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Researching secondary schools and catchment area

Page Contents

Introduction

It is important to be realistic about how likely you are to be offered a place at a school before applying. Get as much information as possible about your preferred schools. Our online directory provides information about Cambridgeshire secondary schools.

What's in the directory

Each school listing in the directory provides: 

  • published admissions number (PAN). This is the number of pupils who can be admitted to each year group 
  • over-subscription criteria. This is how we offer places if a school gets more applications than there are places available. It sets out how applications are placed in order depending on which over-subscription criteria you meet
  • school contact details including link to school website
  • catchment area information. Children who live in a school's catchment area are usually a priority within the over-subscription criteria
  • supplementary information form (SIF) if applicable (additional information required for application to certain schools)
  • link to the latest Ofsted report and performance data
  • link to the previous years' allocation information. This shows how places were offered against the over-subscription criteria, including in previous years

Your child's home address is important when making decisions about home to school distance, or catchments. It is also important that you understand how distance is measured and calculated.

Choosing your preferences

If you live in Cambridgeshire, you can only list three schools on your application in order of preference. If you only apply for one school and your child does not qualify for a place, we will allocate a different school. This could be further from your home address and you may be responsible for getting your child to school.

  • Schools do not know whether they were your first, second or third choice, or which other schools you have applied for. That information is confidential before places are allocated. You should list the schools in the order you would like your child to attend.
  • If you submit invalid preferences, such as an independent school or a school where the year group you are applying for is not the natural year of entry, these preferences will be discarded. You may not get the opportunity to name other schools in their place.

Please note: Use all three preferences - Naming a single school will not increase your chances of being offered a place there. Your child will be considered for each school separately. If they would be eligible for a place at more than one school they will be offered their highest preference. 

You may change your preference(s) by emailing admissions from the email address used to make your online application or by completing a late application form that will be available.

  1. All changes must be made by the closing date of 31 October 2024 if you wish any changes to be considered in the first round of allocation.
  2. Requests to change preferences from 1 November 2024 onwards will not be considered until the second round of school place allocations on 28 April 2025.
  3. Requests to change the over-subscription criterion your child’s application qualifies for from 1 December 2024 will not be actioned until after the national offer on date 3 March 2025.
  4. Only one application will be processed per child at any time. Any new application received will replace your previous application and cancel any previous offer made.
  5. If you make a new application, you agree that:
    • you will no longer have the right to appeal against a refusal for a school that is not included on your most recent application
    • your child’s name will be removed from any waiting list for a school that is not named on your latest application
    • any new requests are re-dated to the latest application.

A minority of parents have given false information about their home address to get a place at a particular school. This is not acceptable and can deprive another child of a school place. We expect all applications to be made in good faith, giving correct information. All claims of fraudulent applications are taken seriously, and investigated. Any school place obtained by the use of incorrect or fraudulent details will be withdrawn.

Information for parents

Resources for families | Children's Commissioner for England

Should you be applying, when to apply and what you need to do before applying
Secondary school admissions (Page 1 of 3)
When to apply; where to apply; and how your circumstances may affect how you apply; and our contact information
Research your secondary school options
Research your secondary school options (Page 2 of 3)
Your home address and catchment areas; admissions criteria; pupil admissions numbers; inspection and performance data
Applying and application process
The secondary admissions process and applying (page 3 of 3)
Online application form; how we process your application, and then make an offer to you.