States Schools and Houses etc - Telegraph report

[Judy1234]

Quite an interesting long report in the Sunday Telegraph today on where you live and house prices and state schooling.

www.telegraph.co.uk/property/main.jhtml?xml=/property/2007/09/30/pschools130.xml

But surely it's nothing new that people buy houses in catchment areas for good schools and this drives up the prices.

Round here there is a definitely house price rise in good catchment areas. Sheffield south west house prices are much higher than elsewhere - best schools are in this area.

Hula - ditto here. House prices in South Manchester/Trafford are much higher than other areas of Manchester, partly due to good state schools, and state grammar schools still exist here too.

'The report seems to just look at a few areas'

Well yes, because the South East is the only place of any importance, no?

Yes,presumably even those of us who pay want to be reasonably near the good private day schools although it's not such an issue in parts of London where there are a good few excellent private schools to choose between. It says in the article some heads deliberately change in the state sector catchments year by year so parents cannot easily play the system.

Lampl's article in the Sunday Times today - they found that some state school teachers say Oxbridge is not for their pupils and expectations are lowered
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article2558234.ece

This phrase caught my attention

" Counties which still have grammar schools, such as Kent, Lincolnshire and Buckinghamshire, attract parents like bees to honey."

When will whatever government is in power realise this and bring back grammars in other areas as this is clearly what many parents want? Then there wouldn't be such a scramble for the few places which are currently available.

And, even better idea, ensure that all schools teach to a consistent standard and then there wouldn't be any "good" and "bad" schools.

All the estate agents around here list in the window sign if its the 'good' (I'd have to debate- I love the other one- but anyway), school that's the catchment school; the catchment is tiny and only includes the area that existed when the school contract was drawn up- 1747- so by nature that means its all the old cottages etc, places that would be more pricey anyhow, iyswim.

We moved here just because we found the house on the internet and it was close to Uni, however I have been told by a few of ds1's classmates' parents that they had made a decision that they would only have children if they could move into the catchment . REALLY bizarre imo- for a start if you're that desperate why not consider the two good Private schools (one very well known- haberdashers Monmouth) in the area and have a house closer to where you wanted to actually live?