The north of England offers a range of prime locations with affordable homes near well-regarded state educational institutions.
Often, parents of young children have to pay considerably more for a house within the catchment area of a top school. However, the best schools aren’t always in the most expensive areas.
The Telegraph analysed the most affordable areas with primary and secondary schools rated “outstanding” by Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. Outside of London, over a third of schools rated this high are in areas with average house prices lower than £200,000. Schools ranked “good” saw these numbers rise to 43.2%.
Liverpool leads the way in affordability and top primary schools
In England, there are 11 areas with top ranked primary schools paired with average property prices below £60,000. The majority of these areas are in the north-east and north-west. In The Telegraph’s top-20, Liverpool led the way with five different postcodes fitting the bill, boasting average prices between £53,000 and £59,950.
With house prices that are rising but still affordable and a market moving with the times, Liverpool has caught the interest of homebuyers and investors alike. Other northern towns and cities were represented on the list, including two postcodes in Middlesbrough, which featured the lowest average house prices, and Bradford.
The north offers affordable areas with prestigious secondary schools
Living near a top secondary school will cost slightly more than primary schools, but there are still affordable options. The north of England was once again well represented in the top-20, including nine postcodes in the north-west and six in Yorkshire and The Humber. With average house prices ranging from £61,000 to £74,500, Bradford had six postcodes on the list.
Preston, Manchester, and Birmingham each had a postcode in the top-20. As Preston was named the UK’s most improved city to live and work in last year, Manchester has one of the fastest growing economies, and Birmingham was named the UK’s safest place to live in in 2018, the north proves to have viable options for homebuyers, especially those looking for affordable housing prices and top-rated state schools.
