Who decides? Days left 😩

An 11-12yo can walk a mile and a bit from a train....

And he won't be 11-12 forever. A 14yo can certainly walk a mile and a bit to and from a train, and unless he gets a lot of exercise otherwise, will probably benefit from doing it. And as he gets older, he'll probably like having the option to do things on his way home, which he wouldn't if he was tied to a school bus.

Lovely decision!

Is there a bus to the station?

Haha he might want a taco to eat but he won't need a Taxi 😂

Op that's great, and I really think you won't need taxis. An 11-12yo can walk a mile and a bit from a train without needing a, taco, assuming no mobility issues and it's not an unlit country lane.

Outstanding for longer just means it hasn't been inspected properly for longer. Local one which is outstanding (which caused some eyebrows raised at the time even by some of the staff that worked there) hasn't been fully inspected since then-about 8 years ago. I know several parents of children there who have some quite serious concerns.

Some children do scoot to and from my dc's secondary. The main issue from what I understand is securing it if they can't fit it in a locker.

Is the walk from the station along lit footpaths in a safe are?
If so, just let him get on with the walk - no need to sort out lifts and taxis.

Is there not a bus to the station? Every bus in my town stops at the station on its way to other places.

I don't see the issue, really. Your DS wants to go to a smaller, decent school that's on a great train line.

Well I'd probably go with smaller school - I don't see how 20-25 minutes walk is a big deal (my DC had a longer journey from Year 3, granted without the train bit as well!), and I would just let him get on with it.
It seems more practical all around in time of getting to and fro, has best Progress 8, is not in the "bubble" I presume the other school must be in based on its results, and it's your DS's choice.

If you do move/he hates it - what would your chances be of moving schools in a year or so?

So his choice is 20 min walk to station, then trains every 20 min? How long is the journey and the walk at the other end?

I would support his choice unless there's a compelling reason not to.

Nat smaller is the difference between 210 and 240 in a year. I don't think it will make material difference.

OP - don't worry about your younger child. You are making a decision for your oldest only! There is no requirement for them to go to the same school!

I would choose a smaller school every time, my DS moved from a 1 class per year primary to a 12 class per year secondary school & he's found the change really difficult, we had no choice as all the secondary schools in our City are very big ones, I've been there at lesson change time & it's like a football match coming out. Due to the size of the school, communication is rubbish, if you ring to speak to anyone, 9 times out of 10 you have to leave a message on the answer phone, messages don't always get picked up. One size doesn't fit all & while some children thrive in a large school, others get overwhelmed by the larger schools & don't do as well as they would in a smaller one.

Bellinisurge I know what you mean. You can do all the research, compare all the schools, weigh up the options but ultimately without an older sibling (if that gives priority), a SEN/health statement or having a LAC you may not get your choice, it varies so much from year to year. Last year I put DD's catchment school first and the next two nearest ones second and third. She didn't get any of them (eventually got first choice via the waiting list) and it was a complete nightmare for a while. Only the OP knows whether the schools she is considering are oversubscribed and whether this will be an issue.

I would choose the easier door to door travel to school. Only my opinion.

We missed the first in our choice list by exactly the scenario I described- 50 metres. We lost an appeal that was decided by an independent panel appointed by the Council.
We got our second on the list and I am very happy with it. However if our heart had been set on the first on the list we would have taken an emotional blow. I have a pal who got her third choice. And know another kid whose parents were foolish enough to only put two on the list, all out of catchment. They were allocated a random school. After employing a solicitor (unnecessary in my view), they appealed and got the 3rd choice school my pal got.
All I'm trying to say is that even if you put a particular school as School A, the decision making hasn't ended and it isn't in your hands.

Yes, exactly. But that’s allocation according to how you meet the criteria, doen to the last few Cms. Not ‘the council deciding’.
And especially when you would get offered any one of two or three schools had you put them first.

Something really odd (like the overnight construction and occupation of a new tower block opposite the school) would have had to have happened had we not been able to get into our 3 nearest schools. Our 4th preference admits by lottery, and the person managing admissions told me that our name came up first time round.

But we had put that school lady anyway, And we got allocated our first choice school, the second nearest.

The Council looks at the school's criteria and so even if you put School A first, your wishes count for nothing if you don't meet the criteria. Which can include catchment calculated as a matter of metres. If your neighbour is closer and there is only one place left, your neighbour gets it (assuming you and your neighbour meet the criteria equally other than the distance from school one).

Yes: the offer that is highest up your list where they can give you a place. Which is why it is important that you list the schools in the order that you prefer them. So that if all could give you a place, you get the one you most want. That’s when you make your choice.

How does the council decide?

But you only get an offer from one school.