School Chooser

Where to live for good schools

Moving house is the one time most families get a real choice of school. This table takes every council in England with at least ten scored schools, works out the average School Chooser Score of its primaries and secondaries, sets that against what a typical home costs, and ranks them by house price per point of school score. Lower means better value. A cheap area with good schools rises to the top. London's best schools sit near the bottom because of what a home costs there. Sort by score or price to see it the other way round, and open a council to see its districts.

Best valueBest schoolsCheapest homes
#CouncilSchools scorePrimariesSecondariesTop bandTypical home£ per point
1GatesheadNorth East5640th of 1395865 scored429 scored47%£165,0008th cheapest£2,927
2HartlepoolNorth East5356th of 1395727 scored325 scored37%£155,0004th cheapest£2,935
3County DurhamNorth East4890th of 13948195 scored4830 scored37%£143,0002nd cheapest£3,005
4SunderlandNorth East5166th of 1395482 scored3818 scored41%£154,9723rd cheapest£3,047
5MiddlesbroughNorth East4977th of 1395341 scored298 scored33%£155,0004th cheapest£3,137
6Stockton-on-TeesNorth East5643rd of 1395853 scored4613 scored50%£178,00017th cheapest£3,208
7Redcar and ClevelandNorth East5164th of 1395444 scored4210 scored35%£165,0008th cheapest£3,211
8Stoke-on-TrentWest Midlands4795th of 1395068 scored3114 scored35%£155,0004th cheapest£3,308
9South TynesideNorth East4886th of 1395244 scored278 scored33%£165,0008th cheapest£3,415
10North East LincolnshireYorkshire and the Humber4891st of 1395146 scored3410 scored46%£164,9507th cheapest£3,472
11CalderdaleYorkshire and the Humber5257th of 1395183 scored5812 scored40%£187,50019th cheapest£3,592
12DoncasterYorkshire and the Humber4889th of 1394898 scored5020 scored36%£175,00013th cheapest£3,636
13DarlingtonNorth East4793rd of 1395030 scored378 scored42%£174,99512th cheapest£3,725
14Newcastle upon TyneNorth East5455th of 1395772 scored3513 scored46%£201,00026th cheapest£3,751
15Blackburn with DarwenNorth West45104th of 1394555 scored4412 scored31%£169,00011th cheapest£3,765
16WiganNorth West5262nd of 1395597 scored3819 scored35%£195,00022nd cheapest£3,766
17BoltonNorth West5451st of 1395693 scored4820 scored42%£205,00027th cheapest£3,766
18St. HelensNorth West46100th of 1394853 scored338 scored30%£176,50015th cheapest£3,867
19North LincolnshireYorkshire and the Humber45102nd of 1394657 scored4114 scored34%£175,00013th cheapest£3,876
20WarringtonNorth West6424th of 1396759 scored5113 scored58%£255,00055th cheapest£3,999
21WolverhamptonWest Midlands5452nd of 1395565 scored5120 scored45%£217,50035th cheapest£4,016
22North TynesideNorth East5259th of 1395454 scored4411 scored43%£210,00031st cheapest£4,036
23WakefieldYorkshire and the Humber5075th of 13950110 scored4918 scored37%£200,00024th cheapest£4,037
24BlackpoolNorth West33137th of 1393732 scored188 scored18%£135,0001st cheapest£4,087
25LiverpoolNorth West43118th of 13946109 scored3031 scored30%£176,50015th cheapest£4,132
26BradfordYorkshire and the Humber43121st of 13944158 scored3635 scored31%£180,00018th cheapest£4,231
27NorthumberlandNorth East4979th of 13950115 scored4016 scored40%£207,95029th cheapest£4,237
28LancashireNorth West4793rd of 13947461 scored4580 scored38%£200,00024th cheapest£4,252
29Kingston upon Hull, City ofYorkshire and the Humber5262nd of 1395569 scored3413 scored39%£227,50040th cheapest£4,390
