Families opt to rent so they can move fast to buy a home close to London’s top schools while others pacing the area to find a house that falls within leading state schools catchments are among the desperate measures taken to secure a place at a leading school in the capital.

On the latest episode of The Property Exchange podcast, leading estate agents Winkworth and Melanie Sanderson, managing editor of The Good Schools Guide, discuss how London’s top schools and leading Home Counties boarding schools, have maintained their global allure as beacons of educational excellence – attracting families from overseas as well as those already living in and around the capital.

Winkworth’s Chief Executive Dominic Agace told The Property Exchange podcast:
“Which comes first – the prime area or the school? Just look around London where the famous schools are and the neighbourhoods are equally famous – St Paul’s in Barnes, Highgate School, the American School in St John’s Wood. These are internationally renowned schools so it’s not only domestic demand that’s supporting property within these areas, it’s also high net worth families relocating to London from overseas. There are streets where people rent to try to wait for a house to come up for sale. Availability is really the issue. There aren’t the houses coming up for sale in these areas.”

Melanie Sanderson, managing editor of The Good Schools Guide, told the podcast: “In the eyes of parents, there is a very clear hierarchy. At the top, there is St Paul’s, Westminster and, very close behind them, is King’s College School in Wimbledon. For girls, St Paul’s again, Godolphin & Latymer and a number of others across London. The schools are ferociously difficult to get into and even if your child gets a place, they really need to be able to keep up. Parents should err on the side of great caution before upping sticks and moving house in the hope their child will win a place because the chances are tiny. With international families, we have those who are relocating for work and others who are education tourists who are moving here so their children can attend London’s best independent schools. The cachet of the major public schools is the most important factor of all.”

There is also a growing trend for children to be commuting to a prep school outside London. Melanie told the podcast: “There are some excellent prep schools such as Caldicott, Papplewick and Lambrook, which run mini buses every day from west London. The little ones jump on a bus at half past seven and 45 minutes later, they are among 25 acres of playing fields, rugby pitches and cricket squares. That is a wonderful opportunity for those children but it does make them a commuter every day to and from school. Often there will be some compulsory boarding later on, so if your child is hoping to go to Eton, Harrow or Wellington College, that’s a great route if you live in London. But it can be a long day.”

She also highlighted outstanding state schools in the capital such as Henrietta Barnett, a girls’ grammar school in north London, where there is fierce competition for places, as well as high performing non-selective girls’ schools such as Greycoat Hospital School in Westminster. For boys, there is the prestigious Roman Catholic London Oratory School in West London. She said: “Places are at a premium. You either need to be a regular churchgoer or need to live very close. If you can get that golden ticket, undoubtedly you’re on to a winner. Around the more affluent areas, there are some fantastic primary schools. In Clapham, parents are out with pedometers to double check their distance to the school gates. You need to be within 250 metres of the school gates to get a place somewhere like Honeywell in Battersea or Hotham Primary in Putney. People will pay top dollar for the houses.”

Donovan Kelly, of Winkworth’s Barnes office, who has lived and worked in South-west London’s most fashionable village for over 20 years, where many celebrities and high profile figures live, said:” Barnes is blessed with five good primary schools. In the private sector, The Harrodian starts at pre-prep all the way to A levels and there are St Paul’s Junior and St Paul’s senior schools. There is also Ibstock Place at Roehampton and Godophin & Latymer across the river. There is lots of choice.”

A four bedroom family house on a smart road in Barnes would cost between £2.5m to £3.5m, according to Donovan Kelly, who also recently sold a house for £10m in Lonsdale Road in Barnes. He said: “There are very few rentals. People who move to Barnes stay in Barnes and upgrade as the family expands. It’s a very safe area, there are great independent shops and it doesn’t really feel like London. It’s very special.”

To tune into the latest episode of The Property Exchange, presented by broadcaster and commentator Anne Ashworth, listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-property-exchange/id1569362828