Catchmently API
Schools, Ofsted, admissions and area data for England in your own app or website, as JSON. The same data as the website, with each figure's source and year.
Start free with 250 credits a month, no card needed.
Get an API key
Sign in with your email to create keys. It is the same account as the website.
Quick start
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer cmt_…" "https://api.catchmently.com/v1/schools/near?postcode=SE22+8DL"Send your key in the Authorization header on every request. Answers are JSON; each one says which figures your account can see.
Endpoints and credits
| Endpoint | What it returns | Credits |
|---|---|---|
GET /schools?name= | Find a school, nursery or childcare provider by name | 1 |
GET /schools/near?postcode= | Schools near a postcode, nearest first, with the latest Ofsted outcome | 1 |
GET /schools/{id} | School details: Ofsted, exam results, applications and offers | 3 |
GET /schools/{id}/distances | Last distances offered and the catchment or priority area (paid plans) | 5 |
GET /areas/{postcode} | The area around a postcode: flood, noise, deprivation and more | 1 |
Base address https://api.catchmently.com/v1. School IDs (such as gias:138342) come from the first two endpoints. Full reference: OpenAPI 3.1.
Limits and errors
- Only answered calls use credits; errors are free. Each answer's
X-Credits-Remainingheader shows what is left this month. - Up to 60 requests a minute per key. Over that, or past the month's credits, you get
429. - Errors come as
{"error": {"code", "message"}}with status 400, 401, 404 or 429.
Plans
| Plan | Credits a month | Figures |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 250 | The website's free figures; last distances offered, catchments and the paid area data come back marked locked |
| Paid | 5,000 · 25,000 · 100,000 | Every figure |
The API's plans are separate from the website's 3-month pass. Paid plans are free to try while the API launches: email support@catchmently.com from your account's address with what you are building.
Using an AI app instead?
Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor to the same data with no code: see Use Catchmently with AI.
Questions or more credits: support@catchmently.com. Catchmently is run by Simple Metrics Ltd, company number 16700613, 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ.