Parents 'paying considerably more to access homes near to outstanding schools'

Financial inequalities governing children's access to top-rated schools have been highlighted by a new report showing the significant amount of money that parents have to pay to buy homes located near to the country's best state primary schools.

Compiled by Rightmove and 192.com, the study indicated that for parents who want to move from a location in the successful admission area of an Ofsted grade 3-rated school in England to a property near a grade 1-ranked school, they will need to pay £52,372 more to do so.

Grade 3 schools are classed by Ofsted as requiring improvement, while grade 1 schools are described as outstanding. With 86 per cent of outstanding primary schools already oversubscribed, competition for school places is becoming increasingly fierce, and this report shows that financial wealth can make a difference.

The West Midlands had the biggest premium of 32 per cent, or £52,919 more to buy a house near an outstanding school, whereas the neighbouring region of the East Midlands had the lowest premium at 13 per cent - equivalent to an additional £23,325. In London, meanwhile, it costs an extra £80,000 to secure a place at an outstanding school, with an average asking price of £678,595.

Currently, 20 per cent of primary schools in England have outstanding status, compared to 62 per cent with a good grade 2 rating. Rightmove and 192.com's study shows that the financial difference between these two categories of school when it comes to buying a house is £37,000 on average.

Dominic Blackburn, product director of 192.com, said: "Previous studies have shown links between outstanding schools and house prices; however, our data is the first data that is based on whether the property would have secured a place at the school.

"Living near a school is not necessarily a guarantee of securing a place, with some Ofsted outstanding schools having successful admission areas of less than 100 metres."