Good schooling has long been a key driver of demand across the prime housing markets of the UK, particularly amongst growing families. We look at locations that offer the best in schooling across the UK.

The Covid-19 pandemic caused some shifts in buyer priorities; living close to family and green spaces became more important than proximity to work and train or tube stations. But one aspect that hasn’t faltered is being near to good schools.

When asked to name their priorities in choosing a new home, 55% of respondents to our July buyer and seller survey who had pre-school or school-aged children put proximity to schools in their top two.

Families often decide to move home when their children are approaching primary school age, with the view of choosing somewhere they can stay for the long term. Ofsted ratings and Key Stage 4 results for nearby secondary schools heavily influence their choice of location. This means they are also likely to pay a premium for homes within close proximity to these highly regarded schools.

The quality of a single favoured school is important to many. But the availability of a variety of good state, independent, primary and secondary schools provides a wider range of options for parents who are concerned about whether their child will get a place, often supporting demand for homes beyond a single school catchment.

92.5% of children received an offer from their first choice state primary school for entry in September 2023. That fell to 82.6% for secondary school applicants. And these figures vary significantly between individual schools and across different regions. Generally, the North and South West of England see a higher proportion of applicants receiving an offer from their first choice school. Meanwhile, in London, the pressure on school places is intense.

Grammar and high-performing comprehensives often top the list of ‘most wanted’ schools for parents, but such is the competition for these schools, parents often look for a range of options across both the independent and state sectors.

Our analysis of locations with at least 5,000 school pupils looks to do just that. Taking into account three key metrics: the proportion of primary school pupils who are attending an outstanding school, the average points score per pupil at Key Stage 4 for secondary schools and the proportion of secondary school pupils who are attending an independent school.

Unsurprisingly, locations which have come out on top command significant price premiums. Homes located in areas in the top percentile in terms of school rankings have an average house price of more than £800,000, 56% higher than the regional average for these locations. For detached homes that premium is even higher, at 69%, and prices exceed £1,200,000.

London and the South East dominate the top 10 list, but Wilmslow in the North West, which scores top for outstanding primary schools, also features. Our lists below rank the top 5 locations across each English region in respect of our three school metrics.

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_{Read the articles within Prime UK Residential – Autumn/Winter 2023 below}