Dummies guide to school catchment areas

loanranger_4

We've a young daughter (1 years) and are looking to buy a house in Surrey. Along with everything else the house has to be located in the catchment area of a good school, but what does this mean ?

Does the cacthment area apply to nurseries/primary/secondary schools? Does it only apply to state schools ? What are the advantages of living within a schools catchment area? How can I establish what the catchment areas for a particular school are ? Can I send my child to any school I want ( assuming that there are places).

Many Thanks

trafalgar_2

This will give you some information,if you know where in surrey you are moving to ,contact these people and they will send you information on local schools and their catchment areas.

HERE

"A 'catchment area' (also referred to as a 'neighbourhood area') is an area defined by the council as the area attached to a school that will receive a degree of priority when allocating places in that school. "


In other words,if you live in a schools catchment area you will have some priority before those that live outside that area,but it all depends on the places that the school has................other things count too,usually if a brother or sister is also at that school...............but the individual schools will be able to tell you what their criteria is after that.


hope that helps.

Spendless

I don't know if it's the same throughout the U.K but where i am you have to apply for a place. I had to apply for nursery (school nursery not a private one), for his place in reception at infant school. I'll have to apply again for junior school (cos ours is still 2 seperate schools- it wouldn't apply for a primary school) and again for secondary school.

I'll have to go thru the same process for youngest also.

If more people apply than there are places for then the school applies a criteria, like catchment area,siblings.

I found out where the catchment area for a particular school by ringing admissions under the Education dept of the council, but the school concerned should be able to tell you also.

nicki_2

I personally am looking to buy a house as close to the school I want my daughter to attend as I can. ATM we live in a rented house less that 5 minutes walk away but I still had to apply for her to attend the infants in September even though she is attending the schools nursery!

BrightonLad

this may help your decision making too....
www.upmystreet.com
enter a postcode and click on education, and you can get the schools performance indicators such as exam results.

Also has lots of other useful info about your area which may help you decide whether you want to live there, i always like to look at the ACORN profiles, they are usually exactly right!

loanranger_4

Many Thanks all.

These links have been helpful in getting my head around catchment areas.

btw the ACORN profiles are one of the best things on upmystreet.com have used it to narrow down the best areas to buy.

Just how many things do you have to think about when buying a house ?