Planning guide
Best Places to Consider Near Grammar Schools: A Practical UK Planning Guide
Moving near a grammar school is a long-term decision with admissions tests, distance rules and catchments all in the mix. This page gives you a practical UK framework — not a league table.
Last reviewed:
Planning framework, not rankings
Start with admissions, not the area
Grammar schools select on academic ability through an entrance test. That means the most important first step is understanding the test, deadlines, and the admissions policy of any school you are considering — not the property market around it. A great area near a school does not help if the admissions policy means a place is unlikely.
Distance is usually a tie-breaker, not a key
Where distance is used, it is typically a final tie-breaker between candidates who have already passed. Living closer can therefore help on the margin, but never on its own. Read more in our guide on catchment area vs distance.
Sketch a planning radius
Once you have a shortlist of schools, use the School Distance Calculator to test homes against a chosen radius. The radius is not a guarantee of admission — it is a sanity check on whether a home is realistically close.
Weigh against the rest of the move
A home that is great for one school may be bad for your commute, your budget or the rest of your family's life. Run the numbers for the whole picture:
- Daily and annual commute cost with the Commute Cost Calculator.
- What you might borrow with the Mortgage Affordability Calculator.
- The cost of the move itself with the Moving Cost Calculator.
- Trade-offs side by side with the Area Comparison Tool.
What to verify before you move
- The current admissions policy, deadlines and last year's oversubscription for each school.
- The exact entrance test, how to register and any partner schools.
- How distance is measured by the authority — straight line or walking route — and from which points.
- Live property prices for the streets you are considering, on a portal.
- Stamp duty for your circumstances on GOV.UK.
Tools for this kind of move
School Distance Calculator
Work out the straight-line distance between a home and a school, and check whether it falls within a chosen catchment radius.
Useful for: Parents checking school catchment areas before they move or apply.
Open calculatorCommute Cost Calculator
Estimate the daily, monthly and annual cost of driving to work, with an optional public transport comparison.
Useful for: Anyone weighing up how a longer or shorter commute affects the household budget.
Open calculatorMoving Cost Calculator
Add up the typical costs of moving home in the UK, from removals and conveyancing to surveys and mortgage fees.
Useful for: Buyers and movers budgeting for the full cost of a move, not just the deposit.
Open calculatorMortgage Affordability Calculator
Get a simple estimate of how much you might borrow, your monthly repayment, loan-to-value and deposit percentage.
Useful for: Households getting a rough idea of what they could afford before speaking to a lender.
Open calculatorArea Comparison Tool
Compare up to three areas side by side using a weighted score for affordability, school distance and commute.
Useful for: Families torn between two or three locations who want a structured comparison.
Open calculatorFrequently asked questions
How do grammar school admissions work?
Grammar schools select on academic ability through a test (commonly known as the 11+), set by the school or local authority. Each school publishes its own admissions policy, which may also include distance, catchment or sibling priority.
Does living close to a grammar school help me get in?
Sometimes — distance can be a tie-breaker between candidates who all meet the pass mark. But the test result is usually the gatekeeper. Always read the specific school's admissions policy before moving on the assumption that distance alone will help.
Can MoveRadius tell me if my child would get in?
No. We do not run admissions or rank schools. The School Distance Calculator only shows the straight-line distance from any home to any school you specify — useful for planning, but never decisive on its own.
No admissions guarantee