BEST SCHOOLS ARE
The place: edge-of-the-Cotswolds spa town with arts festivals, racecourse, smart shops and restaurants, and lovely Regency houses. “If people can get a child into Pate’s Grammar then it is fantastic,” says Julian Archard of Savills, “but it depends on exam success. If the siblings can’t all get in, there are private alternatives such as Cheltenham College, Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Dean Close.” The school: Pate’s Grammar (mixed). House for sale: Lanesfield House, Lansdown Road, with seven bedrooms, gym and flat, £1.595million, Savills (01242 548000). The place: good for commuting into London, access to Heathrow airport and picturesque Thameside villages, a centre for information technology and insurance. The schools: Kendrick School (girls); Reading School (boys). House for sale: Benhams Cottage, with three bedrooms at Burghfield Common, just outside Reading, £699,950, Hamptons International (01635 813407). The place: pretty little town in the Axe valley on the River Coly, with narrow streets, an ancient market place and the sea close by. “Parents will even fly their children in from afar to take the entrance exam, and once they get a place come to rent or consider buying,” says Pam Zoeller of Stags. “But there is no guarantee they take siblings, so it is a big decision to make.” The schools: Colyton Grammar (mixed). House for sale: Tuesday Cottage, three bedrooms, £295,000, Stags (01404 45885). To see more properties near good schools, go to