MORE parents are moving their families to Bucks to take advantage of its top schools, according to a property company.

Chiltern Relocation says schools are one of the main reasons families are moving to Bucks, and that the publication of the Parent Power league tables has helped bring more people into the county.

The most recent table, published last month by The Sunday Times, named Wycombe Abbey School as the best independent secondary school in the south east and the fourth best secondary school in the country. It also put the Royal Grammar School in Amersham Hill, High Wycombe, in the top ten state secondary schools in the south east.

Sharon Hewitt, managing director of Chiltern Relocation, based in Beaconsfield, said: "The Chilterns and Thames Valley have a high proportion of outstanding state schools and this is one of the key reasons for families relocating.

"Many of my clients are escaping the city and moving to the countryside to provide a better quality of life for their families, and having access to the best education for their children is an important factor in the decision to move."

Jon Davies, senior partner at Crendon House estate agents in Crendon Street, High Wycombe, agreed.

"It's one of the main reasons people move to this area," he said. "In terms of the housing market it's probably the biggest factor is schooling. They want to be around the grammar schools. I think it's one of the primary factors certainly for families, it's either got to be within walking distance or on the bus route."

Mr Davies added league tables and catchment areas also had an impact on property prices and said he thought High Wycombe had some of the best schools in the south east.

He said: "We have got three grammar schools within the town centre and that makes a big difference."