Data sources and methodology
About the data
Every fact on a school page names its source and the date it was last checked. This page explains where the data comes from, how it is combined and what it does not yet cover. The dataset was last published on 2 November 2026.
Sources
| Source | Publisher | Type | Data as of | Licence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schools' own admission arrangements | Each school (linked on the item) | School's own documents | 2 November 2026 | Facts taken from each school's published admission arrangements, linked on the item |
| Secondary and primary school applications and offers | Department for Education | Official | 31 October 2026 | Open Government Licence v3.0 |
| Key stage 4 performance (GCSE results) | Department for Education | Official | 31 October 2026 | Open Government Licence v3.0 |
| Get Information About Schools | Department for Education | Official | 31 October 2026 | Open Government Licence v3.0 |
| School census and Schools Plus reference data | Department of Education (Northern Ireland) | Official | 31 October 2026 | Open Government Licence v3.0 |
| Ofsted inspection reports | Ofsted | Official | 31 October 2026 | Open Government Licence v3.0 |
| Postcode centroids (ONS Postcode Directory) | Office for National Statistics, via postcodes.io or an ONSPD copy | Official | 31 October 2026 | OGL v3.0 for Great Britain; Northern Ireland postcodes are under separate LPS terms (check before commercial use) |
| Admissions research (cited public sources) | UK School Map | Research or inherited | 1 November 2026 | Facts compiled from the public sources linked on each item |
| Test dates research (cited public sources) | UK School Map | Research or inherited | 31 October 2026 | Facts compiled from the public sources linked on each item |
| Desk research (cited public sources) | UK School Map | Research or inherited | 31 October 2026 | Facts compiled from the public sources linked on each field |
| Original grammar school map dataset | UK School Map (inherited compilation) | Research or inherited | 25 October 2026 | Inherited compilation, licence unknown; links point to Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) |
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right; Contains Royal Mail data; Contains LPS Intellectual Property © Crown copyright.
Coverage
231 grammar schools: 165 in England and 66 in Northern Ireland.
| Information | Schools | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Official register record (GIAS or DE) | 231 | 100% |
| Map location | 231 | 100% |
| Address and postcode | 231 | 100% |
| Pupil numbers | 231 | 100% |
| Year 7 applications and offers history (England) | 165 | 71% |
| Ofsted inspection history (England) | 165 | 71% |
| Entrance test and qualifying score | 74 | 32% |
| Past lowest score or last distance offered | 79 | 34% |
| Catchment description | 186 | 81% |
| Out-of-catchment admissions rule | 196 | 85% |
How the data is put together
- Official registers first. Schools are identified by their official number: the URN in England (Get Information About Schools) and the DE reference in Northern Ireland. Facts from these registers override research and inherited data.
- Schools' own admission arrangements correct the register. Where a school's published arrangements contradict the register for entry at 11 (for example a boys' school recorded as mixed because its sixth form is mixed), the school's document is used for that fact, with a note and a link on the school's page.
- Every fact keeps its history. When a source changes a value, the old value is kept with its dates. Missing values are shown as "Not yet available" rather than guessed.
- Research fills gaps, clearly labelled. Cut-off scores, catchment areas and out-of-catchment rules are mostly published in council and school documents. Where we have found them, each value links to its source and is marked as research to confirm with the school. Values from forums, undated or conflicting sources are not shown.
- Automatic checks. Every update is validated before it is published. Each map location must lie in the right nation, links must be secure, and every fact must name a source. A failed or suspicious update (for example a sudden drop in the number of schools) changes nothing.
- Distances are straight lines. Councils measure distance in their own way, often from a home's address point and sometimes by walking route.
- Selective areas. We call an English local authority fully selective when at least 25% of its Year 7 places are at selective schools, using DfE applications and offers data. This is our working definition, not an official one.
Found a mistake?
Use "Report an error" on the school's page and tell us where you found the correct information. Admissions rules change every year, so always check a school's current admissions policy and your council's guidance before applying.