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London’s private schools push house prices up by as much as 121%

Independent school 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

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.

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