Wokingham Revealed as the Best Location to Bring Up a Family

LONDON, ENGLAND, October 04, 2012 (Press-News.org) Wokingham (RG41), a market town situated 33 miles west of central London, with a population of over 30,000 has moved to the top of this year's list as a result of excellent Key Stage 2 school scores, childcare provision and earnings prospects

- RG41 is one of three postcodes in Berkshire's M4 corridor which feature in the top 20

- Devon also features prominently, with four of the top twenty postcodes located in the largely rural county

- New online tool allows parents to search for their ideal postcode location at www.familyinvestments.co.uk/hotspots

Today, award winning children's savings provider Family Investments publishes its second annual Family Friendly Hotspots Report. This unprecedented picture of all 2,400 postcodes across England and Wales has been achieved by analysing 67 different data sets covering crucial factors likely to impact a family's decision-making process when they consider moving to a new area. Based on this analysis, the unique study identifies the top 20 postcodes offering the best range of essential and desirable factors for family living.

The study investigated factors that cover the essentials of family living, including:

- Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4 results
- School inspection outcomes
- Quantity and quality of Early Years care
- Affordability of childcare (new to the 2012 edition)
- Local crime figures
- Property affordability (based on average house prices and local salaries)

Alongside these critical elements, lifestyle factors were also considered, which combine together to create the perfect backdrop for a happy family life, these included:

- Existing population of parents with young children
- Parks and green spaces
- Leisure centres
- Zoos and farms
- Museums and theatres

Wokingham: top spot for families

Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire situated 33 miles west of central London, with a population of over 30,000. It is a historic town and records show that it held its first market in 1219 while by the 17th century it was famed for its bull baiting. Nowadays, it is well-equipped with various facilities from a range of private and state schools to several churches and an art gallery. What is more, transport to London Waterloo takes little over an hour, making it an ideal home for commuters. The town also sits in the M4 corridor where there are a cluster of major technology companies. These factors may explain the relative affluence of the area as the average salary is GBP33,544. The postcode scores well as a result of its excellent schools and childcare provision, and low level of crime. Consequently, it is a very popular area for young families.

Online tool

An online tool has been designed to show families how their postcode performs in each of the key areas measured. It also enables them to identify their ideal location based on individual preferences such as house price range and the importance of good local schools - www.familyinvestments.co.uk/hotspots

Kate Moore, Head of Savings and Investments at Family Investments said:

"Wokingham's place at the top of our table reflects its combination of excellent school results, relative affordability for young families and low crime levels. Everybody has different ideas about what makes a great location to start a family and bring up a child and we have tried to be as comprehensive as possible in gathering information on the factors parents have told us are most important. We hope families find our report interesting and we have tried to make it as inclusive as possible by designing an online tool that allows parents to adjust the weightings of each factor to generate postcodes that might suit their own particular needs.

We know that family finances are under pressure and have attempted to provide parents with as much information as possible on the affordability of key financial considerations such as house prices, and a new addition for this year's report, childcare affordability. Of course we do recognise there are some factors that can't be measured, such as the valuable support provided by family and friends that live close by."

For further information visit Family Investments at www.familyinvestments.co.uk.

Family Investments is dedicated to being the trusted provider of financial solutions for the family. Family Investments currently looks after nearly GBP4 billion of family money for more than 1.78 million people in the UK.