. You get each school's name, Ofsted rating, distance, type, capacity and admissions policy, plus a map showing where they all sit relative to your location.

How It Works

Enter a postcode and pick a search radius between 1 and 10 miles. The tool calculates the straight-line distance between your postcode and every school in the database, then returns everything within range. Schools are sorted by distance and split into primary, secondary and other categories.

Distance Calculation

Distances are measured as the crow flies using the Haversine formula. Actual walking or driving distance will be longer, typically 20-40% more depending on the road layout. A school shown at 0.5 miles might be 0.7 miles on foot. For most catchment decisions the straight-line distance is what matters, since local authorities and schools typically use it when oversubscription criteria include distance.

Ofsted Ratings

Where available, the tool shows each school's most recent Ofsted inspection rating. The four ratings are Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate. Not all schools have a current rating. New schools, recently converted academies, and schools awaiting their first inspection will show no rating. The inspection date is shown so you can see how recent the assessment is.

Understanding the Results

School Types

The UK has several types of school. Community schools are run by the local authority. Academies operate independently but receive funding directly from the government. Voluntary aided and voluntary controlled schools usually have a religious foundation. Free schools are a type of academy set up by groups of parents, teachers or organisations. The school type affects admissions policies, governance and curriculum flexibility.

Admissions Policies

Schools are listed as either non-selective or selective. Non-selective schools must admit all applicants up to their capacity, using oversubscription criteria (typically distance, siblings, catchment area) when they receive more applications than places. Selective schools use academic ability as part of their admissions. Faith schools may also prioritise applicants of a particular religion.

Capacity

School capacity shows the total number of places the school has across all year groups. A primary school with a capacity of 210 typically has 30 places per year group across Reception to Year 6. Capacity does not tell you how many places are available in a specific year. For current availability, contact the school or local authority directly.

Catchment Areas

The term "catchment area" means different things depending on context. Some local authorities define formal catchment zones where children living within the boundary get priority. Others use straight-line distance from the school gate as the main criterion. In practice, the effective catchment (the furthest distance at which a child was admitted in the last intake) can change from year to year based on demand. This tool shows distance from your postcode to each school, which is one of the most common oversubscription criteria.

Primary vs Secondary

Primary schools cover ages 4-11 (Reception to Year 6). Secondary schools cover ages 11-16 (Year 7 to Year 11), with some extending to 18 where they have a sixth form. Some areas have different structures: first schools (4-9), middle schools (9-13) and upper schools (13-18). The tool categorises these based on the school's registered phase of education.

Using This for House Buying

School proximity is one of the biggest factors in property decisions for families. Properties near schools rated Outstanding or Good often carry a price premium. Before committing to a move, check the school's most recent admissions data to see the furthest distance at which places were offered. Being within the radius shown by this tool does not guarantee admission, as popular schools often have smaller effective catchments than you might expect.

Data Source

School data comes from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools (GIAS) register. Ofsted ratings are from the most recent published inspection reports. Data is updated periodically but may not reflect very recent inspections or school closures. For the most current information, check the school's own website or the Ofsted reports page directly.