Future school intake zones, New South Wales
liveThe catchments_future layer of the NSW Department of Education's School intake zones (catchment areas) for NSW government schools. Each row is one zone polygon, a local enrolment area the Department has set to take effect for a coming enrolment year, for a new school or a changed zone, with its school code and name, catchment type, date added and, for each school year from Kindergarten to Year 12, the enrolment year the zone applies from. The shapes are published in GDA94 and served here in GDA2020.
Also called: NSW future school catchment areas, New and changed NSW school intake zones, NSW school zone changes.
Part of School intake zones (catchment areas) for NSW government schools, 3 tables the publisher releases together: Primary school intake zones, New South Wales, High school intake zones, New South Wales.
- What is in each row?
- One polygon, a local enrolment area the Department has set to take effect for a coming enrolment year, with the school code and name, the catchment type, the date the zone was added and, for each school year from Kindergarten to Year 12, the enrolment year from which the zone applies, or 0 where it does not apply.
- Can I rely on a zone for buying or renting a home?
- The Department states that zones change as schools open and close and as populations shift, and that it takes no responsibility where the zones are relied on for real estate purchases or rentals. Check a home address with the school or the Department's School Finder.
- How often is it updated?
- The Department updates its zones nightly and refreshes the file on the portal from time to time. Each version here is one file the Department published.
Made for agents
Connect your AI agent
Any agent that connects to publicdata.au/mcp can find this dataset, read its 18 fields, count and filter across all 104 rows and diff its versions. Every answer names the version and carries Department of Education's attribution. No key.
Then ask it: What does Future school intake zones, New South Wales hold, and what changed in the newest version?
claude mcp add --transport http publicdata https://publicdata.au/mcpOne command. No key, no account, no sign-up.
Settings, then Connectors, then Add custom connector, and paste https://publicdata.au/mcp.
On the web and in the desktop app.
https://publicdata.au/mcpStreamable HTTP. Cursor, VS Code or any client that connects to a remote MCP server.
Using https://publicdata.au/llms.txt, how many people died on Queensland roads in 2025, by month?For an assistant that reads the web and has no connector.
The dashboard above, live. Click to filter, add panels, share a link or embed a frame.
Query APIFilter and count from a URLaggregate?group=catch_type&metric=count
Zones by catchment type: 53 PRIMARY, 51 HIGH_COED.
Download it as Excel, CSV, JSON and 9 more formats
Pick a format and a version. Excel is picked first because it opens in the tools most offices have. The URL is yours to keep. A dated version never changes.
In your own tools
Use it in Excel, R, Python and more
Excel and Power BI read the CSV from its address and refresh from it. The R and Python packages take any dataset on this site by its slug, so a new dataset needs no new release. The DuckDB file attaches read-only over HTTPS, and a query reads only the blocks it touches.
The dated URL in the code never changes. https://publicdata.au/d/nsw-school-intake-zones-future/latest/ redirects to the newest version.
https://publicdata.au/d/nsw-school-intake-zones-future/latest/data.csvIn Excel choose Data, then From Web, and paste this address. Excel keeps it, so Refresh All reads the newest version. A sheet holds about a million rows; past that, load the query to the Data Model.
https://publicdata.au/d/nsw-school-intake-zones-future/latest/data.csvIn Power BI Desktop choose Get data, then Web, paste this address and choose Anonymous when asked how to sign in. A scheduled refresh reads the same address, so the report follows each new version.
library(publicdataau)
df <- pd_read("nsw-school-intake-zones-future")
pd_attribution(df)install.packages("publicdataau"). pd_read() fetches the version's Parquet file; pd_rows() and pd_aggregate() ask the query API instead, and pd_connect() attaches the DuckDB file.
import publicdata_au as pd_au
df = pd_au.read("nsw-school-intake-zones-future")
df.attrs["publicdata"]["attribution"]pip install "publicdata-au[pandas]". read() fetches the version's Parquet file; rows() and aggregate() ask the query API, and connect() attaches the DuckDB file.
INSTALL httpfs; LOAD httpfs;
ATTACH 'https://publicdata.au/d/nsw-school-intake-zones-future/v/2026-10-02/data.duckdb' AS nsw_school_intake_zones_future (READ_ONLY);
SELECT use_id, count(*) FROM nsw_school_intake_zones_future.records GROUP BY 1 ORDER BY 2 DESC;The DuckDB file attaches read-only over HTTPS and only the blocks a query touches are read. Parquet works the same way: FROM read_parquet(url).
const res = await fetch("https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/nsw-school-intake-zones-future/aggregate?group=catch_type&metric=count");
const { rows, publicdata } = await res.json();
console.log(rows, publicdata.attribution);The query API answers a page on any site as well as Node, with no key. It returns the rows and the attribution the licence asks for.