30LeedsYorkshire and the Humber5545th of 13955216 scored5744 scored50%£245,00050th cheapest£4,453
31BirminghamWest Midlands5261st of 13951279 scored5589 scored41%£235,00044th cheapest£4,528
32KirkleesYorkshire and the Humber4698th of 13945125 scored5525 scored35%£210,00031st cheapest£4,541
33StaffordshireWest Midlands5165th of 13954276 scored4055 scored43%£235,00044th cheapest£4,589
34SandwellWest Midlands4795th of 1394991 scored3820 scored32%£215,00033rd cheapest£4,597
35RotherhamYorkshire and the Humber41127th of 1394295 scored3515 scored28%£190,00020th cheapest£4,619
36HaltonNorth West41131st of 1394349 scored298 scored26%£190,00020th cheapest£4,677
37NottinghamshireEast Midlands5072nd of 13950261 scored4944 scored38%£236,00046th cheapest£4,733
38TamesideNorth West45102nd of 1394764 scored3814 scored27%£215,00033rd cheapest£4,768
39BuryNorth West5071st of 1395255 scored4211 scored35%£248,90551st cheapest£4,949
40RochdaleNorth West42126th of 1394457 scored3013 scored29%£207,00028th cheapest£4,981
41TorbaySouth West5074th of 1394931 scored528 scored38%£250,00052nd cheapest£5,045
42TraffordNorth West7210th of 1397258 scored6918 scored71%£365,00093rd cheapest£5,102
43Cheshire West and ChesterNorth West5169th of 13952116 scored4520 scored42%£260,00057th cheapest£5,135
44WalsallWest Midlands43117th of 1394467 scored3919 scored27%£221,28837th cheapest£5,171
45LeicesterEast Midlands4697th of 1394383 scored6120 scored37%£240,00048th cheapest£5,177
46KnowsleyNorth West38136th of 1394048 scored156 scored22%£195,00022nd cheapest£5,198
47OldhamNorth West40133rd of 1393974 scored4412 scored27%£208,00030th cheapest£5,206
48SalfordNorth West44111th of 1394471 scored4115 scored27%£230,00042nd cheapest£5,250
49East Riding of YorkshireYorkshire and the Humber43116th of 13942122 scored4818 scored31%£227,50040th cheapest£5,285
50Cheshire EastNorth West5739th of 13958116 scored5122 scored51%£300,00068th cheapest£5,300
51WirralNorth West41130th of 1393982 scored4719 scored32%£218,00036th cheapest£5,353
52CoventryWest Midlands42122nd of 1394184 scored4722 scored30%£227,00038th cheapest£5,367
53LutonEast of England5837th of 1395743 scored5813 scored50%£310,00074th cheapest£5,395
54LincolnshireEast Midlands43119th of 13942267 scored4754 scored29%£230,00042nd cheapest£5,398
55DudleyWest Midlands44112th of 1394376 scored4518 scored31%£236,00046th cheapest£5,419
56LeicestershireEast Midlands5070th of 13951225 scored4844 scored38%£275,00062nd cheapest£5,461
57ManchesterNorth West4698th of 13943126 scored5831 scored34%£254,00053rd cheapest£5,503
58DerbyshireEast Midlands43113th of 13943329 scored4445 scored29%£242,87549th cheapest£5,613
59SolihullWest Midlands5832nd of 1396155 scored5115 scored54%£328,00079th cheapest£5,616
60SeftonNorth West40132nd of 1394373 scored2818 scored27%£227,00038th cheapest£5,669
61NottinghamEast Midlands45105th of 1394675 scored4219 scored30%£254,25054th cheapest£5,670
62StockportNorth West5454th of 1395575 scored4913 scored48%£305,00072nd cheapest£5,673
63Herefordshire, County ofWest Midlands5259th of 1395476 scored4215 scored46%£295,00067th cheapest£5,677
64SwindonSouth West4980th of 1395066 scored4414 scored39%£280,00064th cheapest£5,711
65YorkYorkshire and the Humber5257th of 1395048 scored649 scored47%£307,50073rd cheapest£5,895
66West NorthamptonshireEast Midlands5075th of 13950149 scored4721 scored36%£300,00068th cheapest£6,065
67Bournemouth, Christchurch and PooleSouth West5545th of 1395265 scored6323 scored50%£335,00081st cheapest£6,087
