Hi everyone, I was just wondering if anyone could help me with a query about postcodes and catchment areas? We have seen a house we love in the TN3 postcode area, however it turns out that it’s just over the border in East Sussex, (only just!). Would DD be considered an OOC applicant if we were to take this house? I’ve checked the websites of the schools, and they just say that TN3 is in catchment, but I thought you had to be within Kent? Thanks in advance!

Which schools are you interested in, allie? If you've checked the school websites and they say it's OK, that's definitely the best thing to go on. IIRC Judd's catchment is partly in East Sussex, and while Skinners' is mostly West Kent, there's a radius immediately round the school which does take in some Sussex too.

Thank you for your reply - we’re looking at TOGS, TWGGS, Weald and Hillview schools.

Ah, I only have boys so don't know at all about those, sorry. But Judd here: https://www.judd.online/attachments/dow ... 9&type=pdf says that TN3 is in the inner area, and the outer area is defined as being outside the inner area (not by means of county or anything). So if the others take the same approach it should be fine. It's technically not allowed to bar children from other LA areas, I believe, so priority areas do tend to be postcode based.

Hi allie74

There is a distinction between being OOC for testing purposes and OOC for catchment purposes. If your dd goes/will go to a Kent school, she will sit the Kent Test at her school on the Thursday. If she goes to an East Sussex school, she will sit OOC (because East Sussex schools can't host the test) on the following Saturday at a test centre and be classed as OOC for testing purposes (even though she may be IC for her preferred school(s) when it comes to applying to schools). My daughter sat OOC as she went to an East Sussex school but we live in Kent and she was in catchment for the school she applied to and got a place at.

I would recommend giving your schools a quick ring to check for sure. Certainly don’t assume one school’s definition of OOC will be common to all. That address could be OOC for some schools and not for others due to the way their different criteria work. You should be able to get clarity from a phone call.

I would actually consult each school's policy as published on its and its maintaining local authority's website, rather than trust the response of the person in the school office who happens to answer the telephone.

If it states in the admissions policy that 'TN3' is included in a particular category - not 'TN3 x.. to TN3 y.., but not including TN3 z..' - then TN3, whichever side of any other boundary it is, is what it means.

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Hi! We live in Groombridge the part in East Sussex. Half is in the Kent part. My dd got offered a place at Weald last year as did 3 other girls in the village one living in Eridge. Another girl in the Kent part got a Governors place at TWGGS on first round.

Myself and 3 other girls all appealed for TWGGS and all 4 got a place at the school. They all passed the test and we appealed on it being our closest grammar school and a variety of other reasons.

A friend lives in Hartfield and her dd got TOGS again a govenors place.

If that’s any help. Think it depends on how far into East Sussex you go and how high your score is.

Also friend in Hartfield 2nd daughter just received aplace at Hillview on 2nd round allocation this year

Hi everyone, thank you so much to all who responded. Well, the house we liked got snapped up by someone else, so we're still looking. I think we're going to try and stay within Kent if possible, just to simplify things.