Buying with school places in mind: an updated guide for 2025

In the UK, the school admission process involves a parent or caregiver having a permanent, valid address and many families will pre-empt this requirement by moving to improve their chances of getting a place at their favoured school.

The admission goalposts shifted this year, making the process of securing a school place ever more competitive. Here’s what has changed and how it may affect your property search.

Extra pressure for state school places

Private education in the UK became more expensive on 1st January 2025, when the Government added VAT to independent school fees. Tellingly, the Department for Education’s own figures showed there were 11,000 fewer pupils at fee-paying schools ahead of the VAT introduction. These students are now vying for places in state schools, with parents setting their sights on the best performing primaries and secondaries.

How schools are rated has changed

There are four main ways to evaluate whether a school is good, although a choice should always be based on the right fit for the child, rather than a general snapshot.

1. Inspections: Since 1993, English schools have been rated by Ofsted, while inspections in Wales are conducted by Estyn and by Education Scotland in Scotland. How Ofsted rates schools will change on 10th November 2025, with a five-point grading scale in a new report card format.

All inspectors have moved away from a single rating, such as ‘outstanding’, making it harder to quickly assess a school’s overall performance. Parents are encouraged to review reports in detail, as multiple aspects of a school will be individually rated, with up to six different ratings.

2. League tables: League tables can be another way to choose a school. Those published by the School Guide, The Telegraph, The Guardian and The Think Academy UK are particularly useful for families selecting secondary schools, as they often take exams results into account. 

3. Parent opinion: Talking to people who already have school-age children is another way to establish what the educational setting is like but their feedback will be biased according to their unique experience.

4. School visits: There really is no substitute to visiting a school in person before using the above to support your choice.

Catchments can make or break an application

A school catchment is a geographical area set by the school and those pupils with a permanent address within the catchment are sometimes given priority. It’s not always the case that the closest homes to the school are in catchment – some schools have priority admissions areas miles from the gates, while others give precedence to certain parishes. Always check the exact admissions boundary if you are moving primarily to apply for a specific school.

House prices almost double near the best schools

It appears you can put a price on the best education. A new study by Santander earlier this year found the average house price in the catchment areas of the UK’s top 50 primary and top 50 secondary schools is 42% greater than the average home on the market. The bank also found 75% of parents are prepared to pay extra to buy a house within a good catchment.

How should I time a move?

Ideally you should be settled into a new home well before the school admission deadline. These are the same across the UK: applications from primary school places close on 15th January every year, while the deadline to apply for a secondary school place is 31st October annually.

If you haven’t legally completed a move in time, you must check whether the individual school and the local authority will accept a solicitor's letter confirming exchange of contracts and a completion date as evidence, or a signed tenancy agreement if the family is moving to a new rental. 

We can help perfect the timing of a move so you have a valid address well ahead of an admissions deadline. Contact us for a list of available homes near local schools.