Choosing a school? Make sense of what really matters.

Start with your postcode

Enter a postcode to see up to 100 nearby schools from the October 2024 archive, filter by school type and explore their locations on a map. We use Postcodes.io to find your postcode. Check current details with the official school register.

Archive source: DfE Digital GIAS-derived historical dataset (October 2024). The source is old; always verify against the current official register.

Important: Your postcode's council area may not be the school admissions authority for every school. A nearby school is not necessarily your catchment school, and living in a catchment does not always guarantee a place.

Admissions: five questions to ask

1. Who handles applications? The council, school, trust or relevant education authority may have different roles. Check who decides and where to apply.
2. When is the deadline? Primary, secondary, nursery and in-year applications can follow different timetables. Missing a deadline can affect how an application is considered.
3. What are the oversubscription criteria? Read the actual published policy for the entry year, including sibling, distance, faith and other priority rules where applicable.
4. How is distance measured? Straight-line and walking-route calculations can produce different results. The school or authority's published method controls.
5. What happens if you do not get a place? Check waiting-list, appeal and alternative-placement arrangements for your nation and the particular school.

Find a particular school

For England, the Department for Education’s official school search ↗ lets you search by school name, location or local authority. It provides establishment identifiers and published details, not a live offer of a school place. For Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, use the national education and admissions links below to find the appropriate school directory or authority.

When comparing schools, record the school name, official establishment identifier where available, the date of the information, and whether the school is open, planned or closed. Schools can change name, join trusts or move premises, so do not assume two similar names refer to the same establishment.

Catchment areas are not the whole story

Some schools have designated catchments; others use distance or other admission rules. Maps may be approximate, boundaries can change, and a previous year's last-offered distance does not guarantee this year's outcome. Confirm the current policy directly with the admissions authority.

Applying for a place: a practical checklist

1. Choose the entry year and school phase: nursery, primary, secondary or in-year transfer.
2. Read the published admissions arrangements for that year, not just the school prospectus.
3. Check application deadlines and the correct application portal.
4. Confirm how distance, sibling priority, catchments and special circumstances are assessed.
5. Keep copies of your application and check how offers, waiting lists and appeals work.

If your child needs additional support, ask about the relevant national framework and local advice services early. Admissions arrangements and statutory entitlements vary across the UK.

School places, capacity and waiting lists

Published capacity, pupil numbers and historical offers help explain demand but do not prove that a place is available today. Ask the admissions authority about current vacancies and in-year arrangements. We do not publish unverified live vacancy counts.

Inspections, performance and the school experience

Inspection reports are dated snapshots, not a complete description of day-to-day school life. Read the full report, check when it was written and consider curriculum, accessibility, support, travel and the school's own information. Inspection frameworks and bodies differ across the UK.

SEND and additional learning support

Ask how the school supports children with special educational needs or disabilities, additional learning needs or additional support needs, using the terminology and legal framework of your nation. Look at the school's published support information and speak to the appropriate local authority or support service. Do not share a child's private medical or educational records through this lookup.

New schools, extensions and local development

A housing development or planning application may mention school capacity, but a proposal is not proof that a new school or classroom will be delivered. Look for confirmed funding, decisions, construction updates and published opening dates. Understand planning records in Planning Decoded ↗.