House prices within walking distance of Beaconsfield High School are 149 per cent higher than the county average, according to the latest research by Lloyds Bank.

The object of the exercise was to pinpoint to what extent, if any, local house prices are affected by the exam results at local schools. 

To arrive at a conclusion, the analysts looked at house prices in the post codes of the 30 top performing state secondary schools in England. 

Schools were selected for the “Thirty Best” rating on last year’s GCSE grades. 

The average property value in the geographic area of each school was calculated on Land Registry figures relating to sales in the 12 months to May this year.

As a result, using these parameters, Becky High has the dubious distinction from a parents’ point of view of attracting a premium of £609,887.  

It’s the highest amount above the county average in the Lloyds Bank table.

The average  cost of a property in the HP9  postal district of the grammar school midway between Beaconsfield Old Town and the New Town is £1,018,794. The average price across Bucks as a whole is £408,908. 

Fifth highest in the premium table is Dr Challoner’s High in Little Chalfont where hot shot lawyer Amal Clooney was a pupil before she went to St Hugh’s College, Oxford, and won an exhibition.

At £666,310, the average price for a house in the school’s HP7 district carries a 63 per cent premium amounting to £257,402 above the norm for Bucks as a whole. 

The girls at Challoner’s in Little Chalfont came 21st in the Top 30. The boys at Dr Challoner’s in Amersham didn’t make it into the Top 30.

However 16 state schools judged by the Lloyds criteria to be among the best in the country are in areas where average house prices are below that of the county average in their patch.

The area surrounding Sir Henry Floyd’s Grammar School in Aylesbury’s HP21 post code is far less expensive than the average for the county. 

The typical price for a property within walking distance of this highly successful school in Bucks is £279,908, thirty two per cent lower than the county norm, a saving of £129,018.

In the table listing how much house prices have risen in the areas of the highest ranked schools over the past five years, Beaconsfield High is in 25th position with a hike of 19 per cent since 2013, although it’s still the second least affordable place to live among the schools in the Top 30 judged on the ratio of house prices to average earnings in the area (£50,029).

Challoner’s Girls is ranked fifth in the least affordable table (average earnings in the HP7 post code are £58,040). 
House prices in Little Chalfont have risen 40 per cent since 2013. The average five years ago was £474,875.

The area surrounding Sir Henry Floyd’s grammar school in Aylesbury has also benefited or suffered from property inflation depending on whether you’re a homeowner. 

The average  here has gone up 38 per cent. Back in 2013 the norm was £202,779.

Lloyds Bank mortgages director Andrew Mason believes the findings will be required reading for the vast majority of parents whose choice of where to live is largely governed by the quality of state schools in the area.

Oliver Beales, partner at the local office at Knight Frank wasn’t surprised Beaconsfield carries the largest premium. 

He said: "We find the vast majority moving into the area are looking at the schools and here we have fantastic options for both state and private education.

"Added to that is the ease of the commute and the beauty of the surrounding countryside.”