Selling house in area of over subscribed London State Secondary

[KarenInLondon]

Just trying to pick a few brains here. We have been trying via estate agents to sell a large (6 bedrooms)family house (in good condition) that is close (not too close) to an oversubscribed London State Secondary school. I have been amazed that it has not sold, so my question is, have people stopped being prepared to move for their children's education. We bought the house on the strength of its location and my son had a place at the school.

The estate agents do not seem to advertise the fact of the location to the school and presumably rely on parents just knowing, but I am wondering if there is anywhere that I can advertise where we might get better results, perhaps in the surrounding areas or is there anywhere on the internet that specialises in these sort of matches?

Hi Karen,
Are you sure you are still in the catchment of the school? Certainly the wildly popular school near me has a catchment that shrinks each year so people are having to move closer and closer to be sure of geting in.

I read something yesterday, (Graun? Will see if I can find it) that said people WILL move to be near a good school. Agree check you're still in catchment and absolutely yes, eas should mention it it's a major selling point.

I don't know where you live in London but in our part of SE London desirable catchment areas are explicitly stated on all blurbs, primary and non-selective secondary.
We still have grammars nearby and although they have a notional large catchment area, because entry is dependent on passing the 11 plus, those catchment areas tend not to be stated.

here you go

Elenya, you are right to point out that catchments do expand and shrink and that is perhaps why the estate agents steer clear of any emphasis on school distances.

It is 0.6 miles, which I would have expected to be safe.

Hi Wickedwaterwitch, thanks for that, it is confirming what I would have expected. Marina, we are in SE London too, near Charter School in Dulwich. www.charter.southwark.sch.uk/.

It would obviously be for any buyer to check out the likelyhood of getting a place, we have not been the only people in the road to have a child there.

Karen - I live 0.6 miles from Fortismere in North London. The "furthest distance" a new entrant lived for the last couple of years was about 0.54 miles, which is a bugger, because we're trying to transfer DD1 there now.

Unless you live right on the doorstep, you might not be in the catchment. You can look up the distances/ entry requirements on the council website; often in the secondary school prospectus area.

It may be oversubscribed, and I have to say that I don't know the local area, but looing at its results (which are well below national average), at a first glance I can't see why I would move there to get into catchment. I am aware (from on here) that it had a strong reputation, but is it actually delivering the goods? I'm further out than you are, and the very average schools in this area are getting better results,, but I appreciate that they never tell the full story.

Is that Charter or Fortismere you mean, Ladymuck?

We looked at a house which I assumed was in the catchemnt area for a great school. But the map showing the catchment area, however, sort of wnet round teh house! Odd, since it was the nearest school

The problem is buyers are only too aware that proximity does not guarantee getting a place. In my area (Herts.) estate agents don't mention catchments, but they do say 'near to the excellent xxx school' or 'within walking distance of...'.

I think LM may have hit on the problem here. Oversubscribed does not necessarily mean its a good school. It may simply mean that its a school in a very high population density area. And if a buyer is coming from outside your area, all they have to go on really are the results.