To want my son to fo to Catholic high school

[Wotsitmom2022]

Hey all
My son is only 1 so thinking waaaay ahead but it came up in conversation with some mum friends.

I am a Catholic. Always have been. I still go to Church every Sunday and take my son.

Ideally I would love to send him to Both a Catholic primary and a secondary School.
However the Catholic primary schools are further distance and no wrap around care, while the the few near us are non Catholic, but working walking distance and wrap around care. This would be more practical given work etc and DS needing more care as a younger child. Our zoned primary is very open about different religions and will teach about them all, and there are some groups/ activities for younger children I could take him too, also read to him myself etc.

There is only one Catholic High School which we would need to apply to and my son would be older so could take himself etc and wouldn’t no longer need wrap around care etc.
The high schools near us have a bad reputation for bullying especially kids who are different/ different backgrounds/ religious. They also don’t have much of a curriculum for any religion. So for these reasons I feel my son would benefit more at a Catholic High school.

Now this came in conversation with mum friends who said it would be unfair and selfish to send my son there as someone in the area might lose a space because of it.
I do understand what they are saying, as apparently it is the best free high school in the city and also apparently better at dealing with bullying etc.
I did not know all this when I first talked about sending my son to Catholic high school although I did assume bullying would be less of an issue.
My friends also asked if I’m ok with non Catholic primary school why I would be less ok with a non Catholic high school.

So I have a few questions
1: AIBU to send my son to Catholic High School, is it better kept for kids in that area?
2: would he even get a space?
3: are we better off making Catholic primary school work (I’m thinking I could help teach our religion at that age but would it really be enough?)
4: why is there such a difference when both schools are free? It’s right that it doesn’t seem fair that the quality of teaching and dealing with bullying etc seems better in the Catholic school when on should be that same for all schools?!! (Doesn’t seem to differ like that in Catholic versus non Catholic primary schools)

Thanks 🙏

I work in a setting that does not have flexibility in hours.

so if I struggle to find a childminder or wrap around care that caters to where the Catholic primary schools are that makes it difficult for us.
mom in a very niche role and jobs are not easy to find. I’m just trying to be practical at the same time but it is my preference to send my son to Catholic primary also and hoping that works out

When the time comes you do what is best for your child, because the other parents will be doing the same with theirs. No guilt whatsoever. Honestly, I wouldn´t discuss it anymore until much further down the line.

Hmm my daughter attends a Catholic school. They have muslim and jewish hindu and some Orthodox Christian students too. Why? The idea is they prefer a setting that provides some idea of transcending that a setting without.

Yes, I didn't say there are zero non Catholics who go to Catholic schools. But it's not logical to assume people will want one purely on the basis of living nearer to it than OP does.