Use this article to find the government primary and secondary schools a property is zoned for, and to see the private schools nearby. You can turn on a Schools layer on the map, or open the School Information section in a property's report panel. Landchecker holds school catchment data for every state and territory in Australia, and this function is available on all Landchecker plans.
What a School Catchment Is
A school catchment is the zone drawn around a government school that determines which properties are eligible to enrol there. If a property sits inside a school's catchment, it's zoned for that school, and enrolment there is prioritised over children living outside the zone.
Private and independent schools don't have catchments in the same way. Enrolment isn't tied to an address zone, so Landchecker shows these schools by their distance from a property instead.
Government Catchments vs Private Schools by Distance
Landchecker matches a property to a school in one of two ways, depending on the school type:
Primary and secondary government schools – shown by catchment zone. If a property falls inside a school's catchment, that school is listed against the property.
Private schools – shown by distance. Landchecker lists the closest private schools to a property, ranked from nearest to furthest, because private enrolment doesn't depend on which zone a property sits in.
Keep this distinction in mind when reading school data for a property: a government school listed against a property is the school that the address is zoned for, while a private school listed against a property is simply nearby.
Turn on the Schools Layer on the Map
To see school catchment boundaries and icons on the map:
Open the Planning Layers panel on the left side of your screen.
Click Schools to expand the category.
Switch on one or more of the following: Primary Schools and Secondary Schools.
School icons and labels appear on the map for the categories you've selected, along with each school's catchment boundary.
Switch a category off to remove its icons and boundaries from the map. You can have any combination of Primary, Secondary and Specialist Schools switched on at the same time.
Read School Icons and Boundaries on the Map
Each school category has its own icon colour so you can tell them apart at a glance – for example, Primary Schools appear in blue and Secondary Schools appear in orange. Hover over or click a school icon to see its name.
The shaded outline around a school on the map is its catchment boundary. This is the zone Landchecker uses to show which properties are eligible to enrol at that school. Boundaries only appear on the map for the school categories currently switched on in the Schools layer.
View a Property's Zoned and Nearby Schools on the Right-Hand Side Panel
To see the schools that apply to a specific property:
Search for an address in the search bar, or click on a property on the map.
In the right-hand side property panel, click School Information to open it.
Once loaded, the School Information section shows:
Closest Private Schools – the nearest private schools to the property, listed by distance.
Closest Primary Schools, Closest Secondary Schools and Closest Specialist Schools – the government schools the property is zoned for, grouped by catchment.
If no government catchment applies to the property for a particular school type, for example if no specialist school catchment covers that address, that group doesn't appear, and no error is shown. Closing and reopening the School Information section shows the same result without loading it again.
How School Catchments Support Your Work
Knowing which school a property is zoned for is often as important to a sale, valuation or purchase as the property itself. Here's how school catchment data supports common ways different professionals use Landchecker.
Real Estate Agents
Buyers with children frequently ask which government school a property is zoned for before making an offer. Check the School Information section before a listing goes live, so you can answer this question with confidence rather than referring buyers elsewhere.
Property Developers
When assessing a site for a family-oriented development, check which schools apply to the surrounding area. A confirmed catchment for a well-regarded primary or secondary school can be a genuine selling point for future dwellings.
Valuers
School catchment can influence buyer demand and, in turn, sale prices in an area. Use the School Information section alongside your comparable sales evidence to note whether a subject property sits inside a sought-after catchment.
Legal Professionals and Conveyancers
Clients buying with children in mind often want confirmation of a property's zoned school before exchanging contracts. Check School Information early in a file, so you can address this in client conversations alongside the rest of your due diligence.
Common Questions
Why does a private school show a distance instead of a catchment?
Private schools set their own enrolment criteria and aren't zoned to an address the way government schools are, so Landchecker lists them by how far they are from the property instead.
Why is the School Information section empty when I open a property?
This means no private schools were found nearby, and no government catchment applies to that property for the categories shown. This is expected in some areas and isn't an error.
Do I need to switch on the Schools layer to see the School Information section on a property?
No. The map layer and the property panel work independently, as described above. You can check a property's zoned and nearby schools without switching on the Schools layer.
Can I filter the Schools layer on the map to show only one category?
Yes. In the Schools section of the Planning Layers panel, switch off the categories you don't need, leaving only the school type or types you want to view.
Which plans include school information?
School catchment and nearby school data is available on all Landchecker plans.
If you have questions or need help, use the live chat in the platform and our team will be happy to assist.