AI Catchment Estimator · England 2026

School Catchment Area
Checker

Get an instant estimated admission probability for any school in England — powered by distance, school capacity and demand data from the DfE.

Check Your Admissions Chances
Error
Methodology

How the Score is Calculated

A transparent, deterministic algorithm — no black boxes

1
Geocode Postcode
Your UK postcode is resolved to precise latitude/longitude coordinates using the Postcodes.io API.
2
Calculate Distance
A Haversine great-circle formula computes the exact straight-line distance in km from your postcode to the school (BNG → WGS84 conversion).
3
Measure Demand Pressure
We calculate how full the school is: Pupils ÷ Capacity. Oversubscribed schools have a higher pressure penalty.
4
Admission Score
Final score = 60% distance factor + 40% demand factor, normalised to 0–100%. High ≥70%, Medium 40–69%, Low <40%.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This tool provides an estimated probability based on publicly available DfE data. Actual admission decisions are made by local authorities and are subject to academy/school admissions policies, looked-after children priority, sibling rules, faith criteria, and other factors not captured here. Always check the school's official admissions policy.
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