Catchment Area
The informal geographic area from which a school tends to draw most of its pupils, based on historic distance cut-offs.
Definition
Grammar schools in Buckinghamshire do not have official fixed catchment areas — any child in England who qualifies can apply. However, because places at oversubscribed schools are allocated by distance, there is in practice an informal 'catchment' based on how far the last non-sibling place was offered in previous years. Buckinghamshire Council publishes the distance at which the last place was offered for each school each year. This historic data gives families a realistic picture of whether their home address is likely to be within range. This figure can vary significantly year to year depending on how many qualifying applicants apply to each school.
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