Manchester Grammar School or King Edward's School Birmingham

Tbh I find the whole thing a bit bizarre. Appears op doesn't really know the cities or schools and it's already Feb and accepting two offers at two expensive schools. From HK

… the parents of whom may have little compunction in sending a link to this thread to the admissions departments.

You can't accept two offers. You are denying another child a space.

OP, there will be people desperate for places at these schools whilst you sit on multiple offers. If you know you aren’t going to two of them, do the right thing and let them know. You might be able to afford more than one deposit, others might not.

You can’t accept 2 schools and it might result in both offers getting withdrawn. I suggest you pick asap and inform the other school

I can’t comment on Birmingham but I know MGS and surrounding area. The school has a fab reputation and all the kids I know who go there are stretched academically and very happy. There’s a huge HK expat community in Manchester and the city has the largest Chinatown and Chinese population outside London if that is a consideration. The school itself is near the university in a relatively rough area but there are school coaches from pretty much every part of Manchester- it just depends on how far you’re willing for him to travel (my daughter goes to MHSG just round the corner and travels from South Manchester- she has to be on the bus by 7 in the morning and doesn’t get back till 5:10). You can still find nice houses within your budget in places like Stretford or further to the north of the city like Bury.

if dont pay the acceptance deposit before end of Feb, most offers will be lapsed automatically while that may technically be true it is polite to decline it and bad form not to. They probably have a waiting list. School heads talk and you never know when paths may cross in future. What if you need or choose to relocate for sixth form and reapply?

Be careful OP. You can’t accept multiple places. I suspect you and your son are very identifiable from your threads.

Op you really need to tread carefully on the school places.

First, you really should expressly decline the places you don’t want, it would be considered rude not to and frustrating for the admissions teams. A short email is fine - you can basically say grateful for your kind consideration and offer, have chosen to accept another school instead.

Second you should read carefully the offer letters terms and conditions you will have got from the two you’ve accepted. You’re not meant to accept two places, you’re meant to accept one. I’ve seen terms at other schools where by accepting an offer you’re confirming that you have not, and you will not, accept a place elsewhere. The last thing you want is the risk of both places being withdrawn and frankly you may well be unique in your particular circumstances so may be identifiable to any admissions person at those two schools who might read this thread.

Even absent that typically you have to give a term’s notice to withdraw. So this would normally mean advise prior to start of summer terms, and if you don’t you’d have to pay the autumn term fees. So you cannot sit on this until the summer without significant extra costs.

You need to formally decline the places so they get reoffered, not just assume they have lapsed.

Presumably you'll need to turn down one of them by Easter or you'll end up paying double fees for the first term? Also, bear in mind that there are people on the KES and MGS waiting lists anxiously hoping for places, so the sooner you can release one, the better.

yes if can locate a place that has convenient transport to school is also the key factor but u know all out of our controls....we just try our best
Which is why you should rent initially to judge ease of journeys and access by school bus/public transport from areas better. Most secondary pupils travel independently and city driving is both time consuming and expensive. What of the Nottingham and Newcastle schools, have you declined their offers?

Have you accepted MGS now @Lalagu ?

I would think very carefully about any permanent location that requires you to drive your son to school back and forth daily for 7 years. It is a huge commitment and will make getting work much more difficult.

I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you this but committing to your husband driving, twice, for seven years, is a huge ask. At rush jour that journey could take an hour (one way). From hazel grove the best private school option is Stockport grammar, however assume you didn’t apply there?

Hazel grove is perfectly ok, not as nice as other places you mention but more affordable

BUT its a trek to MGS from there. I’m not aware of a school bus though there is one that goes from Bramhal/Cheadle/heatons

Kings Heath and Mosley are both nice