Hertfordshire - distance to school calculation?

[Whirlwind79]

Hi

Apologies for the urgency, but I've just had an offer accepted on a house in Harpenden. It's very close to our preferred school (as the crow flies), but the actual walking distance is almost 4 times as far (c500m). I know Herts switched from walking distance to as-the-crow-flies a few years ago, but does anyone know if the system is here to stay? My eldest isn't due to start reception till Sept 2016, so I'd be kicking myself if they decided to switch the system back for applications next year - so now I'm in a bit of a panic!

Thanks

best to phone herts cc asap for clarification - they'll be able to tell you what their system is, no one here would know unless they work for them...

Have you seen Herts LEA Find my nearest school?

It will give you the official distance as used by Herts in their admissions process. I haven't heard they are planning to change the system but you could call them - that said, I would imagine that if they were planning to change it would either be public knowledge or currently embargoed info unlikely to be revealed to a casual enquirer over the phone?

Hope the link helps clarify where you stand at present anyway.

I would have thought if they were planning this, it would be in council planning minutes and proposals by now.

Don't worry, the system was changed for good reason. It was impossible to clarify what a child's "safest route" was to school because the level of risk different parents think is accept is differnt. (How well lit does a route need to be to be safe?)

I just hope the how the crow flies system last another seven years! It my son into his present secondary school.