Catchment school (school district)

A catchment school („spádová škola“) is a nursery or primary school set up by a municipality or an association of municipalities whose school district („školský obvod“) includes the child's place of permanent residence, or for foreigners their place of residence. Under Section 178 of the Czech Education Act, districts are set separately for nursery school and for the first and second stage of primary school, and together they must cover the whole municipality.

How school districts are set

If a municipality has one such school, its whole territory forms the district; if it has more, the municipality draws the districts. A municipality without its own school can agree a joint district with another municipality. Until now municipalities have set districts by municipal ordinance. Amendment No. 267/2025 Coll. to the Education Act changes the form: districts will be defined by a measure of general nature and will come into existence by being entered in the RÚIAN register. ČÚZK will announce the entry date by spring 2028 at the latest; until then the existing ordinances apply.

What priority means

• The head of a catchment primary school must give priority to pupils with permanent residence in the district, up to the permitted number of pupils recorded in the school register.
• A catchment nursery school gives priority to children from the district who reach at least three years of age before the school year starts.
• Parents may choose a school other than the catchment school, but have no priority there.
• If the catchment school is more than 4 km from the place of permanent residence, the region must arrange transport.

What to watch out for

What counts is the child's permanent residence, not who owns the flat. Districts can change and how full a school is varies from year to year. If the school matters to your purchase, check the current district with the municipal office and capacity with the school itself. Children under three have no right to a nursery school place; for the youngest, a children's group is an alternative. Schools are just one part of the local amenities nearby.

Frequently asked questions

Must the catchment school accept every child from the district?

Priority applies only up to the capacity recorded in the school register. However, the municipality is obliged to ensure compulsory schooling for children with permanent residence in its territory, so a shortage of places is a matter for the municipality and the school to resolve.

Does the catchment rule apply to basic art schools?

No. School districts are set only for nursery and primary schools. Admission to a ZUŠ is based on an aptitude test.