68ThurrockEast of England5835th of 1396139 scored4912 scored55%£355,00091st cheapest£6,145
69Barking and DagenhamLondon6127th of 1396046 scored6613 scored53%£375,00096th cheapest£6,147
70SuttonLondon743rd of 1397236 scored7915 scored80%£460,000111th cheapest£6,201
71WarwickshireWest Midlands4885th of 13948181 scored5338 scored37%£300,00068th cheapest£6,203
72North SomersetSouth West5167th of 1395262 scored4511 scored42%£315,00076th cheapest£6,213
73North NorthamptonshireEast Midlands43119th of 13942108 scored4419 scored25%£265,00060th cheapest£6,224
74SloughSouth East6226th of 1396327 scored6015 scored57%£387,25098th cheapest£6,248
75Southend-on-SeaEast of England5453rd of 1395230 scored5912 scored50%£340,00082nd cheapest£6,301
76NewhamLondon7112th of 1397370 scored6420 scored73%£450,000108th cheapest£6,303
77RutlandEast Midlands5547th of 1395317 scored663 scored55%£347,00088th cheapest£6,325
78ReadingSouth East5550th of 1395540 scored5210 scored50%£350,00089th cheapest£6,420
79SuffolkEast of England45107th of 13946234 scored3942 scored33%£290,00066th cheapest£6,497
80SouthamptonSouth East40134th of 1394055 scored3712 scored33%£260,00057th cheapest£6,560
81ShropshireWest Midlands42124th of 13944107 scored3320 scored31%£275,00062nd cheapest£6,566
82NorfolkEast of England41128th of 13940322 scored5053 scored25%£270,00061st cheapest£6,596
83GreenwichLondon6916th of 1397262 scored5716 scored69%£460,000111th cheapest£6,652
84CornwallSouth West43113th of 13944228 scored4131 scored30%£289,95065th cheapest£6,689
85WorcestershireWest Midlands4886th of 13949169 scored4431 scored37%£325,00078th cheapest£6,726
86GloucestershireSouth West4984th of 13947234 scored6140 scored38%£328,75080th cheapest£6,741
87WiltshireSouth West4792nd of 13947188 scored4827 scored39%£320,00077th cheapest£6,766
88DevonSouth West44110th of 13944302 scored4440 scored32%£300,00068th cheapest£6,767
89WokinghamSouth East729th of 1397143 scored779 scored83%£490,000116th cheapest£6,827
90RedbridgeLondon737th of 1397356 scored7319 scored72%£500,000118th cheapest£6,888
91BexleyLondon6128th of 1396360 scored5316 scored54%£425,000104th cheapest£6,984
92Milton KeynesSouth East5073rd of 1395086 scored5015 scored38%£350,00089th cheapest£7,024
93KentSouth East4980th of 13949445 scored50102 scored36%£346,74587th cheapest£7,080
94CambridgeshireEast of England4983rd of 13947211 scored6034 scored40%£346,50086th cheapest£7,091
95MedwaySouth East43115th of 1394168 scored4920 scored28%£310,00074th cheapest£7,185
96Bath and North East SomersetSouth West5544th of 1395660 scored5114 scored47%£400,000100th cheapest£7,260
97EssexEast of England4978th of 13951426 scored4280 scored40%£360,00092nd cheapest£7,320
98HounslowLondon6523rd of 1396550 scored6720 scored63%£485,000115th cheapest£7,416
99Kingston upon ThamesLondon745th of 1397032 scored8611 scored77%£550,000126th cheapest£7,462
100Tower HamletsLondon6821st of 1396964 scored6117 scored68%£505,000120th cheapest£7,469
101BromleyLondon6819th of 1397076 scored6119 scored71%£515,000121st cheapest£7,538
102Bracknell ForestSouth East5548th of 1395428 scored567 scored46%£415,000103rd cheapest£7,587
103MertonLondon728th of 1397042 scored858 scored70%£550,000126th cheapest£7,601
104EnfieldLondon6225th of 1396469 scored5621 scored58%£475,000114th cheapest£7,622
105CroydonLondon5642nd of 1395784 scored5023 scored48%£425,000104th cheapest£7,624
106South GloucestershireSouth West44109th of 1394487 scored4616 scored34%£340,00082nd cheapest£7,664
107HaveringLondon5834th of 1395758 scored6018 scored51%£445,000107th cheapest£7,667
