Check out these properties close to Ripon schools as deadline for admissions is looming

That means that parents of year 6 children have to make a firm decision now about where they want their child to go next year.

For them, of course, there is not enough time now to move house to get into their desired school’s catchment area, but – as this column pointed out last week – for parents of year 5 children, now is the time to start thinking about it.

Where they live this time next year will probably play a role in deciding which secondary school their children will attend. Fortunately for most families in our area, the issue will not be as critical as it is in many areas, as education is one realm where our district really stands out; of the 12 mainstream state secondary schools in the circulation area of this newspaper series (the whole Harrogate District plus Wetherby, Boston Spa and Tadcaster), five were rated Outstanding at their last Ofsted inspections and all but one of the rest were rated Good.

In Ripon, the geographical concentration of educational excellence is particularly marked; both its state secondary schools were rated Outstanding by Ofsted, Outwood Academy in 2016 and Ripon Grammar in 2017.

Which means that wherever you live in Ripon, your children will be eligible to go to an outstanding school.

That said, it’s always good to reduce the ‘school run’ to a ‘school walk’, so the following three properties are all houses suitable for families and are all within easy reach of both Ripon’s secondary schools, which face each other across Clotherholme Road.

Number 26 College Road is a brick-built semi-detached period townhouse just a shortcut away through the Kirkby Road allotments from Ripon Grammar School. It has four double bedrooms, three bathrooms, an entrance hallway with curved staircase, breakfast kitchen, two reception rooms and cellar. There are front and back gardens, with two paved sitting areas, log store, coal bunker and garage.

Almost within sight of Ripon’s secondary schools and two minutes’ walk from both of them, 18 Clotherholme Road is another semi-detached period property, with three rather than four floors. It has four bedrooms, one bathroom, kitchen, utility room and two reception rooms. Outside, there are gardens to three sides, plus a shed, outbuilding and off-street parking.

Finally, 36 new three- and four-bedroom houses are being built to six architectural templates at the Mandale Homes development on Juniper Grove, just off Clotherholme Road. The

Nutmeg is one of them and has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, entrance hall, an open-plan kitchen and dining area with adjoining living room, plus utility room, integral single garage and garden. As Juniper Grove is still under construction buyers also have the opportunity to select different features from Mandale’s range of extras and upgrades.

Next week: Properties close to Harrogate Grammar School.