Families searching for a good school have bumped up the prices of homes in the area as they’re willing to pay a premium to get their children a top education, new research by Savills estate agents reveals.

The research examined the extent of the issue across the country, and highlighted Ascot as one of the areas where a choice of good schools attracted families moving out of the highly-pressurised London market.

Lucian Cook, director of residential research at Savills, said: “One of the key catalysts that drives housing demand out of London is the desire to buy a larger family home in an area that offers good schooling.

“Making that move often occurs in anticipation of a child starting school or moving up to secondary school.

“Increasingly among the more affluent families, the ability to exploit the price differential between London and the country provides an opportunity to free up cash in order to facilitate a private education for their children.

“There is little doubt that this is the least risky option, with over half of all top performing schools at A-level being in the independent sector “For many, rather than pinning their hopes on a single school, a choice of good schools will determine where families will look to buy. In locations such as Northwood, Brighton, Shrewsbury and Ascot such demand will be driven entirely by a cluster of high performing independent schools.” The average house price in the area now stands at around £700,042 according to Savills, far above the national average for England and Wales, which is just £179,492.

Jo Heywood, head teacher of private Heathfield School, agrees the number of schools rated good and outstanding would be an attraction for parents looking to move.

She said: “All you have to do is look at the likes of Ranelagh and Charters, who are outstanding, to see the attraction of the area. I think it’s a few different factors as well, it’s a beautiful area to live in, with good links to London.

“If you are a family looking for a good school for your child then you would be hard pressed to find a better area in the country. I’m a mum in the area too and I have heard of parents who move here just for the schools, even if they are just moving from 30 or 40 minutes away.”