Letters Home

You may already have a school in mind, but remember that you will need to list several preferences on your application form. Make sure you've read our advice about preferencing before you fill in the form. 

• Try to visit schools you are interested in or attend an open day. View the school's website, prospectus or brochure.
• Different types of schools have different values, teaching methods and admissions policies. Some schools have specialist services for children with special educational needs.
• Most schools receive regular visits by inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, or Ofsted, which publishes regular inspection reports online. You can search for Ofsted reports by postcode, town or area.
• If your child has special educational needs or disabilities, it’s a good idea to look at the school’s SEN Information Report, as this explains their ethos and approach to meeting the needs of children with SEND. You can find this on the school’s own website, where you will also find lots of other useful information.

Schools and catchment area maps

You can use our interactive maps to find out what catchment area you live in. Remember that you may not be in the catchment area for the school that is nearest to you 'as the crow flies'. You can either type your address in the search bar, or use the 'zoom' function then click on the map to see catchment areas that apply.