Buy to save, parents told

Parents can save themselves money by buying a property in the catchment area of the top 10% of State primaries instead of going down the prep-school route, according to a study by the London School of Economics.

The study, by Dr Steve Gibbons, found that parents would have to pay about £26,000 more than the local average to live near a leading primary, but seven years of private school would cost almost £80,000.