Schools admissions process - postcode inaccurate

[Fooogle]

Hello
Wonder if anyone can advise. Think I am getting my knickers in a twist before I need to...
We live near good a single form entry school. My child attends nursery class there. This is our first child to attend a school so all new to this. Entry would be for 2015.
I know our postcode takes us as being 30+ metres around the corner (via the basic tool of pinpointing our door and the school on daftlogic and google online maps) which, in terms of last years distance criteria would have made us too far away by 15 or 20 metres (270ish metres was last years furthest!)
Our LA rather vaguely suggested writing in once we have made our online application to announce this glitch. No-one there over the phone seemed to know exactly how or what is used to measure distance so I lack confidence in the system getting it right (numerous delivery people and drivers coming to our address get it wrong)...
What would you knowledgeable folk do?
This would be our first choice. I am also a bit unsure as our other choices would be in other boroughs (we border about 4 boroughs where we live) and as I understand it you list them on YOUR borough form but would the address issue need readdressing with each borough or is the not relevant?
I don't want to have to appeal when I know about this in advance. Am I putting too little faith in the boroughs ability to pinpoint addresses in the built up area?
Any advice greatly appreciated

Sorry, for clarity, the postcode takes us as being 30+ metres around the corner from our actual front door address and location. not good at explaining!

I'm in a London Borough and my council uses a computer system called GIS to measure door to door. They don't go purely by post code. It will be your front gate to their front gate (or what their measuring point is)

I'm guessing that they will use your house's UPRN (Unique Property Reference Number) rather than your post code. I use UPRNs in my job (for the local council) and 99% of the time they are accurate.

They don't just go by postcode. I know someone who missed out on three schools. One went to the person on the left, one went on the right, and one went to the person opposite. She got none.

It will be door to door, and they have software to do this.

That's reassuring i think. If you have chance to write notes to support your application, could it be worth mentioning it there also?

Yeah, apparently no paper system now so don't think there is chance to add the detail in the application Janek but letter should be similar. I just worry the two things will never get put together knowing our LA's form on other issues...
Peppermint We are on the edge of LA estate so the front gate is a bit blurry i.e. isn't one and lots of flats in the same block though we are a 'house'. I've PM'd you though

They won't use postcode!!!!!!

As others have said they'll use the central point of your property to a fixed point on the school property, usually the nearest entrance. No way will they use postcode at all.

Oh and applicants in a flat are usually determined with the lowest flat number being the higher priority.

They would be in huge amounts of trouble if they just used your postcode. They use a GIS which gives a very accurate measurement and uses a point on your property, not your postcode. No point in mentioning it on your application or worrying about it.

Hi ocal authorities use,different systems to measure distance and will measure it more accurately and differently to google maps etc. You can contact admissions and ask what they use to measure it. They should also be able to look now And tell you the distance. IME they are v transparent about the point in your property and in the school they measure to. Good luck!

Thanks. Sorry if I am being a bit dense re postcode! Can't find anything in their literature about how they measure so I assumed postcode was the starting point at least.

The LA weren't very informative when I phoned up twice last week but will try again I guess! Would I speak to admissions dept' in general do you think?

Yes, KrissKross to be honest if I just knew now it would be easier and least niggly.

Whichever LA you are dealing with they will use a GIS (Geographical Information System) - an expensive piece of software that gives a very accurate measurement from your home to the school. If they didn't they would be in all kinds of trouble with admission appeals. Their literature will state whether they use straight line distance or shortest walking route. Some get more detailed and talk about exactly where on your property they measure from (usually the address point) and where on the school they measure to (usually either the main gate or the centre of the school). They won't tell you which GIS they use (there are several available).

If you tell me which LA you are talking about (PM me if you don't want to post it publicly) I will see if I can find how they measure distance.

Sorry if I'm stating the obvious but they can't use postcode because a postcode will apply to more than one house. In my street, all the even number houses have the same postcode. So if you think about it, they have to use a more accurate measure which, as others have said, is GIS. The key difference which it is useful to understand is whether your LA uses straight line of shortest walking distance, as prh said.

Thanks folks. Yup, sorry prob was obvious just didn't really know these other systems existed. only other thing i could think of was GPS !
So would you actually just leave it and not even mention or mention to be on safe side? I know it ll prob be siblings and SEN that will preclude us getting a place but wanted everything else to be 'equal'?
Prh47 I ll pm you, thank you. All extra info gratefully received.

As others have said all the LA will use some kind of computer generated measurement which can be very accurate, easily down to 1 metre if they need to that accuracy. The problem that you might have, especially as you report issues around post codes picking up the wrong house, is to ensure that the measurement is from the right dwelling. Occasionally it tends to happen where there are new houses which complicates the system. Given that you know it could be a problem, I think the LA are actually saying the right thing in writing in to ensure that they are measuring the right distance - a map confirming approx position would be useful to them.
As each LA will be running their own software and their own specific method of measuring distance I am afraid that you will need to contact each LA where you apply for a school place.

Thanks admission, that's helpful As the LA people were a bit vague on the point about other boroughs. Would I just send it saying I've applied via 'X' but need to clarify this address and they ll know what to do? It's not a new property though (only 1970s...)

They use straight line from a point on your home to a central point in the school's grounds. I know which software package they use (unusually they include that information in their primary school admissions booklet which is hidden on their website - I only found it by searching the site once I'd found the name of the booklet) but I can't find any information on how they determine the location of your address. Most use an Ordnance Survey product called Address-point which is drawn from Post Office data.

If your property is new it is possible they will have the wrong location. For a property that has been around for a while they should have the right location. It won't do any harm to send a map and may help if there is a problem with the location.

Thanks Prh47. I can't locate the current 2014-2015 booklet but hopefully will find a hard copy somewhere. It is a bit mad how close I seem to 4 schools and yet I would have been too far from three of the 'good' ones and only near enough to the pretty low performing one...
Did the booklet say a central point in the school or the centre? Sadly it could be the crucial metre-age..!

It said a central point in the school grounds.

It might be worth telling the LA that the booklet is not easy to find on their website. Indeed, having found it yesterday I can't find it at all today!