It’s an old school rule, one of the most important factors to consider when investing in property is its local infrastructure. Good schools are vital when it comes to this, and investing in a property next to a particularly good school can really boost your return on investment.
Parents are constantly aware of proximity of schools, and if a school has a particularly good reputation, it can be a battle of the postcodes.
Recent figures from online estate agent eMoov have shown that the top-performing state school with the best value property nearby is the Heckmondwike Grammar School in Kirklees, West Yorkshire.
The online business analysed house prices and average GCSE scores in the top 50 state secondary schools in England. House prices in Kirklees average £113,500, and the school gets 161 GCSE points per pupil, meaning that the property value per GCSE point is achieved is £184.
The King Edward Handsworth School in Birmingham fell into second place, followed by The Blue Coats School in Liverpool, also came third in the list for best value for money; houses there cost £138,000 on average.
Unsurprisingly, the rest of the top 10 were also based in the North and the Midlands. This includes areas such as Walsall, Halifax, Rossendale and Lancaster. The only exception to this list was 6th place, the Devonport High School for Girls in Plymouth.
According to analysis by online estate agent HouseSimple.com, homes in catchment areas of schools which have been rated “outstanding” by Ofsted cost nearly a fifth more than those in the greater area. This equates to an average premium of more than £43,000.
Here are the top 10 state schools with the lowest property prices for GCSE points achieved:
- Heckmondwike Grammar School, Kirklees
- Handsworth School, Birmingham
- The Blue Coat School, Liverpool
- King Edward VI Five Ways School, Birmingham
- The North Halifax Grammar School, Halifax
- Devonport High School for Girls, Plymouth
- Queen Mary’s Grammar School, Walsall
- King Edward VI Aston School, Birmingham
- Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School, Rossendale
- Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School, Lancaster