School checker: the schools near a rented home, and their catchments

What the check shows you

The nearest state schools

Primary, secondary and all-through schools within about 5 miles, nearest first, with the straight-line distance from the property’s postcode.

Ofsted, in Ofsted’s words

The latest inspection for each school, whether that is a report card, a graded inspection or an ungraded one, with the grades as Ofsted published them rather than a score of our own.

The latest published results

Key stage 2 for primaries and key stage 4 for secondaries, against the national figure for the same year, so a number has something to be read against.

Where to apply

Links to the council’s application process for primary, secondary and mid-year moves, because that is the only place a place is actually decided.

Schools are part of Complete RenterCheck, the paid report. The free check covers the property and the area.

How to check a school properly before you sign

1. Find the admission authority: the council for community schools, or the academy trust or governing body for an academy, free school or voluntary aided school.
2. Read the admissions policy for the year your child would start, not the current year.
3. Check how that school measures distance, and from where. A straight line and a walking route can put the same home on different sides of the cut-off.
4. Look for a supplementary form, or faith requirements, and the deadline for each.
5. If you are moving mid-year, read the in-year process: it is a different application with different timings.
6. If the move is mainly for a school place, ring the admission authority and ask before you commit to the tenancy.

Why check the schools before you sign, not after

A tenancy and a school place run on different clocks, and the school one is less forgiving.

• The deadlines are fixed. Applications for a secondary place close on 31 October, with offers on 1 March; for a primary place they close on 15 January, with offers on 16 April. A move settled after the deadline can mean a late application, and each council has its own rules for those.
• You may need to prove the address. A council can ask for proof of a new address, such as the rental agreement, so the tenancy usually has to exist before an application can rely on it.
• Last year is not this year. Where a school gives places by distance, how far that reached depends on who applied. Living as near as last year’s furthest offer is evidence, not a promise.
• Know how long you can stay. No-fault evictions have ended, and a landlord cannot use the selling or moving-in grounds in the first 12 months of a tenancy. After that, either needs four months’ notice. That is more security than renters had, but it is not a guarantee for every school year.

More on the tenancy side: what the no-fault eviction ban changed, the new tenancy checklist and how to give notice on the place you are leaving so the dates line up. Comparing towns first? Renting in England’s cities covers rents and areas city by city.

School checker and catchment questions

What does this school checker show?

Put in the postcode of the home you are thinking of renting and the school checker lists the state-funded primary, secondary and all-through schools within about 5 miles, nearest first, with the straight-line distance, the latest Ofsted inspection and the latest published results for each. It is a school checker by postcode, not a catchment map: it tells you which schools are near, so you know whose admissions rules to read.

Does living in a school catchment guarantee a place?

No. A catchment or priority area is one criterion among several, and it only decides anything when a school has more applications than places. Priority commonly goes to looked-after children and children with an education, health and care plan first, then to siblings, faith criteria, feeder schools or distance, depending on the school.

Does RenterCheck show catchment area boundaries?

No, and no honest tool can show them for every school. Many schools do not use a fixed boundary at all, and those that do can redraw it. We show the nearest state-funded schools to the property, how far away each one is in a straight line, its latest Ofsted inspection and its latest published results, so you know which schools to go and check the admissions rules for.

How is the distance measured?

In a straight line from the centre of the property’s postcode. Admission authorities often measure differently — some use a walking or driving route, some measure from a specific point in the home — so their figure can differ from ours. Where a place turns on distance, theirs is the one that counts.

Can catchment areas change?

Yes. Boundaries and admission policies are set for each year of entry, and the furthest distance that got a place last year can move in or out the next as applications change. Always read the policy for the year your child would start, not the current one.

What do Ofsted ratings mean now?

They are no longer a single word. Ofsted stopped giving schools a single headline grade in September 2024, and since November 2025 its inspections produce a report card instead, grading several areas — such as attendance and behaviour, achievement, personal development and well-being, and inclusion — on a five-point scale: exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention and urgent improvement, with safeguarding marked as met or not met. A school not inspected since then still shows its older report, so two schools side by side can be graded in different ways. We show each as Ofsted published it.

Can we apply for a school before we move in?

Usually, yes. You apply through your local council, even for a school in another council area, and GOV.UK says that if you are moving you may need to supply proof of your new address, such as a rental agreement, and prove you will live in the area before the start of the next school term. Ask the council which address to apply from if the move and the deadline overlap.

We are moving in the middle of the school year. How do we get a place?

That is an in-year application, and it runs separately from the main admissions round: contact the local council for the area you are moving to. If the school you want is full, you can ask for your child to be put on its waiting list, which the admission authority must keep open for at least the first term of each school year. You can accept a place that comes up from a waiting list even if your child has already started at another school.

What if my child is refused a place?

You can appeal. The admission authority must allow you at least 20 school days from when it sends the decision letter, and you can appeal once against each refusal. You can also put your child on the waiting list for the school while you wait.

Which schools does the check cover?

State-funded primary, secondary and all-through schools in England within about 5 miles of the property. The 3 nearest of each phase are shown first, and you can look through the rest. Independent schools are not included.

Is the school check free?

No. Schools are part of Complete RenterCheck, the paid report. The free check covers the property and the area — the energy rating, flood risk, crime nearby, planning designations and the sale history.

Apply through GOV.UK: a primary school place, a secondary school place and moving school mid-year. Admissions guidance from GOV.UK on admission criteria, waiting lists and appeals; Ofsted’s guide to report cards and grades and the end of single headline grades; and grounds for possession guidance for tenants. School details come from the government’s register of schools, with inspections from Ofsted and results from the Department for Education. This page covers state-funded schools in England and is general information, not admissions advice.