Homes located near England’s top-performing state secondary schools command an average premium of around £40,000 compared with properties elsewhere in the same local authorities, according to research by estate agent Yopa. This price uplift reflects the significant value that buyers place on access to high-quality education and is comparable in cost to some private school fees when considered over a full secondary education period.

The study examined property prices within postcode districts that include schools ranked among the top 50 state secondaries. It found the average home price in these areas to be approximately £415,791, compared with £375,217 in the broader surrounding districts, representing a differential of about £40,574. This figure aligns with the average annual private school fee of around £23,000, suggesting that over seven years of secondary education, the premium paid for proximity to these schools could accumulate to a sum similar to private tuition costs.

Price increases were not uniform across the country. Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School in Sutton Coldfield topped the list, with properties in the B74 postcode averaging £509,964 — a premium of £275,814 over the average price of £234,150 for homes in the wider Birmingham area. Similarly, in London, the area surrounding Henrietta Barnett School, a girls’ grammar academy in the NW11 postcode, saw property prices that were 37% higher than the rest of the London Borough of Barnet, amounting to an additional £354,288 on average.

Verona Frankish, chief executive of Yopa, noted that with the new school year approaching, the influence of education on family relocation decisions remains significant. The findings highlight how access to top-performing state schools can materially affect local housing markets, reflecting parental demand for quality education that can rival the financial impact of private schooling.

This phenomenon raises broader questions about educational equality and the housing market, as families with greater financial resources may be able to secure access to prestigious schools through premium property purchases. At the same time, it underscores the extent to which public education excellence can shape local economies and residential patterns.