Chasing Catchments

For many families, the school run now starts long before the first bell – with a hunt for the right postcode.

New research from Santander UK shows nearly three-quarters of parents (73%) would pay extra to live in the catchment of a top-performing school, up 11% on last year.

The average price premium they are prepared to commit is 15%, with one in ten stretching to more than 25%.

Parents are also willing to move an average of 31 miles to secure a place, nine miles further than a year ago, as rising private school fees and new VAT rules add fresh pressure to household decisions.

Source: Santander 2025, visualization, Dataloft by PriceHubble