What is in it
Column names are made snake_case and the publisher's original header is kept beside each one. Blank cells are null. Nothing is added, removed, ranked or summarised.
| Field | Type | Publisher's header | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| use_id | string | USE_ID | The school the zone belongs to, by its Department school code. |
| catch_type | string | CATCH_TYPE | |
| school_name | string | USE_DESC | |
| add_date | date | ADD_DATE | The date the zone was added or last changed, as the Department records it. Blank for some older zones. |
| kindergarten | integer | KINDERGART | The enrolment year from which the zone applies to Kindergarten, or 0 where it does not apply to Kindergarten. |
| year_1 | integer | YEAR1 | The enrolment year from which the zone applies to Year 1, or 0 where it does not apply to Year 1. |
| year_2 | integer | YEAR2 | The enrolment year from which the zone applies to Year 2, or 0 where it does not apply to Year 2. |
| year_3 | integer | YEAR3 | The enrolment year from which the zone applies to Year 3, or 0 where it does not apply to Year 3. |
| year_4 | integer | YEAR4 | The enrolment year from which the zone applies to Year 4, or 0 where it does not apply to Year 4. |
| year_5 | integer | YEAR5 | The enrolment year from which the zone applies to Year 5, or 0 where it does not apply to Year 5. |
| year_6 | integer | YEAR6 | The enrolment year from which the zone applies to Year 6, or 0 where it does not apply to Year 6. |
| year_7 | integer | YEAR7 | The enrolment year from which the zone applies to Year 7, or 0 where it does not apply to Year 7. |
| year_8 | integer | YEAR8 | The enrolment year from which the zone applies to Year 8, or 0 where it does not apply to Year 8. |
| year_9 | integer | YEAR9 | The enrolment year from which the zone applies to Year 9, or 0 where it does not apply to Year 9. |
| year_10 | integer | YEAR10 | The enrolment year from which the zone applies to Year 10, or 0 where it does not apply to Year 10. |
| year_11 | integer | YEAR11 | The enrolment year from which the zone applies to Year 11, or 0 where it does not apply to Year 11. |
| year_12 | integer | YEAR12 | The enrolment year from which the zone applies to Year 12, or 0 where it does not apply to Year 12. |
| priority | string | PRIORITY | The Department's priority flag, blank for most zones. |
Download this table as a data dictionary (Excel), or read it as a Frictionless Table Schema at schema.json.
A sample of 10 rows
The zones the Department added or changed most recently, each catchment type in turn. A blank cell is shown as null.
| use_id | catch_type | school_name | add_date | kindergarten | year_1 | year_2 | year_3 | year_4 | year_5 | year_6 | year_7 | year_8 | year_9 | year_10 | year_11 | year_12 | priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8225 | HIGH_COED | Marsden HS | 2026-09-22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | null |
| 4505 | PRIMARY | Ambarvale PS | 2026-09-18 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | null |
| 8225 | HIGH_COED | Marsden HS | 2026-09-22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | null |
| 1537 | PRIMARY | Cawdor PS | 2026-09-18 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | null |
| 8217 | HIGH_COED | Camden HS | 2026-09-22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | null |
| 2640 | PRIMARY | Mt Hunter PS | 2026-09-18 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | null |
| 8215 | HIGH_COED | Picton HS | 2026-09-22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | null |
| 1482 | PRIMARY | Camden PS | 2026-09-18 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | null |
| 8215 | HIGH_COED | Picton HS | 2026-09-22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | null |
| 1770 | PRIMARY | Douglas Park PS | 2026-09-18 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | null |
The first row as JSON
As it appears in data.json.
GET https://publicdata.au/d/nsw-school-intake-zones-future/latest/data.json
{
"use_id": "3970",
"catch_type": "PRIMARY",
"school_name": "Collaroy Plateau PS",
"add_date": "2026-05-07",
"kindergarten": 2027,
"year_1": 2027,
"year_2": 2027,
"year_3": 2027,
"year_4": 2027,
"year_5": 2027,
"year_6": 2027,
"year_7": 0,
"year_8": 0,
"year_9": 0,
"year_10": 0,
"year_11": 0,
"year_12": 0,
"priority": null
}
Query it without downloading
The query API returns only the rows you ask for, as JSON, NDJSON or CSV, from the same typed rows as the files. It needs no key. Build a query here and run it, then copy the URL or the code into your own work.
