The link between education and house prices in South Gloucestershire

When it comes to buying a property, the link between education and house prices has become widely recognized. Competition for properties near good schools can be fierce, particularly when oversubscribed schools have admission policies, favouring those that live closest. Additionally, properties near prestigious and successful schools will sell for more than they otherwise should. A knowledge of the best schools in the area and how they rank in the league tables can increase the premium paid by the buyer. In a special report on high performing primary schools by Nationwide, it has become apparent that through gaining 10% higher SATs scores, this equates to a property price premium of 2.6% (£4,557) to the price of an average house (£178,208 in the South West).

What matters to parents?

We understand the importance of location when determining whether or not a child will be allocated a place. Distances from home to school are measured in a direct line between the address point of the child’s home and a central point within the main school building. For example, Homeowners in the parishes of Rangeworthy and Iron Acton are within the First Area of Responsibility for Brimsham Green School. This means priority is then given to children who live within a specific area surrounding the school before any other applications are considered.

What is education worth?

Being located near good primary schools has increased house prices by 8% and by 6.8% near the best secondary schools nationally. On a more local scale, property value has been shown to reflect the success of nearby schools. For example, in 2016 Yate Academy received an official warning over its performance and was stripped of various delegated powers relating to finance by the Education Funding Agency. However, in recent years the school has seen drastic improvement that has seen it go from one of the lowest achievers in the area, to one of the top three similar schools in the country. This could account for the 0.74% increase in value of properties in Stanshawe Crescent with properties selling for an average of £237,249 today compared to £212,847 five years ago.

Working out where to buy

We would recommend purchasing a property where there is more than one successful school in the catchment area. Buying a house near to one successful school may seem like the easy option, but this performance is subject to change and you may find the premium you have paid has been wasted if a school suddenly goes into decline.

The best-ranked schools

Primary Schools

1. Beacon Rise Primary School

According to the Real Schools Guide 2019 Beacon Rise achieved an overall rating of 71.9/100 with a 5* ranking in its attainment, attainment for all and progress.

In its last recent Ofsted report (2012), the school was rated ‘Outstanding’ and the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils has been maintained with 87% of students reaching the expected standards in reading, writing and maths. Additionally, at Beacon Rise, pupils had an average progress score of 3.8 in maths compared to the national average of 0.

2. Mangotsfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

With an Ofsted rating of ‘Outstanding’ in 2013 compared to ‘Good’ in the previous inspection, the school’s motto ‘Working together to be even better today than we were yesterday’ has been well and truly exercised. Main findings included an outstanding quality of teaching with strong connections between senior leadership staff, headteacher and deputies, helping to set standards for students and ensuring staff are monitored to ensure this happens consistently.

3. Frampton Cotterell Church of England Primary School

As the third best performing school in South Gloucestershire, 88% of children are reaching expected standards in reading, writing and maths at key stage 2. Committed staff are praised on their commitment to helping children flourish academically, socially and spiritually. Following the inspection by Ofsted in 2017, the school was judged to be ‘Good’ with the school’s Christian ethos being reflected in pupils’ courteous and friendly behaviour. Improvements to teaching have been evident and standards were well above average in all year groups by 2015.

Secondary Schools  

1. Yate Academy

Almost unrecognisable from nine years ago, grades at GCSE level rarely got near the national level, whereas in 2018 the school achieved a score of 0.67 in their results, well above the national average of 0, rising from -0.42 in 2017.

2. The Castle School

The senior leaders and governors have an accurate understanding of the strengths of the school. Under their leadership, the ethos of the school has been developed to secure the all-round personal development of its students. Students’ attainment by the end of year 11 has remained high with the most able students making consistently strong progress.

3. John Cabot Academy

With an Ofsted rating of ‘Good’, John Cabot is a rapidly improving school with pupils in every year group now making good progress. Pupils have also been praised for their strong relationships with other students. This has promoted an attitude of tolerance and inclusiveness, ensuring students from a range of diverse backgrounds are supported.

Would you pay more to stay in the catchment area of a school?

Please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.