Catchment areas

This page explains what catchment areas are, and maps showing the catchment areas for schools can be downloaded below.

Please note that some schools do not have catchment areas. Therefore there may not be a catchment school for your postcode; the postcode search will instead show your nearest schools.

The following schools do not have catchment areas:

Infant and primary schools

Holy Family Catholic Primary, Springhill Catholic Primary, St Patrick's Catholic Primary.

Secondary schools

Chamberlayne College for the Arts, Oasis Academy Lord's Hill, Oasis Academy Mayfield, St Anne's Catholic School, St George Catholic College, Upper Shirley High School.

The following schools share a common catchment area:

Banister Infant and Nursery, Freemantle CE Community Academy, St Mark's CE Voluntary Controlled Primary, St John's Primary and Nursery.

What is a catchment area?

The catchment area of a school is the geographical area (defined by the Local Authority), which children living within are ranked as high priority to attend that school.

A school will tend to draw most of its pupils from this area and it broadly reflects the locality with which a school has its closest relationships. For most parents a good ‘local’ school is what they want.

The idea of the designated catchment area helps to meet this need and also enables individual schools and groups of linked secondary and primary/ junior schools to develop close ties with their local communities.

How do I find out what my catchment area is?

You can find out your catchment area (where applicable) or the nearest schools to your home by entering your postcode or street name into the box below.

Alternatively you can contact the Admissions Team, who hold the definitive map of catchment areas. The definitive map of school catchment areas is held at Southampton City Council, Southbrook Rise, 4-8 Millbrook Road East, Southampton, SO15 1YG.

In the event of any dispute about catchment area boundaries the definitive map is the sole authoritative source. A schedule of addresses is also kept, to be read in conjunction with the map. Because new addresses are created as a result of new development the schedule may not always be fully up to date. In such cases the catchment area will be determined by reference to the definitive map.