How Councils Measure Distance to a School: Straight-Line, Walking Routes and Tie-Breaks

Your home looks close to the school on the map, but the council's online tool says a neighbour across the park is nearer. Before you worry, check how your local authority actually measures distance, because the method can change who comes first.

This guide explains how distance to school is measured in England, why straight-line and walking-route methods give different answers, and what happens when two children tie. It applies to Reception and Year 7 applications under the School Admissions Code 2021 (England).

When a school has more applicants than places, it must apply its published oversubscription criteria in order. Distance is common, but it is rarely first. Looked-after and previously looked-after children come first, and many schools then prioritise siblings, and sometimes faith or catchment area, before distance. Children with an EHC plan naming the school are admitted before the oversubscription criteria apply.

So distance often acts as a ranking within a category, such as "siblings, then everyone else by distance". The 2021 Code requires admission authorities to set out clearly how distance is measured, so the answer is always in the school's or council's published arrangements.

Straight-line distance ("as the crow flies") is the direct line between two points, ignoring roads, rivers, railways and footpaths. Councils typically calculate it by computer from address data to a fixed point at the school.

Walking-route distance follows the shortest available route a pedestrian could use. Where a river, motorway or railway sits between home and school, this can be far longer than the straight line. Some councils use road distance instead, which is less common for primary and secondary admissions.

Arrangements usually say where measurement begins, often a point tied to the home address in mapping data, and where it ends, such as a main gate, a building centre or a designated school point. A few metres' difference in either point can matter when places are tight.

The home address normally means where the child lives with the person who has parental responsibility. Rules for separated families, new builds, flats and moving house differ between authorities. Proof of address is usually required, and giving false information can lead to an offer being withdrawn.

Two children can sit at exactly the same distance, for example in the same block of flats. The Code expects arrangements to include a clear, fair tie-break for applicants who cannot otherwise be separated. Many admission authorities use random allocation, which must be supervised by someone independent of the school.

Others use a different published rule, such as a closer measurement or a flat-level rule. Many arrangements also say how to treat twins or other multiple births. This varies by authority, so look for the wording under "tie-break" or "random allocation" in the school's policy.

The last distance offered is how far from a school the final place went on national offer day. School Atlas holds published figures of this kind for many Reception and Year 7 entry points, mainly in England, school by school and year by year, where councils or schools publish them. Coverage varies by council. They are not catchment boundaries, and we hold none for sixth form, nursery or in-year entry.

Where a school admits by distance, the furthest place offered moves from year to year. It depends on how many families apply, how many have siblings or other higher priorities, and how many hold other offers. A figure from last year is a useful guide, but not a promise for this year.

If you're offered a place you didn't want, or none of your preferences, you can accept the offer, join waiting lists, and consider an appeal. For the normal admissions round, waiting lists must stay open until at least 31 December of the year of admission (School Admissions Code 2021, paragraph 2.15).

Appeals follow the School Admission Appeals Code 2022. For Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, where classes are limited to 30 pupils, these are infant class size appeals. They can succeed only on three narrow grounds: admitting the child would not breach the limit; the arrangements broke admissions law or were not correctly and impartially applied, and the child would have been offered a place if they had been; or the refusal was a decision no reasonable admission authority would make, which is a very high bar. They are not decided on the general balance of prejudice that applies to Year 7 appeals. Our school admissions appeals guide explains both routes.

If you're applying for Year 7, the deadline for England is 31 October, so confirm each school's method now. Reception applications close later, on 15 January, but it helps to learn the rules early.

For the schools near your postcode, the admissions distance checker shows, where published, whether your postcode is inside a council's catchment boundary and how your distance compares with the furthest place offered last year. It covers Reception and Year 7 only, is free for one postcode a day with a free account, and gives no percentage chance. School Atlas Pro shows how often families at your distance were offered a place in past years, as a frequency rather than a chance.

To compare schools beyond distance, browse school profiles, and see our guide to catchment areas and transport.