108BedfordEast of England45106th of 1394151 scored5813 scored33%£342,90084th cheapest£7,668
109HarrowLondon7113th of 1397241 scored7013 scored72%£550,000126th cheapest£7,709
110HampshireSouth East4888th of 13949405 scored4369 scored37%£372,00095th cheapest£7,714
111EalingLondon6817th of 1396758 scored7417 scored60%£529,000122nd cheapest£7,739
112LewishamLondon6130th of 1396168 scored6014 scored57%£470,000113th cheapest£7,744
113Waltham ForestLondon6820th of 1397352 scored5217 scored61%£530,000123rd cheapest£7,797
114BuckinghamshireSouth East5833rd of 13958173 scored6137 scored50%£455,000110th cheapest£7,832
115BarnetLondon744th of 1397292 scored8127 scored76%£580,000132nd cheapest£7,836
116OxfordshireSouth East5167th of 13951238 scored4741 scored41%£400,000100th cheapest£7,884
117HertfordshireEast of England5640th of 13955389 scored6379 scored51%£450,000108th cheapest£7,979
118PortsmouthSouth East32138th of 1393244 scored3111 scored9%£257,50056th cheapest£8,013
119HackneyLondon736th of 1397450 scored6916 scored73%£592,000133rd cheapest£8,117
120SurreySouth East6128th of 13960274 scored6555 scored55%£495,000117th cheapest£8,143
121HaringeyLondon7015th of 1397155 scored6612 scored66%£570,000131st cheapest£8,170
122Central BedfordshireEast of England45107th of 1394691 scored3714 scored31%£365,00093rd cheapest£8,187
123SouthwarkLondon6722nd of 1396565 scored7320 scored60%£550,000126th cheapest£8,192
124Richmond upon ThamesLondon821st of 1398243 scored8011 scored87%£720,000136th cheapest£8,805
125DorsetSouth West39135th of 13939115 scored3718 scored23%£345,00085th cheapest£8,914
126HillingdonLondon5548th of 1395561 scored5422 scored47%£500,000118th cheapest£9,136
127BrentLondon6130th of 1395959 scored6916 scored49%£554,500130th cheapest£9,138
128Isle of WightSouth East28139th of 1392836 scored307 scored9%£260,00057th cheapest£9,212
129East SussexSouth East41129th of 13940138 scored4324 scored26%£380,00097th cheapest£9,311
130West SussexSouth East45101st of 13944217 scored5338 scored34%£425,000104th cheapest£9,372
131LambethLondon5836th of 1395960 scored5316 scored49%£545,000125th cheapest£9,448
132West BerkshireSouth East42123rd of 1394162 scored509 scored24%£399,95099th cheapest£9,491
133WandsworthLondon6817th of 1396755 scored7511 scored68%£650,000134th cheapest£9,499
134Brighton and HoveSouth East42125th of 1394145 scored4710 scored27%£412,500102nd cheapest£9,860
135Hammersmith and FulhamLondon762nd of 1397535 scored8211 scored74%£766,625137th cheapest£10,051
136Windsor and MaidenheadSouth East4980th of 1394844 scored5410 scored35%£537,500124th cheapest£10,967
137CamdenLondon7114th of 1397738 scored4710 scored71%£792,500138th cheapest£11,190
138IslingtonLondon5738th of 1395641 scored648 scored53%£665,000135th cheapest£11,582
139Kensington and ChelseaLondon7210th of 1397125 scored756 scored65%£1,200,000139th cheapest£16,793

How to read this

Schools score is the average School Chooser Score of every state primary and secondary in the council that has a score. Top-band schools are those scoring 60 or more. Typical home is the middle sale price over the last two years in the council's district (from HM Land Registry); for county councils it is the middle of their districts. Pounds per point divides one by the other. It's a rough guide. A council's average hides big differences between its towns, and because the score compares each school with similar schools, a low-scoring area doesn't always mean weak results.