Children’s Education Influencing Where Parents Choose to Live
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Family
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Research has revealed that almost a quarter (23%) of UK parents with children in school between the ages of 5 and 15 would be willing to spend an extra 2-10% more on their home, if it meant that they could live in a catchment area. This means that some parents are willing to spend as much as £17,000 more on their home to ensure that live close by to a school where their children will receive a good education.
Further rese arch carried out by YouGov provides evidence to suggest that schools are dictating where families choose to live. Nearly one in five parents (18%) have admitted that a school league table or school Ofsted rating has influenced where they chose to live.
Figures are even more drastic in London. According to the Lon don Evening Standard, families looking to live near and send their children to London’s top schools are looking at having to pay an estimated 34% extra than homes elsewhere in the same area. This is because competition for parents getting their children into a good school in London is extremely high. Although London does have some very reputable schools, such a high population in the capital means that good schools are in high demand and short supply.
However, many parents in London simply can’t afford to live in a catchment area, and are therefore having to resort to sending their children to a school with a poor reputation and a low Ofsted Rating. Alternatively, with house prices continually on the rise in the capital, many families in London are making the decision to make a permanent move out of the big smoke and opt for a more rural lifestyle. They make this move in the hope that sending their children to a good school will be easier in other parts of the UK. This is supported by statistics provided by Property Company Hamptons International stating that during the past 12 months people have bought 44,000 properties worth a total of £15bn outside the capital.
Not only are houses cheaper outside of the capital, but there are also many more homes available that are more suitable and affordable for families, often with large gardens and living areas, which is a rarity in the capital. What’s more, competition to live in a catchment area is smaller than in London and although living in a catchment area is still more expensive wherever you live in the UK, it is significantly cheaper than a catchment area in the capital.
Norfolk has proved to be a popular choice for many London families looking to relocate. Houses are much more affordable than London, the area has some renowned schools and it is generally a pleasant county to bring up children - not to mention London is only a 2 hour drive away if families ever need a fix of their old London lifestyle. Tony Abel, managing director of Abel Homes who offer new homes for sale in Norfolk has commented on the increasing number of families that have been interested in buying one of their new homes in Norfolk. “We have found that the majority of our customers who are buying, are families that are relocating from places like Essex and London in search for a better lifestyle, away from the city”. The development of new homes provided by Abel homes are also located in the catchment area of Watton, which is more evidence to suggest that children’s education is a very influential factor for parents choosing where to live.
Overall, it is clear from facts and figures that parents are willing to move to new and different areas in the UK if it means that their children can receive a good education. There is a wonder with house prices surging in London, whether more and more London families will be encouraged to move to catchment areas elsewhere in the UK. Areas as Norfolk for example. If this is the case, will competition to live in a catchment area increase even further, driving up house prices throughout the UK even more?
Further rese arch carried out by YouGov provides evidence to suggest that schools are dictating where families choose to live. Nearly one in five parents (18%) have admitted that a school league table or school Ofsted rating has influenced where they chose to live.
Figures are even more drastic in London. According to the Lon don Evening Standard, families looking to live near and send their children to London’s top schools are looking at having to pay an estimated 34% extra than homes elsewhere in the same area. This is because competition for parents getting their children into a good school in London is extremely high. Although London does have some very reputable schools, such a high population in the capital means that good schools are in high demand and short supply.
However, many parents in London simply can’t afford to live in a catchment area, and are therefore having to resort to sending their children to a school with a poor reputation and a low Ofsted Rating. Alternatively, with house prices continually on the rise in the capital, many families in London are making the decision to make a permanent move out of the big smoke and opt for a more rural lifestyle. They make this move in the hope that sending their children to a good school will be easier in other parts of the UK. This is supported by statistics provided by Property Company Hamptons International stating that during the past 12 months people have bought 44,000 properties worth a total of £15bn outside the capital.
Not only are houses cheaper outside of the capital, but there are also many more homes available that are more suitable and affordable for families, often with large gardens and living areas, which is a rarity in the capital. What’s more, competition to live in a catchment area is smaller than in London and although living in a catchment area is still more expensive wherever you live in the UK, it is significantly cheaper than a catchment area in the capital.
Norfolk has proved to be a popular choice for many London families looking to relocate. Houses are much more affordable than London, the area has some renowned schools and it is generally a pleasant county to bring up children - not to mention London is only a 2 hour drive away if families ever need a fix of their old London lifestyle. Tony Abel, managing director of Abel Homes who offer new homes for sale in Norfolk has commented on the increasing number of families that have been interested in buying one of their new homes in Norfolk. “We have found that the majority of our customers who are buying, are families that are relocating from places like Essex and London in search for a better lifestyle, away from the city”. The development of new homes provided by Abel homes are also located in the catchment area of Watton, which is more evidence to suggest that children’s education is a very influential factor for parents choosing where to live.
Overall, it is clear from facts and figures that parents are willing to move to new and different areas in the UK if it means that their children can receive a good education. There is a wonder with house prices surging in London, whether more and more London families will be encouraged to move to catchment areas elsewhere in the UK. Areas as Norfolk for example. If this is the case, will competition to live in a catchment area increase even further, driving up house prices throughout the UK even more?
