School catchment area demand driving Edinburgh house prices - ESPC

With school roles rising and a high demand for places at the perceived best schools, schools are offering very few out-of-catchment places. So when it comes to choosing a property, parents may have to stretch their budget or compromise on other key property features.

An ESPC spokeswoman said: “With exam league tables and HMIE reports on school performance readily available, homes in the school catchment areas for the best performing schools often sell for substantially higher than the average selling price of properties nearby.

“So when it comes to choosing a property, parents may have to stretch their budget or compromise on other key property features such as storage space and large gardens. Getting in to the right catchment area can make the decision on choosing where to buy even harder.

“ESPC’s website has a search function for school catchments so you can find which houses are for sale under your desired catchment area.”

ESPC is the first property portal in Scotland to offer a search for homes by school catchment areas.

For every property advertised within the capital, ESPC said it will show the four council catchment schools available; primary, RC primary, high school and RC high school.

ESPC’s spokeswoman added: “Unlike many other property website, we don’t show the nearest school, or the school most likely to be within catchment for, we provide the actual catchment details so you know that you are looking in the right spot.

“We’ve had a look at the different selling prices of properties within the catchment for some of the most highly sought after schools in Edinburgh. Perhaps unsurprisingly, homes in these school catchment areas often sell for substantially higher than the average selling price of properties nearby.

Primary schools

Bruntsfield Primary school £264,520

Polwarth £183,596

Fountainbridge £174,255

Morningside £301,171

South Morningside primary school - £322,809

Morningside - £301,171

Oxgangs - £133,645

James Gillespie’s Primary school - £282,376

Morningside - £301,171

Newington £253,994

Flora Stevenson primary school - £296,502

Comely Bank £260,882

Fettes £221,695

Stockbridge primary school - £259,836

Stockbridge £231,748

Inverleith £302,252

Corstorphine primary school - £262,574

Corstorphine £251,074

Drumbrae £198,392

Sciennes primary school - £294,702

Newington £253,994

Secondary schools

For high schools, it isn’t as clear cut as the catchment areas cover a larger area. As the catchments are generally area wide, they tend to correspond more directly with the given area. The average price of properties in Edinburgh as a whole is £222,449.

Boroughmuir high School - £299,506

Newington £253,994

Morningside - £301,171

Oxgangs - £133,645

James Gillespie’s high school - £249,979

Newington £253,994

Grange £382,617 (larger houses in this area)

Royal High - £284,750

Muirhouse £111,546

Silverknowes £240,573

Broughton - £246,482

Fettes £221,695

Granton £165,686

Stockbridge £231,748