The school-run effect: ESPC reveals how much school catchments affect the ‘saelability’ of your home
Key Takeaways
- School catchment areas can significantly influence property values: Three-bedroom homes in the catchments of Edinburgh’s top 10 secondary schools have an average selling price of at least £413,000, around £47,000 above the citywide average.
- Top-ranked schools attract strong buyer demand: Homes in these catchments tend to sell competitively, with higher proportions reaching closing dates and buyers often paying above Home Report valuations.
- Boroughmuir has the highest property values: Three-bedroom homes in its catchment average £567,910, with 42% going to a closing date and homes achieving an average of 104% of Home Report valuation.
- School rankings aren't the only factor: Areas with lower-ranked schools can still command strong prices and buyer competition, demonstrating that location, amenities, transport links and lifestyle appeal also play a major role.
- Catchment data can help buyers make informed decisions: Comparing property prices and market performance across school catchments can help families weigh up the potential cost of living in a particular area, while ESPC's school catchment search tool makes it easier to find suitable homes.
It’s back-to-school time, and that means plenty of homeowners and prospective buyers are starting to think about their next move the moment the school gates are thrown open. With placement applications looming and headlines full of exam results, it’s understandable that many family home buyers in Edinburgh would want to secure a new home and a pathway to their ideal school sooner rather than later.
It’s well known that places at the top-ranking secondary schools in Edinburgh are hard to come by, with ever-increasing demand for spaces at those in the top 10 specifically.
How much do school catchment areas affect property prices?
With that in mind,we have revealed just how much being in the school catchment area for a top-ranking school impacts a property’s appeal and ‘salability’ on the market.
How valuable is a three-bedroom family home in Edinburgh closer to a top 10 school compared to one closer to a middle-ranking school, and should that impact your thinking when deciding where to buy a family home near a good school? Does being closer to a ‘good’ school really affect how valuable your property is?
Paul Hilton, CEO of ESPC, explains:
“The answer is likely: yes. The average selling price for homes in the catchment for Edinburgh’s top ten secondary schools doesn’t fall lower than £413,000, which is around £47,000 higher than the average price for a three-bed home across the city.
Buying a home near one of Edinburgh’s top schools
Homes in the best-performing school catchment areas in Edinburgh tend to attract higher demand from buyers, with properties more likely to set closing dates, and buyers more likely to pay a higher premium above the Home Report valuation.
Of course, some of this is also to do with proximity to Edinburgh and sought-after local amenities, with some of the schools in the top 10 boasting central locations compared to more suburban areas, which naturally command slightly lower average selling prices.
Alongside this, some locations have lower-ranking schools but still command exceptional demand, higher-than-average property prices in Edinburgh and buyers paying large premiums to secure a family-sized home. This indicates that, for many buyers, location and general amenities trump the rankings of the local school in terms of priority when purchasing a home.
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The top 5
1. Boroughmuir High School
With a catchment spanning Bruntsfield, Morningside and Blackford, housing demand in the eligible area for Edinburgh’s top-rated school is understandably the highest on the list.
- Average property selling price for a 3-bed home: £567,910 (the highest on the list, and almost £200,000 higher than the current Edinburgh average for a 3-bed home of £378,376)
- Median selling time: 19 days
- Closing dates: 42% (compared to 25% for all of Edinburgh)
- Average amount of Home Report valuation paid: 104%
2. Craigmount High School
The catchment for Craigmount High School covers popular family neighbourhoods including Corstorphine, Clermiston and East Craigs, with homes typically selling for well above average Edinburgh prices.
- Average property selling price for a 3-bed home: £484,399
- Median selling time: 41 days
- Closing dates: 20%
- Average amount of Home Report valuation paid: 101.4%
3. James Gillespie’s High School
The third-placed high school has a catchment spanning Old Town, parts of the West End and Bruntsfield, Newington, Sciennes, Marchmont and the Grange, so it’s safe to assume a place at this school might come at a premium.
- Average property selling price for a 3-bed home: £542,062
- Median selling time: 27 days
- Closing dates: 24%
- Average amount of Home Report valuation paid: 102.5%
4. St Thomas of Aquin’s High School
As one of the three RC high schools in Edinburgh, St Thomas of Aquin’s has a larger catchment area which spans from the Pentlands to Granton. It’s in high demand from family buyers, which is great news for homeowners.
- Average property selling price for a 3-bed home: £499,047
- Median selling time: 20 days
- Closing dates: 29%
- Average amount of Home Report valuation paid: 103.3%
5. Balerno Community High School
On the outskirts of Edinburgh, fifth-place Balerno Community High School offers huge appeal for buyers looking to enjoy a village lifestyle for their families. The catchment covers the village of Balerno itself, plus the popular family neighbourhoods of Ratho and Kirknewton.
- Average property selling price for a 3-bed home: £439,051
- Median selling time: 26 days
- Closing dates: 17%
- Average amount of Home Report valuation paid: 100.1%
Numbers 11-15:
11. Queensferry Community High School
Sitting just outside the top 10 rankings, Queensferry Community High School’s catchment area covers South Queensferry, Kirkliston and Dalmeny, and the market is generally much closer to the overall Edinburgh averages, with some clear differences in demand between this and the top-ranking schools, which is great news for buyers.
- Average property selling price for a 3-bed home: £355,785
- Median selling time: 38 days
- Closing dates: 12%
- Average amount of Home Report valuation paid: 100.7%
12. Holy Rood RC High
Located close to Portobello and Duddingston, Holy Rood RC High has a wider catchment area due to it being an RC school, spanning the whole of east and southeast Edinburgh, plus large parts of central and southern Edinburgh, which makes defining the market slightly harder to judge against schools with a more limited catchment.
- Average property selling price for a 3-bed home: £375,574
- Median selling time: 21 days
- Closing dates: 20%
- Average amount of Home Report valuation paid: 102.5%
13. Broughton High School
Notable areas of Edinburgh’s north and northwest make up the catchment areas for 13th-place Broughton High, including Stockbridge, Inverleith and Canonmills, alongside areas of Granton. Given the area’s amenities and proximity to town, property demand remains high for homes within this catchment.
- Average property selling price for a 3-bed home: £394,374
- Median selling time: 18 days
- Closing dates: 20%
- Average amount of Home Report valuation paid: 103.2%
14. Forrester High School
To the west of the city, homes in the catchment area for Forrester High School are located in neighbourhoods including Broomhouse, Sighthill and Carrick Knowe. Family-friendly properties in this catchment are around £66,000 cheaper than the Edinburgh average, and the second lowest-priced in the overall rankings (only homes in the catchment for 20th-place Craigroyston Community High are lower).
- Average property selling price for a 3-bed home: £311,944
- Median selling time: 29 days
- Closing dates: 19%
- Average amount of Home Report valuation paid: 100.6%
15. Drummond Community High School
At 15th place, Drummond Community High’s catchment area holds a very strong property market thanks to its coverage of Broughton and Bellevue, as well as Hillside, Abbeyhill and parts of Leith. Properties here still perform strongly, with average prices for family homes selling for around £83,000 more than the general Edinburgh average.
- Average property selling price for a 3-bed home: £461,863
- Median selling time: 20 days
- Closing dates: 26%
- Average amount of Home Report valuation paid: 103.5%