Decision on school

[AlmostAway]

I have one DD who is due to start reception in September. She is just four so mid-year birthday.

At present the nearest available school is serviced by a 45minute bus route each way – I cannot drive and am not allowed to take the bus with her. The school is large (3-18 years and 500+ children). It takes 3 reception classes in of around 20 children a class. Intake is through a selection process.

We have an opportunity to move (about 45mins drive away) where there is a small village school within walking distance – about 100 children in the whole school and class size is about 12 on average. Entrance to this school is catchment /residency based and not through a selection process – they take everyone in the village.

We enjoy where we live at the moment, have a good circle of friends and DD attends a nursery locally. We only moved here 12 months ago and our last move was disruptive for her. However, schooling has been a big concern for me, particularly the problems the commute will present, giving her a very long day. DH is concerned that she won’t have any peers near home who attend school with her whereas if we were to move to the village she could play with her school friends outside school hours more readily.

However, I think that because the bigger school is selective it might offer her better competition in the classroom.

WWYD?

Does she need 'competition in the classroom" at her age? If she does, presumably the are clever children at the other school too.

500 children isn't a large school for that wide an age group. The are 300 just in my dds infant school!

My concern in your position would be the travel arrangements to the larger school and the fact that she will live further from her friends and you dint drive. Personally, I would consider the move but you need to be very very sure you will get a place at the smaller school if you do that or you could move for nothing

She is an only child so no natural competition at home. She is lazy if not challenged by her peers we have found, so yes I think that she needs some competition to stretch her.