Catchment Area

Not all schools have catchmentA school’s catchment is the locality from where a school is most likely to take their students. areas, and not all LEAs have a catchmentA school’s catchment is the locality from where a school is most likely to take their students. area system. It depends on their admissionsAdmissions is the department in the local education authority responsible for allocating children to schools.’ procedure. If a catchmentA school’s catchment is the locality from where a school is most likely to take their students. area system is in place, this is potentially very expensive for parents, who will often move houseSee also 'Head of year/ Head of house'. A house is a team that groups of students are organised into for reasons of motivation and camaraderie. Houses usually stretch across year groups. to be in the catchmentA school’s catchment is the locality from where a school is most likely to take their students. area of a popular school. It is rare that the catchmentA school’s catchment is the locality from where a school is most likely to take their students. area for a popular school is composed of a cheap housing. The rules of supply and demand dictate that the more popular the school, the more expensive housing is in the catchmentA school’s catchment is the locality from where a school is most likely to take their students. area. Often, the more oversubscribed the school is, the smaller the catchmentA school’s catchment is the locality from where a school is most likely to take their students. area. If a school is less popular, it needs to spread its net further a field to fill its places.

• Schools that serve a local estate might not be right for your child, if you do not live on that estate.
• If you do live on an estate served by a local school,you might want to look further a field in order to find a greater breadth of social experiences for your child.
• Schools with a small catchmentA school’s catchment is the locality from where a school is most likely to take their students. area often do not take in a diversity of children or parents.
• Schools which are oversubscribed, and as a consequence have a limited catchmentA school’s catchment is the locality from where a school is most likely to take their students. area, might not necessarily be better than schools with a broader catchmentA school’s catchment is the locality from where a school is most likely to take their students. area. Oversubscription is sometimes reliant on anecdotal information and inaccurate reputations.
• School is the place where your child is most likely to develop their social life. If you want your child’s school social life to be accessible to them out of school hours, it is worth ensuring that you live in an area close to other students who attend the school. Also be sure that the  journey to school does not prohibit your child from taking part in after school extra-curricularExtra-curricular activities take place outside of lesson times, for example, at lunchtime or after school. activities.
• It is important to investigate catchmentA school’s catchment is the locality from where a school is most likely to take their students. areas. Do not take an estate agent’s word for it. Your LEAThe LEA, local education authority, is in charge of delivering education for the council in a borough or county. pupil admissionsAdmissions is the department in the local education authority responsible for allocating children to schools. section should give you information about catchmentA school’s catchment is the locality from where a school is most likely to take their students. arrangements and admission processes. They vary between local authorities. Many schools might not necessarily be taking from their closest environs, especially if the LEAThe LEA, local education authority, is in charge of delivering education for the council in a borough or county. prioritises students with siblings at the school over students who live in close proximity.

Further Information

Informal

If there are catchmentA school’s catchment is the locality from where a school is most likely to take their students. areas, once you have found out where they are, drive round those which belong to schools you are interested in. This will help you get a feel of the social mix of the school’s intake.

LEAThe LEA, local education authority, is in charge of delivering education for the council in a borough or county.

All LEAs will have an admissionsAdmissions is the department in the local education authority responsible for allocating children to schools.’ pack which details their admissionsAdmissions is the department in the local education authority responsible for allocating children to schools.’ policy, and any information on catchmentA school’s catchment is the locality from where a school is most likely to take their students. areas, and over and under-subscription. The LEAThe LEA, local education authority, is in charge of delivering education for the council in a borough or county. will tell you which schools have their own admissionsAdmissions is the department in the local education authority responsible for allocating children to schools.’ procedures, these might be, for example, academiesAcademies are privately sponsored, but are still state schools. Previously failing schools which have closed have been reAlso known as ‘Religious Studies' (RS). RE, Religious Education, is a compulsory subject in state* schools.-launched as Academies. Some Academies are new build with extensive resources. and faith schools.

Case Study

Summary