How do I find out which schools are for which catchment areas?

[used2bthin]

I found a site called the good schools guide, I would have to subscribe though. Are there any free websites I can get information from about this? Thanks.

yes - just phone your local council

ok thanks, will do. Nothing I can look at tonight then? I will have to stop stressing about it in that case.

Have you looked on your local council's website? There should be links to the schools' own websites.

In some local education authorities, schools have fixed catchment areas and you're either in or out. In others (like mine) places are awarded on distance to school, so after looked-after children, those with statements naming the school and siblings have been admitted, it's the 10/20/50/whatever living nearest who get in. The school or the LEA should be able to tell you the farthest distance at which a place was awarded for any school.

HTH

it may be on the website - it's not on ours as the catchements may change due to population changes

Thank you no I haven't looked on the council website but did google it and looked on the schools websites. Looked at Ofsted website too so I think my area may be like yours Tommy and have changing areas. I'll try now though.

For our county, there is a page where they tell you which roads would suggest you should go to which schools. But it can't ever be exact as there will be different amounts of children applying in different years.

Thanks yes it is a confusing business! Ours doesn't seem to have that so I will ring them on monday. One minute there was ages to think about schools and then it just crept up on me!

Actually I think I have found a bit of the council website that lists road names and schools so thanks again.

Worth calling the council as some schools don't actually have catchment areas. From what I understand, it isn't a hard and fast rule, where there is a specific cut off point, but rather the areas are guidelines only. So, if there was a child who was next door to the school, but you had a child already at the school, it would be down to their policy as far as who takes priority.

Thanks I think I will call them on monday. I'm feling quite stressed about it all and don't know what is best so probably need to actually go and look around a few too.