Helen Nugent

Parents willing to pay tens of thousands more to live near a top school

I have no recollection of my first day at school. I was four-years-old so it’s not surprising that I can’t dredge up the memory. I do recall, however, refusing to return to nursery after being scared witless by Father Christmas.

Back then (late 1970s), kids were dropped off at a new school and expected to get on with it. Today it’s markedly different. Ahead of my four-year-old niece’s foray into education, she has visited the school at least twice and had a couple of home visits from her teachers. Luxury!

But there were still tears this morning, from daughter and mum. And I’ll be fretting all day, desperate to know how she’s getting on and whether she’s making new friends. I’m lucky, though. As Aunty Helen, that’s all I have to worry about. It’s the parents who have a lot on their plate, not least ensuring they live in an area with great schools.

Research out today from Lloyds Bank shows that parents are willing to pay an average of £53,000 more to live in an area close to a top performing state school – an increase of £13,000 (31 per cent) from last year.

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