Scotland’s independent think tank
Scotland’s independent think tank

The best catchment areas: more expensive than going private

FAST FACTS

  • Statistics indicate that buying a house in the catchment areas of the best performing Scottish state schools can cost more than sending children to a private secondary school and living in a less expensive area
  • This highlights that parents ‘pay’ to access schools with good academic results in Scotland, either directly through school fees or indirectly through higher housing costs
  • However, those unable to pay, either directly or indirectly, are left with little choice but to accept schools with poorer academic results
  • The Commission on School Reform’s final report recommended “The allocation of support for pupils and schools experiencing disadvantage should be reviewed and needs to be better targeted. More of the available support should follow the individual disadvantaged learner”. Reform Scotland believes that a pupil premium is one way of achieving this goal

Full briefing can be downloaded below.

 

Attachments


Cost of Schooling