How to use PickMySchool

Use the search bar for name, town, or postcode. Results update as you type. For a radius search, enter a postcode and set a distance (1–25 miles). Click any card to see the full profile.

Narrow by phase (Nursery, Primary, Secondary, All-through, 16+, College, University), type (State, Academy, Independent, Special, Free School), gender, religion, region, local authority, 6th Form, Nursery, Boarding, Selective, pupil count range, and FSM percentage.

At /nearby, enter your postcode to see schools by distance with admission likelihood (Very Likely, Likely, Possible, Competitive, Check School). Filter by phase.

Not sure where to start? At /matchmaker, answer questions about what matters to you (location, type, SEN needs, priorities). Get personalised recommendations ranked by fit.

Overview (contact, inspections, fees, claim), Exam Results (KS2/GCSE/A-level/destinations), Finance (per-pupil spending), SEN (EHCP, provision types), Area (catchment, transport, house prices), Reviews (parent + SEN-specific), Admissions (capacity, oversubscription), School Life.

KS2 combined, Attainment 8, Progress 8 where available (suppressed for 2024-25 and 2025-26 cohorts), English & Maths 5+, EBacc entry, A-level APS, AAB+. Compared against national averages with above/below indicators.

Not just the current rating. The full trajectory. State schools via Ofsted, independents via ISI. See whether a school is improving, stable, or declining. Load on any school profile.

On the Area tab: transport links, recent house sales (HM Land Registry), feeder & destination schools, flood risk (Environment Agency), broadband speed (Ofcom), crime data (police.uk), noise assessment, local amenities, catchment map. Loads on-demand.

Scans the school's own website to extract clubs, activities, and facilities. Categories: Sports, Arts, STEM, Outdoors, Languages, Enrichment, Facilities, Values. Click "Scan school website" to generate.

Tap + on any card to add to comparison. Scorecard matrix shows each school on Ofsted, KS2, Attainment 8, Progress 8, English & Maths, FSM. Winner determined transparently with reasoning. Table and chart views. Save, share, export PDF.

At /sen, select your child's specific needs (ASD, SEMH, SLCN, HI, VI, PD, etc.), choose phase, set radius, filter by support level. Results show provision badges, availability status, SEN unit capacity, EHCP numbers. Hover any code for its meaning.

Grammar Schools at /grammar-schools. Boarding at /boarding-schools. Nurseries at /nurseries. Sixth Form at /sixth-form (with A-level data). Oxbridge League Table at /oxbridge, top schools for Oxford & Cambridge offers.

At /advisor, ask questions in plain English. "My daughter has ASD and we live in Reading, what are our best options?" The AI knows admissions deadlines, SEN pathways, grammar rules, and Ofsted data. Uses your saved postcode if available. School topics only.

Create a free account to save schools, add child profiles, store your home postcode for distance calculations, and get Ofsted change alerts. Sign up with email and password, sign in with password or magic link.

Track every school application. For each: open day, deadline, offer date, decision deadline. Live countdown timers with urgency colours, red (7 days or less), orange (30 days), green (more). Document checklist per application with progress bar. Auto-sorts by nearest deadline.

Add children with name, birth year, year group, SEN needs. Each child shows: key dates/reminders by year (reception, secondary, SATs, EHCP reviews), and nearest schools filtered by phase + SEN. Filter by Ofsted, hide schools not of interest. Toggle recommendations per child.

At /deadlines, every upcoming deadline in one place. Primary, secondary, grammar school tests, sixth form. Countdown timers. Set reminders so nothing slips through.

Look for "Is this your school?" on any profile page. Claiming is free and verified via email. Once claimed, add photos, open day dates, a custom description, and updated contact details. Claiming never affects search result position or league table rank.