Gateshead’s is England’s most affordable place to live for best schools

• Gateshead offers best ratio of Ofsted-rated “outstanding” schools to low house prices
• South Tyneside and St Helens are also in top three
• Isle of Wight, West Sussex and Oxfordshire are the bottom three

New analysis has revealed that Gateshead’s combination of highly rated Ofsted schools and some of England’s lowest house prices makes it the best area for affordable outstanding education.

The study by Buddle Nurseries examined the percentage of schools rated by Ofsted as outstanding in more than 150 parts of England, and compared it to the average house price in the area.

Gateshead came out on top of the index thanks to 32% of its schools being judged as outstanding by the educational inspector, and the 13^th lowest average house price in the study – £142,214.44. That means it ranks as the best value in England for high quality teaching.

It is closely followed by South Tyneside in second, which has the 11^th lowest average house price (£133,474.51), and 30% of its state-funded schools received an outstanding rating from Ofsted in their most recent inspection.

St Helens comes third in the list with 26% of its schools delivering outstanding teaching, and an average house price of £143,760.08, the 17^th lowest in England.

Conversely the Isle of Wight is at the bottom of the list, as none of its 50 schools are rated outstanding by Ofsted. Its house price is £240,746.43 – around £10,000 under the UK average.

West Sussex also fares badly in the analysis, placing second-last in the index, with only 11% of schools rated as outstanding, and the 44^th highest average house price in the UK, at £340,781.00.

Oxfordshire is third bottom, as 13% of its schools meet the requirements for outstanding, while its average house price of £370,612.05 is the 41^st highest in the UK.

The London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea boasts an impressive 65% of schools rated as outstanding – the highest number in the country – however it also has the country’s highest average house price, £1,220,511.49. As a result its combined score means it ranks 80^th in the index.

Commenting on the findings, Buddle Nurseries spokesperson, Jay Mychalkiw, said: “Every parent wants the best education for their children, and these results offer an intriguing insight into which areas of England can improve a family’s chances of finding a great school without breaking the bank.”

Outstanding education and house price Index, by Buddle Nurseries – top 10

Outstanding education and house price Index, by Buddle Nurseries – bottom 10