The latest property market analysis by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed that living close to one of the capital’s top private schools carries an average house price premium of 29%, although in some cases this is as high as 121%.
Benham and Reeves analysed current property values across postcodes home to one of London’s best private schools, comparing this to the wider cost of buying in each borough to see how the two compared.
The research shows that on average, house prices in postcodes home to a leading private school sit at £671,613, 29% higher than the current London average of £519,932.
However, this house price premium climbs to 121% in the W1 postcode of Westminster, where the cost of buying around Queen’s College London is almost £2.2m, versus the wider Westminster average of £978,912.
Hillingdon’s HA6 postcode is home to both the St Helen’s School and Northwood College for Girls and the average cost of buying around these schools currently sits at £709,881 – 60% higher than the borough average of £444,303.
Homes close by the Westminster School and Francis Holland School in Westminster are 53% higher compared to the wider borough, while the Queen’s Gate School in Kensington and Chelsea’s SW7 postcode, and the City of London School for Girls in the EC2 postcode, both carry a 48% house price premium.
Wandsworth’s Emanuel School (42%), Richmond’s St Paul’s (41%), Ealing’s St Benedict’s and St Augustine’s Priory and the Merchant Taylor’s school in Three Rivers (25%) also rank within the top 10 best London private schools with the highest house price premiums.
But there are pockets of private school affordability across the London market and the most affordable is the TW12 postcode in Richmond. Home to the Hampton School and Lady Eleanor Holles, the average cost of a property comes in at £585,443, -23% below the wider borough average of £758,967.
There are 14 other top London private schools that offer a more affordable foot on the ladder versus the wider borough, including the number one. St Paul’s Girl’s School in Hammersmith and Fulham is currently ranked as the best private school in London and property values in the same postcode come in -3% more affordable than the wider borough.
Director of Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, commented:
“Those sending their children to one of London’s top private schools certainly don’t have the usual housing related worries where that all important catchment areas is concerned. But despite this, it appears as those they are more than happy to pay above and beyond to reside within the same postcode.
If you ask me, there’s nothing more valuable than being able to forsake the school run once your child hits an appropriate age to be travelling to and from school under their own steam. With this in mind, it’s no wonder homes cost more the closer you get to school as it provides peace of mind when making this transition that little bit sooner, compared to if they went to school on the other side of the city.”
Table shows the house price in postcodes home to a top 50 London private school and how it compares to the cost of buying in the wider borough
London Ranking
School
Outcode
Outcode house price
Local authority
Local authority house price
Difference (£)
Difference (%)
33
Queen’s College, London
W1
£2,163,139
Westminster
£978,912
£1,184,227
121%
31
St Helen’s School
HA6
£709,881
Hillingdon
£444,303
£265,578
60%
42
Northwood College for Girls GDST
HA6
£709,881
Hillingdon
£444,303
£265,578
60%
4
Westminster School
SW1
£1,496,010
Westminster
£978,912
£517,098
53%
32
Francis Holland School, Sloane Square
SW1
£1,496,010
Westminster
£978,912
£517,098
53%
34
Queen’s Gate School
SW7
£1,951,226
Kensington and Chelsea
£1,315,987
£635,239
48%
5
City of London School for Girls
EC2
£1,200,409
