How to check which schools a property falls into

Step 1: See nearby schools on movegrid

Search any UK address on movegrid and you'll see the schools closest to that property, including their Ofsted rating and school type. This gives you the starting list — the schools that are geographically plausible for that address.

Proximity is necessary but not sufficient. Being close to a school doesn't guarantee access. The next steps tell you whether that proximity translates into a realistic chance of a place.

Step 2: Check the school's admissions policy

Every school in England is required to publish its admissions policy. Find it via:

• GOV.UK school finder at find.education.gov.uk — search by postcode, click the school, then find the admissions section
• The school's own website — usually under “Admissions” or “Join us”
• Your local authority's composite prospectus — published annually, contains every school's policy in one document

The admissions policy tells you: whether the school uses a fixed catchment boundary or distance; the priority order for oversubscribed places; and whether faith, sibling, or other criteria apply.

Step 3: Find the last distance offered

For distance-based schools, the most useful number is the furthest distance at which a child was offered a place in the most recent admissions round. This is published by local authorities — usually in a document called “supplementary admissions information” or “oversubscription criteria outcomes.”

Compare this to the straight-line distance from the property to the school. If the property is 600m from the school and the last distance offered was 550m, you're outside the effective threshold. If it was 700m, you're likely inside — but not guaranteed, because the threshold shifts each year.

Look at three years of data if possible. A consistent pattern of 700m–800m is more reassuring than a single year figure.

Step 4: Contact the local authority admissions team

Most local authorities will tell you — if you ask — whether a specific address is within the catchment of a specific school, or what the last distance offered was. This is the most reliable source of information and takes a single phone call or email.

Ask specifically: “If I were living at [address] and applying for Year 7 at [school] this year, would I be within the catchment area or within last year's last distance offered?” Get the answer in writing if possible.

Step 5: Contact the school directly

The school's admissions officer can confirm whether a specific address falls within a fixed catchment boundary. They can also advise on what the realistic prospects are for distance-based admissions, based on recent trends.

Don't rely on the estate agent's description of catchment. Agents routinely describe properties as being “in the catchment” for desirable schools when proximity is all they actually mean.

A note on catchment checker tools

Several third-party tools and websites claim to show school catchment areas on a map. These vary significantly in accuracy. Fixed boundary catchments are sometimes mapped correctly. Distance-based catchments cannot be mapped precisely — the boundary moves every year and depends on applicant patterns that aren't known in advance.

Treat these tools as a useful starting point, not a definitive answer. Always verify with the local authority or school before making a purchasing decision.