# GrammarBound

> GrammarBound maps the real catchment areas of every grammar school in England (163 schools), so parents can check by postcode whether their child is eligible. Boundaries are taken from each school's published admissions policy and verified by hand — real boundaries, not the straight-line estimates most catchment websites show.

GrammarBound is an independent tool built and maintained by Joe, a Kent grammar-school alumnus and parent. It is free to start: plain-English admissions guides, school performance (Ofsted, GCSE/A-level results), a basic postcode eligibility check, and a school watchlist. Seeing the full catchment boundaries on the map — plus tier analysis, walk/drive/public-transport commute times, opportunity heatmaps and a downloadable PDF report — are Pro features (a £25 one-off Pro Pass, or £10/month).

## How catchments are classified
- **Defined area** (97 schools): a fixed, published area you must live in — built from civil parishes, electoral wards, postcode districts, a bespoke council/school-drawn area, a fixed-mile radius, or a mix.
- **Distance** (33 schools): no fixed area; places go to the nearest qualifying children, out to the last distance offered (this moves year to year).
- **Test score only** (33 schools): super-selective — admitted on 11-plus score; where you live is irrelevant.
- 16 schools are currently open (undersubscribed) — any child who passes can attend.

## Data sources
- Each school's (or local authority's) published admissions policy and arrangements — the source of truth for every catchment and tie-break rule.
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) — ward, parish and district boundary polygons.
- Department for Education (DfE) — performance and pupil data.
- Ofsted — inspection grades and reports.
- postcodes.io — postcode geocoding.

## Key pages
- [Home / postcode search](https://www.grammarbound.co.uk/): check a postcode against all 163 grammar schools.
- [Interactive map](https://www.grammarbound.co.uk/map.html): real catchments, eligibility, distance and commute tools.
- [All schools](https://www.grammarbound.co.uk/schools.html): index of every grammar school with a plain-English admissions guide.
- [Rankings](https://www.grammarbound.co.uk/rankings.html): sortable national league table of all 163 grammar schools by GCSE/A-level national rank, destinations and Ofsted, with side-by-side comparison.
- [Insights](https://www.grammarbound.co.uk/insights.html): original data analysis on grammar schools — clear charts, honest caveats. Articles: [what a grammar school catchment actually is — named areas, distance areas, the five ranking conditions and the priority criteria](https://www.grammarbound.co.uk/insights/what-is-a-grammar-school-catchment.html); [do score-selective grammars get better results?](https://www.grammarbound.co.uk/insights/grammar-school-admissions-and-results.html); [where grammar test systems stack — the best places to live for the most 11-plus chances](https://www.grammarbound.co.uk/insights/grammar-school-test-stacking.html); [which grammar schools are rising or sliding — four-year ranking trends](https://www.grammarbound.co.uk/insights/grammar-school-performance-trends.html).
- [About & methodology](https://www.grammarbound.co.uk/about.html): who built GrammarBound and how the catchments are mapped and verified.
- [Plans](https://www.grammarbound.co.uk/plans.html): free and Pro options.

## Notes
- GrammarBound is an analytical research tool, not an official source. Admissions arrangements change; always confirm current criteria with the school or local authority before applying.
- Coverage: all 163 grammar schools in England. Data is re-checked as schools publish updated arrangements each year.
- Contact: hello@grammarbound.co.uk