City of London
£812,914
£387,495
48%
37
Emanuel School
SW11
£874,177
Wandsworth
£615,972
£258,205
42%
3
St Paul’s School
SW13
£1,066,732
Richmond upon Thames
£758,967
£307,765
41%
48
St Benedict’s School
W5
£650,344
Ealing
£521,284
£129,060
25%
49
St Augustine’s Priory
W5
£650,344
Ealing
£521,284
£129,060
25%
19
Merchant Taylors’ School
HA6
£709,881
Three Rivers
£569,177
£140,704
25%
18
Highgate School
N6
£751,675
Haringey
£603,949
£147,726
24%
24
Channing School
N6
£751,675
Haringey
£603,949
£147,726
24%
23
Bancroft’s School
IG8
£573,273
Redbridge
£474,321
£98,952
21%
22
Notting Hill and Ealing High School GDST
W13
£626,358
Ealing
£521,284
£105,074
20%
25
Dulwich College
SE21
£630,332
Southwark
£537,251
£93,081
17%
27
Kingston Grammar School
KT2
£628,050
Kingston upon Thames
£541,681
£86,369
16%
2
King’s College School, Wimbledon
SW19
£626,079
Merton
£562,168
£63,911
11%
10
Wimbledon High School GDST
SW19
£626,079
Merton
£562,168
£63,911
11%
14
South Hampstead High School GDST
NW3
£1,041,069
Camden
£961,390
£79,679
8%
16
University College School, Hampstead
NW3
£1,041,069
Camden
£961,390
£79,679
8%
12
James Allen’s Girls’ School
SE22
£581,353
Southwark
£537,251
£44,102
8%
15
Alleyn’s School
SE22
£581,353
Southwark
£537,251
£44,102
8%
17
City of London School
EC4
£848,250
City of London
£812,914
£35,336
4%
38
Brampton College
NW4
£588,136
Barnet
£564,441
£23,695
4%
11
Putney High School GDST
SW15
£640,934
Wandsworth
£615,972
£24,962
4%
30
Ibstock Place School
SW15
£640,934
Wandsworth
£615,972
£24,962
4%
28
Surbiton High School
KT1
£556,465
Kingston upon Thames
£541,681
£14,784
3%
26
Whitgift School
CR2
£417,910
Croydon
£407,462
£10,448
3%
50
Croydon High School GDST
CR2
£417,910
Croydon
£407,462
£10,448
3%
36
St James Senior Girls’ School
W14
£818,422
Hammersmith and Fulham
£804,605
£13,817
2%
41
Colfe’s School
SE12
£431,238
Greenwich
£426,728
£4,510
1%
44
Forest School
E17
£478,635
Waltham Forest
£477,214
£1,421
0%
7
North London Collegiate School
HA8
£497,693
Harrow
£498,836
-£1,143
0%
1
St Paul’s Girls’ School
W6
£776,787
Hammersmith and Fulham
£804,605
-£27,818
-3%
6
The Godolphin and Latymer School
W6
£776,787
Hammersmith and Fulham
£804,605
-£27,818
-3%
13
Latymer Upper School
W6
£776,787
Hammersmith and Fulham
£804,605
-£27,818
-3%
45
Sydenham High School GDST
SE26
£428,239
Lewisham
£448,522
-£20,283
-5%
35
Francis Holland School, Regent’s Park
NW1
£902,167
Westminster
£978,912
-£76,745
-8%
40
Bromley High School GDST
BR1
£440,713
Bromley
£481,569
-£40,856
-8%
39
Sutton High School GDST
SM1
£381,818
Sutton
£421,497
-£39,679
-9%
46
St Dunstan’s College
SE6
£404,833
Lewisham
£448,522
-£43,689
-10%
20
Eltham College
SE9
£428,783
Bromley
£481,569
-£52,786
-11%
43
Streatham and Clapham High School GDST
SW16
£474,982
Lambeth
£535,762
-£60,780
-11%
21
Trinity School, Croydon
CR9
£360,065
Croydon
£407,462
-£47,397
-12%
29
Old Palace of John Whitgift School
CR0
£360,065
Croydon
£407,462
-£47,397
-12%
47
St Catherine’s School, Twickenham
TW1
£658,037
Richmond upon Thames
£758,967
-£100,930
-13%
8
Lady Eleanor Holles
TW12
£585,443
Richmond upon Thames
£758,967
-£173,524
-23%
9
Hampton School
TW12
£585,443
Richmond upon Thames
£758,967
-£173,524
-23%
Private School Average
£671,613
London Average
£519,932
£151,681
29%
Top 50 London private schools sourced from The Times.
London borough house price data sourced from Gov.uk – UK House Price Index.
Outcode house price data sourced from PropertyData
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About the Author
Established in 1958, Benham and Reeves is one of London’s oldest, independently owned property lettings and sales agents. With specialism in residential sales, corporate lettings and property management in prime areas of London, the company operates from 21 prominently located branches and 14 international offices.