Please or to access all these features

Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Help! Furthest distance schools calculation....

30 replies

BlackthornBerry · 05/11/2022 17:26

Been browsing through the council's secondary school info. DC is couple yrs away from secondary. Options locally are very limited. I had always assumed one of our "local" schools was a bearable back up plan (with the hope of a grammar/semi selective state if DC is motivated for 11+ etc.) BUT according to the furthest distance info...the "local" school which is 0.9 miles away (google maps) had furthest distance of 0.3 last yr!!!

Another thing...google maps vs gov.uk website? Which is more accurate?

E.g a more desirable school we had in mind is 4.4miles away (google) and 2.9 miles away (gov.uk schools comparison site!) !?!?

I suddenly feel like we're going to have to move house to stand a chance at a decent school. 😞

OP posts:
LittleBearPad · 05/11/2022 17:35

Other local authorities do walking distance.

GolfForBrains · 05/11/2022 17:34

Google is probably giving you the driving distance which is no help if your school admissions criteria are based on "as the crow flies". You will need to check each school's criteria to see how they calculate it (and where the end point is).

Our LA (Surrey) has a search page on their website which lets you search for schools in your area and calculates the as the crow flies distance using their software so you know. Worth looking for similar on yours?

Seeline · 05/11/2022 17:34

Sometimes the distance is calculated in a very specific way - can be to a particular entrance point, or footpaths can be included etc

BlackthornBerry · 05/11/2022 17:33

Soontobe60 · 05/11/2022 17:29

The LA will state somewhere what software they use to calculate distances. It’s often hidden away on the website!

ohhh will dig further...

OP posts:
Soontobe60 · 05/11/2022 17:29

The LA will state somewhere what software they use to calculate distances. It’s often hidden away on the website!