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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary education

What website do you use for calculating distances to a school?

17 replies

waxweasel · 20/04/2015 13:55

Trying to find an accurate 'as the crow flies' distance calculator - have tried a few and they all seemed a bit ropey in different ways. Has anyone found a good one to use for school admissions calculations? We're in London so needs to be precise as catchments are miniscule!

OP posts:

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ButterflyUpSoHigh · 20/04/2015 14:07

www.freemaptools.com/distance-between-uk-postcodes.htm

This one is good.

waxweasel · 20/04/2015 14:26

Ah sadly postcode isn't precise enough as that could cover a whole street, and the catchments I'm looking at are literally about 180 metres. So it makes a big difference which house number you live at! Thanks though.

OP posts:

Getdownfromtherethisinstant · 20/04/2015 14:27

If you go on the online admissions they have a tool for finding your nearest school that will give you distances

ButterflyUpSoHigh · 20/04/2015 14:30

My council don't give you distances online. They will if you ring them up.

Paddingtonthebear · 20/04/2015 14:32

Are you sure it's "as the crow flies"?

Only our local authority says it's not done on "as the crow flies" distance. As below, They use the quickest safest walking route, using a computerised system based on ordnance survey maps

"The distance from home to school is measured using the shortest, safest, practicable walking route using the centre line of public roads and footpaths (excluding paths identified for the sole use of bicycles i.e. cycleways) from the nearest point outside the pupil’s home address to a point opposite the nearest approved access point on school property that is for the use of pupils. The GIS maps used are provided by Ordnance Survey"

Getdownfromtherethisinstant · 20/04/2015 14:32

Ah ok. Both councils I have applied to have a 'find your nearest schools facility' where you pit your address in and it tells you the distance to each school.

titchy · 20/04/2015 14:32

Ask your local authority - maybe give them a few weeks as admissions will be snowed under right now. But they are the only ones able to give you the exact accurate distance. No on-line calculator or mapping tool will be as accurate as the system the LEA uses.

RedKites · 20/04/2015 14:33

This will draw a circle around the point so you can keep drawing circles of differing sizes around your house until it gets to the school (or vice versa). Changing from 'map' to 'satellite' view can be useful if you need to locate the main entrance to the school etc.

workJack · 20/04/2015 14:55

I couldn't find one so asked the admissions team for the grid reference of the school, worked out the grid reference of my house and used good old trigonometry to work out the distance.

prh47bridge · 20/04/2015 17:42

Paddingtonthebear

Most LAs use straight line distance. It is less likely to be challenged successfully than shortest walking route.

waxweasel

I'm afraid no online tool is as accurate as the systems used by LAs. They can provide a guide for applying but they won't help with appeals.

prh47bridge · 20/04/2015 17:43

Paddingtonthebear

Most LAs use straight line distance. It is less likely to be challenged successfully than shortest walking route.

waxweasel

I'm afraid no online tool is as accurate as the systems used by LAs. They can provide a guide for applying but they won't help with appeals.

Almostapril · 20/04/2015 17:50

You need the data point they use to make sure you use the right part of the school. The LA one will be accurate to 3 decimal points

waxweasel · 20/04/2015 18:03

Oh brilliant, thanks everyone! I had no idea that LAs would actually give you that info in advance of applying if you phoned up. I'll try in a month or so when the admissions line is less swamped.
Also hadn't realised some used a 'safest walking distance' calculation - seems quite challengeable, as they might not account for every possible little alley or path. But I shall check. It is Bromley, in case anyone happens to know.

OP posts:

waxweasel · 20/04/2015 18:08

Have checked - definitely straight line from front door to front door. Which seems fairer than the borough we're currently in, which was from front door of school to middle of your house. So you could be penalised for having an extension!
I also learned that some Bromley schools give priority to children of staff. Had no idea they were allowed to do that!

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EscapePea · 20/04/2015 18:23

Bromley uses "as the crow flies" if that helps.

EscapePea · 20/04/2015 18:24

Cross-post, sorry!

ProudAS · 20/04/2015 18:31

I work in local government and we have a point for each address accurate to within a centimetre (I think it's the centre of the property).

We also match addresses to the system when parents send in their applications.

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