How filters work
Each filter is field=operator.value in the query string, and every filter must match. A number or date field compares as a number or date, and a text field compares as text. Values are case-sensitive except with ilike. Prefix not. to negate a filter, as not.eq.value.
| Operator | What it matches |
|---|---|
| eq.value | Equal to the value. |
| neq.value | Not equal to the value. A blank cell does not match. |
| gt.value | Greater than the value. |
| gte.value | Greater than or equal to the value. |
| lt.value | Less than the value. |
| lte.value | Less than or equal to the value. |
| like.*text* | Matches a pattern where * stands for any run of characters. Case-sensitive. |
| ilike.*text* | The same as like, ignoring case. |
| in.(a,b,c) | Equal to any value in the list. A value cannot contain a comma. |
| is.null | Blank in the source, or suppressed by the publisher. |
| Parameter | What it does |
|---|---|
| select | Fields to return, comma-separated. Every field when absent. |
| order | field.asc or field.desc, comma-separated. The publisher's row order when absent. |
| limit | Rows per page, 1 to 10,000. 100 when absent. |
| offset | Rows to skip. The next URL in each answer sets it for you. |
| group | On aggregate, fields to group by, comma-separated. |
| metric | On aggregate, count, sum.field, avg.field, min.field or max.field, comma-separated. count when absent. |
| format | json, ndjson or csv. JSON carries the provenance header, and the others carry it in response headers. |
Without a version the API answers from the newest loaded version, and that answer changes when the publisher releases again. Put versions/<date>/ before rows or aggregate for an answer that never changes. /api/v1/datasets/<slug>/versions lists the loaded versions. The 1 newest version is loaded; versions lists them.
The API allows 60 requests in 10 seconds from one address. Above that it answers 429 for 10 seconds with a Retry-After header, a RateLimit-Policy header and a JSON body that gives the limit. Every API answer carries the same RateLimit-Policy. A client should wait the Retry-After seconds, or read the files, which have no limit. openapi.json describes this dataset's query paths for client generators and agents.
https://publicdata.au/mcp is a remote MCP server over Streamable HTTP with the same tools, defined in the same place, so a tool added to the pages is added here too. It needs no key and no account. The row tools are held to the query API's limit of 60 queries in 10 seconds from one address, and each call is two queries because it also counts the matching rows. Add it to Claude Code with claude mcp add --transport http publicdata https://publicdata.au/mcp, add the URL in Claude as a custom connector, or give it to any client that connects to remote MCP servers. Each queryable dataset is also a resource at https://publicdata.au/d/<slug>/fields.json, which lists its fields with their types, the publisher's descriptions, their ranges and the values they hold, so an agent can read a dataset's shape before it writes a query.
What changed
One version for every release the publisher has made since this site started following the dataset. The date is the day the file changed on the portal.
- 2026-10-02 104 rows18 fieldszip074ca6582235
versions.json · changes.json · history.tar.zst (351 KB, every version's Parquet and manifest)
Questions
How do I download Future school intake zones as a CSV file?
Open https://publicdata.au/d/nsw-school-intake-zones-future/latest/data.csv. It redirects to the newest dated version, which is https://publicdata.au/d/nsw-school-intake-zones-future/v/2026-10-02/data.csv today. The same path serves Excel, JSON, GeoJSON, Parquet, SQLite, DuckDB, GeoPackage, PMTiles, NDJSON, Arrow. A dated URL never changes, so use it when the file must stay the same.
Can I open Future school intake zones in Excel?
Yes. https://publicdata.au/d/nsw-school-intake-zones-future/v/2026-10-02/data.xlsx is a workbook with the 104 rows on a records sheet, the field list on a second sheet and the provenance on a third. The CSV also opens in Excel. https://publicdata.au/d/nsw-school-intake-zones-future/v/2026-10-02/data.csv.gz is the CSV at about a tenth of the size.
What years does Future school intake zones cover?
The current version covers 2024 to 2025. Each release from Department of Education becomes a new dated version here, and earlier versions stay online.
How often is Future school intake zones updated?
Department of Education releases it as required. This site checks the portal every week and adds a dated version when the file changes.
Can I use Future school intake zones commercially?
Yes. CC BY 4.0 allows commercial use, redistribution and derived works as long as the attribution is kept. The attribution string is in this page's side column and inside every file.
Is this the official source for Future school intake zones?
No. The publisher is NSW Department of Education, and its page is https://data.nsw.gov.au/data/dataset/nsw-education-school-intake-zones-catchment-areas-for-nsw-government-schools. This site republishes the publisher's file without changing its content. The original sits beside every version as source.zip with its SHA-256, so the two can be compared.
What coordinate system does Future school intake zones use?
The shapefile's projection file names GDA94 (EPSG:4283). The shapes are moved to GDA2020 for serving. The GeoJSON file uses GDA2020 as well, which differs from the WGS84 GeoJSON expects by well under a metre.
What this site did to the data. Cells were typed, headers were renamed and the encoding was made UTF-8. Rows were left alone. The publisher's file sits beside every version as source.zip so the change can be checked.
The publisher releases School intake zones (catchment areas) for NSW government schools as 3 files at once, so all 3 tables here share a version date.