New research has shown that the difference between a child going to a ‘good’ primary school and an ‘outstanding’ school is £37,000 on average in housing cost.

Higher house prices in catchment areas

20 per cent of schools in England are listed as grade 1 (outstanding in an Ofsted report). With 86 per cent of these the oversubscribed, competition is fierce for places. This creates a property premium for houses in the vicinity of the ‘outstanding’ school. The average cost of moving from an area of a grade 3 school to a grade 1 one is £52,372 in England.

The east midlands region has the lowest premiums for living in the grade 1 catchment area, an average of £23,325 more expensive than the asking price in a grade 3 catchment.

Grade 1 schools in the Harborough district

  Great Bowden Church of England Primary School, Great Bowden

  Kibworth Church of England Primary School, Kibworth

  Fleckney Church of England Primary School, Fleckney

  Gilmorton Chandler Church of England Primary School, Gilmorton

  St Mary’s Church of England Primary School, Bitteswell

  Willowbrook Primary Academy, Thurnby

Each of the four primary schools in Market Harborough are grade 2: Market Harborough Church of England Primary Academy, Meadowdale Primary School, Little Bowden Primary School and Farndon Fields Primary School and Community Centre. This means that no matter where your house is in Market Harborough, you will be in the vicinity of a grade 2 primary school.

Family buyers

For family buyers, a home that is near to a top-performing school is one of the most important factors in their search. Generally, families are willing to compromise on other factors so long as their children get into a good or outstanding school. The study shows the true price of securing a place at one of these schools.

Of course, there are other factors that influence the asking price, but the quality of nearby schools has also been shown to have a significant bearing.

Market Harborough for families

Harborough attracts a lot of buyers and has a high demand. This is because it provides a range of top performing schools, for all ages, efficient transport links for commuters and diverse housing options.

To find out more about the education available for your child in the Harborough district, or for information about the properties available in Harborough, contact Naylors Estate Agents on 01858 450020.