House prices inflated by £92,000 next to best schools In some areas, demand is being driven by a rise in the birth rate and influx of migrants - potentially leaving thousands of children without any place at all. According to PrimeLocation, the cost of property in the catchment areas of some schools has peaked to such an extent that average families now face being priced out. Nigel Lewis, the website's property analyst, said: "It's no surprise that parents are investing considerable amounts of money choosing a home that gives their child access to the best school possible. This demand has led to higher than average asking prices for homes in the most sought- after neighbourhoods, pricing many parents out of the area altogether. In the latest study, researchers analysed property asking prices in the catchment areas of the top 100 primary schools in England. It found that homes in these areas commanded an average asking price of £309,732. This was £91,618 - or 42 per cent - higher than the UK average of £218,114, it was disclosed. The study revealed that school "premiums" were lower in London than the rest of the country at just seven per cent. This was probably due to the already inflated price of housing across the capital, it was claimed. Top primaries in the East Midland yielded the biggest house price rises, it emerged, with property around £82,000 - 48 per cent - higher than the regional average. Homes near the neighbouring Curbar and Grindleford primary schools in Hope Valley, Derbyshire, commanded average prices of £442,692, said the study. This was £271,557 - or 159 per cent - higher than the East Midlands average. In Yorkshire, average prices surrounding top primary schools were £75,000 - or 47.4 per cent - higher than the rest of the region, while house prices were inflated by around £52,000 in the North-West. According to figures, properties near St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School in Hurst Green, Lancashire, had an average asking price of £572,421 - two-and-a-half-times the average price for the area. Mr Lewis added: "The primary school a child goes to can have a significant impact on their subsequent education and with competition for places in the UK's top secondary schools becoming more intense parents are going to greater lengths to ensure that their child is not left behind."