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Use our free interactive tool to check whether any London property falls within primary or secondary school catchment zones. London catchments at popular schools can be as small as 200 metres — precision matters enormously.
Free interactive map — enter any London postcode or address and see exactly which school catchment circles it falls within.
At some of London's most popular primary and secondary schools, the catchment distance for admission has dropped below 300 metres. A property just one street away from another can be in a completely different catchment situation. Our tool lets you see exactly where you stand.
London has 32 boroughs plus the City of London, each running its own school admissions process. Despite the variation, the vast majority of community and voluntary-controlled schools across London use straight-line distance as the tiebreaker for oversubscribed schools, making our tool directly applicable.
Academies, free schools, faith schools, and grammar schools set their own admissions criteria — some use distance, others use faith criteria, entrance tests, or catchment zones defined by the school. Always check the school's individual admissions policy before drawing conclusions.
Each London borough publishes a "furthest distance offered" or "last child admitted" figure in its annual admissions documentation. Search "[borough name] school admissions supplementary information form" or "[borough name] primary/secondary admissions booklet [year]". For academies and free schools, check the school's own website or admissions policy document.
Click "Open Free Tool" above. No registration needed. Works in any browser on desktop or mobile.
Click "Add School" and search by school name or postcode. The tool locates it on the interactive map automatically.
Add the radius from your borough's admissions data. For London schools, entering distances in metres gives you the precision you need.
Use "Check Address" to test any London address. It will tell you exactly how far inside or outside the catchment that property sits.
Our tool works for schools across all London boroughs and areas:
In London, 50 metres can mean the difference between in and out of catchment. Our tool calculates distance to the metre using the same straight-line method as councils.
Track whether a school's catchment has been shrinking. Knowing a catchment has dropped 100m each year helps you assess risk before committing to a property.
Plot up to 5 London schools simultaneously to see overlapping zones — useful when choosing between several nearby schools.
Generate a link to share your catchment analysis with your estate agent or conveyancer before exchange of contracts.
London has extremely high population density and many oversubscribed schools. When many more children apply than there are places, the school fills up with children who live very close by — so the effective catchment radius shrinks year after year at the most sought-after schools.
Most do for community schools, but faith schools, academies, and grammars have their own criteria. Always check the individual school's admissions policy. Our tool is most accurate for community and voluntary-controlled schools.
Research suggests properties within the catchment of outstanding London primary schools can command premiums of 25% or more over comparable properties just outside catchment. In some postcodes, the premium has been even higher.
Each borough publishes annual admissions documentation. Search the borough name plus "school admissions" on the council website. You can also request the data from the admissions team directly — they are required to provide it.
Our free tool works for all UK schools. We also have dedicated guides for other major cities:
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