School distance planning
Warwickshire Grammar School Distance Planning: Catchment, Commute and Affordability
Planning a move around Warwickshire's selective schools means balancing admissions, distance, commute and budget at once. This page is a practical framework for doing that — it does not publish rankings, catchment boundaries, cut-off distances or admissions data.
Last reviewed:
Framework, not rankings or data
Admissions come before geography
For selective schools, the entrance test and each school's published criteria decide who is offered a place. Where you live can matter — some schools use distance or catchment as part of their policy — but it sits within a wider set of rules that vary school by school. Start by reading the admissions policy for each school you are considering, and note that nearby authorities can run very different systems.
Use distance as a planning input, not a verdict
Once you understand a school's criteria, the School Distance Calculator helps you test candidate homes against a chosen point and radius. It measures straight-line distance only, so treat it as a way to compare homes — not as a prediction of admission. Our guides on how school distance is measured and catchment area vs distance explain why the method matters.
Weigh the whole move
A home that suits one school still has to work for your commute, your budget and the cost of moving. Put numbers behind each factor:
- Commute cost with the Commute Cost Calculator.
- Borrowing and repayments with the Mortgage Affordability Calculator.
- Side-by-side trade-offs with the Area Comparison Tool.
For specific places, see our Rugby planning guide, Lawrence Sheriff School distance planning and the wider guide to areas near grammar schools.
What to verify before deciding
- Each school's current admissions policy, entrance test and deadlines, directly from the school.
- How — and whether — distance and catchment are used, and from which points.
- Which local authority an address falls under.
- Live property prices and recent sold prices on a portal.
- Stamp duty for your circumstances on GOV.UK.
Tools for grammar school planning
School Distance Calculator
Work out the straight-line distance between a home and a school, and check whether it falls within a chosen catchment radius.
Useful for: Parents checking school catchment areas before they move or apply.
Open calculatorCommute Cost Calculator
Estimate the daily, monthly and annual cost of driving to work, with an optional public transport comparison.
Useful for: Anyone weighing up how a longer or shorter commute affects the household budget.
Open calculatorMoving Cost Calculator
Add up the typical costs of moving home in the UK, from removals and conveyancing to surveys and mortgage fees.
Useful for: Buyers and movers budgeting for the full cost of a move, not just the deposit.
Open calculatorMortgage Affordability Calculator
Get a simple estimate of how much you might borrow, your monthly repayment, loan-to-value and deposit percentage.
Useful for: Households getting a rough idea of what they could afford before speaking to a lender.
Open calculatorArea Comparison Tool
Compare up to three areas side by side using a weighted score for affordability, school distance and commute.
Useful for: Families torn between two or three locations who want a structured comparison.
Open calculatorFrequently asked questions
How do Warwickshire grammar school admissions work?
Selective schools admit on academic ability through an entrance test, with each school publishing its own admissions policy that may also weigh distance, catchment or other criteria. The specifics differ by school and can change, so always read the current policy directly.
Does MoveRadius rank Warwickshire schools or show catchments?
No. We do not rank schools, publish catchment boundaries, or reproduce admissions data. This page is a planning framework; the School Distance Calculator measures straight-line distance only.
How far in advance should I plan around a selective school?
As early as you can. Entrance tests have registration windows and deadlines that often fall well before secondary application dates, and they shape both timing and location. Confirm the timetable with each school before committing to a move.
Confirm everything with official sources