To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department issues to (a) schools and (b) local education authorities on the methodology to be used in calculating distances from home to school (a) on foot and (b) by road for the purposes of determining eligibility for school admissions. (281534)

The School Admissions Code requires admission authorities to explain clearly in their admission arrangements how the distance between the school and the child's home will be measured.

It is for schools or local authorities to determine the method of calculating such distances, although the system used must be

“reliable and reasonable system which parents can easily understand”.