Being close to an outstanding school is a top priority for many buyers with young families. Pupils stand a better chance of getting a school place if they live nearby, making homes in these areas highly sought-after.
We surveyed 1,000 parents across the UK to find out their views and discovered that more than 3 in 10 (33.6%) have considered moving home to be close to a good school. Our survey also revealed parents are willing to pay on average nearly £29,000 extra for a property within a school catchment.
With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at the percentage of outstanding schools (a metric used by Ofsted) in a given local authority in England to reveal the areas which are leading the way.
Kensington and Chelsea topped the ranking, with 67% of schools in the area rated outstanding by Ofsted.
This is reflected in the property prices, with homes in the area costing on average £1,475,000. This will come as little surprise as the borough is well known as one of the most expensive in England.
Rushmoor and Woking come in joint second place, with 50% of schools in both boroughs rated outstanding.
Average property prices in these areas are significantly less than in London. In Rushmoor, average house prices are a more affordable £280,000, while they’re slightly more in Woking at £400,000.
When looking at outstanding primary schools, there is no change in the top spot. The two other London authorities that feature in our top 10 ranking are Richmond upon Thames, where 52% of schools are rated outstanding, followed by Hammersmith and Fulham at 43%.
However, the majority of outstanding primary schools can be found in the South East, with six local authorities in this region featuring in the top 10.
The local authorities with the highest percentage of outstanding secondary schools can be found in the majority of regions across England.
With Kensington and Chelsea and Woking coming out on top, other notable areas include Tunbridge Wells in Kent and Ribble Valley in Lancashire, where 83% and 75% of schools respectively are rated outstanding.
