School Catchment Areas

Catchment areas are set areas around schools that form one of the ways we decide which applications should take priority where a school is oversubscribed.

Check your school catchment areas

You can enter your address into our School Catchment Checker.

You can also view our online map for primary school catchment areas and for secondary school catchment areas.

In most cases someone will live within one catchment area for both a primary school and a secondary school, although in some cases school catchment areas overlap.
 

School applications and catchment areas

You can still apply for a school if you live outside of its catchment area. 

Our policy takes other things into account when making decisions on school places, but living in a catchment area is one factor that's often important.

You can read the rules for how we work out how places are decided on our School admissions and places pages.

Catchment area changes in 2017 and 2019

In September 2017, Long Lane Primary School and Westwood Farm Infant and Junior School's catchment areas increased in size to incorporate Purley. The changes impact residents who live in the Purley Primary school catchment area.

In September 2019, The Downs school catchment area increased in size and now overlaps part of Kennet and Trinity School's Catchment areas. Some addresses are now in The Downs and Kennet School's or The Downs and Trinity School's catchment areas.