Does living near a school guarantee a place?

No. Proximity helps but isn’t a guarantee — admissions use oversubscription criteria (siblings, faith, distance) and true catchment areas change year to year and aren’t centrally published. Always check the local authority’s admissions criteria.

Where do the schools and Ofsted ratings come from?

The Department for Education’s “Get Information about Schools” (GIAS) service and Ofsted ratings — official open data under the Open Government Licence. We show the nearest schools by straight-line distance from the postcode.

Why “Schools Near You” and not “catchment checker”?

Because true catchments are set by each council and shift year to year — calling it a catchment checker would over-promise. We show nearest schools + Ofsted by distance, which is the honest, useful version.

Does a good local school affect house prices?

Typically yes — a strong, well-rated school adds a demand premium nearby. It’s a signal, not a guaranteed place at that school.

Why do some schools show a grade and others say “Not rated”?

Ofsted withdrew the single overall grade (Outstanding/Good/Requires improvement/Inadequate) on 2 September 2024 and moved to a “report card” model on 10 November 2025. We show the last single grade on record, with its inspection date. A school inspected after September 2024 has no comparable single grade, so it shows “Not rated” — check its current Ofsted page for the latest report.

All tools

Tool — Schools near you

Which schools are nearest, and how are they rated?

The nearest primary and secondary schools to any UK postcode, each with its last published Ofsted grade and distance. Proximity by distance — not a legal catchment or an admission guarantee.

DfE GIAS
Ofsted rated
By distance

Nearest schools by distance — not legal catchment areas.

What you'll see

Nearest primary & secondary schools
Each school’s last published Ofsted grade + date
Distance from your postcode
The honest version: proximity, not catchment

How it works

How the schools check works

Type a postcode and we look up every state school around it in the Department for Education’s “Get Information about Schools” register, split into primary and secondary, ordered by straight-line distance. Each school shows its last published Ofsted single grade with the inspection date — and “Not rated” where no comparable grade exists, rather than an invented score.

Distance is measured from the centre of the postcode, as the crow flies. It’s the honest proxy for “how close is the school”, but it is not an admissions radius: councils and academy trusts each set their own oversubscription rules.

Schools and house prices — read it carefully

Well-regarded schools move markets: streets inside a popular school’s historic admission footprint routinely carry a price premium. But that premium is built on admission rules that shift every year with sibling numbers and birth-year bulges — buying the house does not buy the place. Before paying a school premium, check the council’s last-distance-offered data for the last three years, not just the Ofsted badge.

Schools are one signal among several. See them next to crime, flood, planning and sold prices for a property in its OfferCheck, or ask the specific question first: will my child get a place at the nearby school?

Questions

Schools by postcode — the honest version

Does living near a school guarantee a place?: No. Proximity helps but isn’t a guarantee — admissions use oversubscription criteria (siblings, faith, distance) and true catchment areas change year to year and aren’t centrally published. Always check the local authority’s admissions criteria.
Where do the schools and Ofsted ratings come from?: The Department for Education’s “Get Information about Schools” (GIAS) service and Ofsted ratings — official open data under the Open Government Licence. We show the nearest schools by straight-line distance from the postcode.
Why “Schools Near You” and not “catchment checker”?: Because true catchments are set by each council and shift year to year — calling it a catchment checker would over-promise. We show nearest schools + Ofsted by distance, which is the honest, useful version.
Does a good local school affect house prices?: Typically yes — a strong, well-rated school adds a demand premium nearby. It’s a signal, not a guaranteed place at that school.
Why do some schools show a grade and others say “Not rated”?: Ofsted withdrew the single overall grade (Outstanding/Good/Requires improvement/Inadequate) on 2 September 2024 and moved to a “report card” model on 10 November 2025. We show the last single grade on record, with its inspection date. A school inspected after September 2024 has no comparable single grade, so it shows “Not rated” — check its current Ofsted page for the latest report.

Keep checking

Which schools are nearest, and how are they rated?

How the schools check works

Schools and house prices — read it carefully

Schools by postcode — the honest version

Get the full picture before you offer