How far from a grammar school can you live and still get in?

There is no single maximum distance you can live from a grammar school. Some schools use a defined catchment, some give local applicants priority, and some rank test scores without a catchment. Distance may decide every place within a category or only break a tie between equal scores. The answer must come from your target school’s admission policy.

First identify which kind of distance you have found

For example, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls’ September 2027 entry policy defines an eight-mile catchment radius and separate admission categories. That radius is a policy boundary for that intake, not a claim that every child within eight miles receives a place. Do not assume it remains the rule for September 2028 entry without checking the new policy.

What past offer distances can tell you

The AGGS official FAQ records a last distance of 11.007 miles in category 4.7 for 2023 entry and 5.529 miles in category 4.4 for 2025 entry. These are different years and different categories. They illustrate why a bare mileage number is inadequate: they are not a like-for-like trend or a forecast for the 2027 exam cohort.

Buckinghamshire’s allocation statistics page provides historical allocation information and warns that previous outcomes do not guarantee a future offer. When comparing years, check the entry year, allocation round, category, policy changes and published admission number.

Suppose, in a hypothetical school, the last offer in an ordinary distance category went to a child 3.2 miles away. A child 2.9 miles away in that same category is not guaranteed a place next year. Equally, a child farther away could be considered earlier if the policy gives that child a higher priority category. The figure is an outcome, not a universal eligibility line.

Which distance measurement counts?

Use the method and endpoints in the school’s policy. Buckinghamshire’s definitions describe computerised straight-line admissions measurements using official address information and a specified school gate. Its admissions measurement differs from walking-route calculations used for other purposes. Another school may define its endpoints differently.

• Do not substitute a route-planner journey for an official straight-line measurement.
• Check whether the policy measures to a gate, a defined entrance or another point.
• Treat consumer map estimates as provisional, especially close to a boundary or tie.
• Ask the admission authority how it will identify an address in a new development, converted property or divided building.

What if the school has no catchment?

Queen Elizabeth’s School, Barnet’s entrance-test FAQ says there is no catchment and that equal test scores are ranked by straight-line distance. A more distant applicant is not automatically excluded, but distance can still matter in a tie. Check the appropriate entry-year policy rather than treating “no catchment” as “address never matters”.

Six checks before deciding whether your home is close enough

1. 1Read the admission policy for the intended entry year and locate the academic qualification rule.
2. 2Identify your child’s priority category; establish whether catchment membership changes it.
3. 3Find the official distance definition and, where available, an official address or map lookup.
4. 4Read historical allocation information for the same category and note the date or round.
5. 5Check the home-address qualifying date and any residence conditions, especially if moving.
6. 6Assess the real school-day journey and check transport eligibility separately with the relevant authority.

A plausible admission route and a manageable commute are separate decisions. Trial the journey at school times, allow for activities and ask who provides any bus service. A school offer should not be treated as a guarantee of funded transport.

Use the catchment map guide to find official sources. If the numbers only make sense after understanding priority categories, read whether distance or score comes first. For a possible relocation, use the moving-house checklist before making commitments.