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Performance and inspection
See inspection outcomes, detailed judgements, attainment and how results compare locally.
A clearer way to explore local schools
Compare schools near you
Compare inspection, performance, admissions and pupil data for schools around your home.
Search primary and secondary schools in England, Scotland and Wales. Data availability varies by school.
ONE PLACE, CLEARER DATA
Look beyond a single rating
We bring together the practical details families often have to search for across different sources.
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Pupils and demographics
Explore pupil numbers, class sizes, attendance, SEN support and school community data.
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Admissions and catchment
Understand historic offer distances and published catchment information where available.
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Compare your shortlist
Put up to four schools side by side so the information that matters is easier to weigh up.
How to compare primary and secondary schools near you
Enter your full postcode and choose primary or secondary schools to explore nearby options. Open a school’s details, then add up to four schools to your comparison. You can search around your current home or a property you are thinking of moving to, helping you build a shortlist before arranging school visits.
Start with the things that matter to your child: the age range, the journey, learning support and the school environment. Then compare inspection findings, attainment, attendance and class sizes where available. A school with strong results may still offer a very different experience from another nearby school, so use the data to prepare questions for an open day.
School catchment areas and admissions: know the difference
A school catchment area is a defined geographical area used in some admissions policies. Living within it may give your child priority, but the rules depend on the school and the education system. Some schools have no fixed catchment and use distance alongside other criteria. Your nearest school is not necessarily your catchment school.
Historic offer distances show how far away a child lived when a place was offered in a previous admissions round, under the published category. They are useful context, but they are not a catchment boundary or a promise of a future place. Check the entry year, allocation round and priority group before comparing distances, and confirm the current policy with the school or local authority.
Understand school results in context
Inspection reports and exam results answer different questions. An inspection considers the school’s provision and experience at the time of the visit; attainment figures describe outcomes for a particular group of pupils. Read both, check their dates and look at trends where several years of data are available. Small year groups can produce large percentage changes from one year to the next.
England, Scotland and Wales have different curricula, qualifications and inspection frameworks. Compare like with like rather than treating every judgement or result as a single national ranking. Missing data does not mean a school is performing badly: figures may be unavailable, not applicable or withheld to protect pupils’ privacy.
Comparing schools: frequently asked questions
From catchment areas to inspection reports, here is how to make sense of the information before choosing a school or planning a move.
Search using your full postcode, select primary or secondary schools and explore the nearby results. Open each school’s details to see the inspection, performance, pupil and admissions information available, then compare up to four schools side by side. Try the postcode of a home you are considering as well as your current address. Use your shortlist to plan visits and ask questions about teaching, pastoral care and the daily journey.
Catchment areas identify addresses that receive geographical priority under a school’s admissions arrangements. The boundary may follow streets or other local features rather than a simple circle. Some schools use distance without a defined catchment, and other priorities may apply before distance. Rules vary across England, Scotland and Wales, so check the local authority’s address checker or catchment map and the school’s policy for your intended year of entry.
Do not assume that a catchment address guarantees admission. If there are more applicants than places, the school’s published priorities and tie-break rules determine who receives an offer. Depending on the school, factors can include siblings, faith, feeder schools, selection or distance. Arrangements differ between nations and local authorities. Confirm how the rules apply to your child, including any address evidence and moving deadlines, before committing to a home move.
A historic offer distance usually records the distance from a school to the furthest home offered a place in a specified admissions round and priority category. For example, an 800-metre distance is evidence about that past allocation, not an 800-metre catchment boundary. Applicant numbers, sibling priority, available places and admissions policies can change each year. Always check the year, round, category and measurement method; a straight-line distance is not the same as a walking route.
Start with the inspection date, the framework used and the detailed findings, including strengths, safeguarding, inclusion and areas for improvement. In England, Ofsted introduced report cards with a five-point scale for individual areas in November 2025, so newer reports are not directly comparable with older overall grades. Wales and Scotland use their own inspection systems. Read the full report and any later updates, then ask the school what has changed since the inspection.
Look at results alongside pupil numbers, attendance, class sizes and the support available for additional needs. Check the age range and curriculum, and ask about subjects, clubs, pastoral care and transitions between year groups. Consider whether the school run works for your family throughout the year. Data helps you ask better questions, but visiting the school and talking to staff can help you judge whether it suits your child.
Access to sought-after schools can increase demand for nearby homes. Department for Education research published in 2017 found an association between school performance and nearby house prices in England, but this does not establish a fixed premium for a particular property today. Size, condition, transport and the wider local market also matter. Compare recent local sold prices and get a valuation to understand your budget, while checking school admissions separately before making a move.
Yes. Search the postcode of a property you are considering and compare nearby primary or secondary schools before arranging viewings. Explore the area as well as the school: the route, public transport and local amenities all shape everyday life. If you need a place part-way through the school year, ask the local authority or school about in-year availability, because historic entry-year offer distances do not show current vacancies.
The information available varies by school, nation and reporting year. Some measures do not apply to every school, while small pupil groups may have results suppressed to protect privacy. A new school or one that has changed status may have a shorter published history. An empty field is not a zero or a negative judgement. Check the original report or contact the school when a missing detail matters to your decision.
Check the original guidance
For current rules and reports, start with school admissions guidance for England, Ofsted’s report card guidance, Estyn in Wales or HMIE in Scotland. You can also read the 2017 research on schools and house prices. Always confirm local admissions arrangements for the year you need.
Choosing a school and planning a home move?
Put your school shortlist alongside the practical details of your next home. Explore local house prices and amenities in our area guides, or get a free online house valuation to help plan your selling budget. Check school admissions with the relevant authority before deciding where to move.
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