To prioritise distance above all other factors in primary choice?

[CalmerChameleons]

For context, my area is low birth rate so I've been told I will get into whichever school I put first, neither have been full for reception in the last couple of years.

I have twins who will start primary school in September.

School A: five minutes walk from my house. Generally seems good, one form entry so no scope to separate DTs if we wanted to at some point, and fewer children there for them both to develop their own friendship groups. If this was my only option I'd be happy with it, BUT

School B: faith school (why I would definitely get in despite greater distance).
I'd always wanted my children to go to a faith school, I know it's wrong/meaningless to some and don't want to get into that debate here but just to note it's important for me.
Absolutely loved the head and the whole ethos of the school, everything that was said on the tour made me think it was perfect for us. Two form entry and they are happy to be flexible about DTs moving between classes depending on their needs for each year (eg maybe start off in same class and move apart when older). It's also a lot more diverse than school A which is a big positive for me. If everything was equal I'd choose this one BUT

It's a 10 minute drive across town if there was no traffic. Realistically, it would mean going through loads of traffic so probably more like 30 mins plus, plus all the faff of two children into a car, parking up near the school etc. It's beyond where I work so would mean if I did drop off/collection it would add extra to my journey and mean it was a bit of a race to get to work on time (and I prefer to cycle or bus and walk rather than drive, neither of these would work with kids). DH works from home a lot so if he did it it would be over an hour round trip Vs ten mins.

I feel mean not sending my kids to the school I think would be perfect, and instead the nearest one which is just fine. But the further one will mean they have to spend less time with us and more time in before/after school care, it means they could never walk themselves when they're in Y5/6. Mornings will involve leaving a lot earlier and more stress, Vs just walking them a few mins up the road.

AIBU to think that it'll be more positive for our lives for them to attend a nearby school rather than a school which might suit them a bit better?

I guarantee you will be bored of that journey after a few weeks especially in the dark winter when they are small and very tired after long days at school in the first couple of years.

Walkable school hands down!

Count up all those minutes over all those years... well worth it.

This time next year...

Do you reckon you will be thinking wistfully of the "perfect" school, which is very likely to have its flaws.
Or regretting stressful mornings?

Go for the one they can walk.
Much less stress.
More time at home
Less rush in morning
Kids will have school friends who live nearby
They can walk home when they are bigger - a bit responsibility works wonders for self confidence

Walkable school all the way. Local friends, nicer start and end to the day, better for health and the environment, more flexibility if they do clubs or activities in a few years and option to walk independently when older.

If you didn’t have twins I’d say School A was a no-brainer.

However, I’ve known a surprising number of twins over the years, none of whom would have wanted to be in a class with their twin all through primary. So if there is no option for splitting them later on in the school, I’d give serious consideration to school B.

Or could you do school A for now but plan to move them to School B if the one class thing isn’t working at a later point?

The twins I know would have hated to be parted and in separate classes through primary.

Walkable wins for me.

My DC is walking to school now, Year 6, 5 mins walk, and it's had a huge impact on her confidence, independence and sense of responsibility.

I also love how many of her school friends & community live so close, even on our street.

Is school A full? I would be wary if it wasn’t due to funding & resources

Driving kids to school would be my idea of hell

Walkable. We moved house during DCs time at infant school and decided to make do with the 25 min walk/10 min drive to their current school (the linked junior school is much closer) for just 2 years as with two terms to go I am so fed up with it, and that’s only doing it twice a week when they aren’t at ASC!!

Normally I'd say local school, but as you've got twins, who rarely are still in the same class after year 2, I'd say the other school, despite it being further away.

Local schools are fantastic, but a 1 form entry for twins means they will never really form their own separate friendship groups if they want as there will only be 30 per year and even at a 50/50 split, only be another 13 or so kids of three same sex as them to be friends with (yes I know girls & boys can and do play with kids of both sexes, but it's more typical from year 4/5 onwards to gravitate more towards kids of your own sex.

The local school will make this difficult for your twins to separate as they get older so I would say school b due to this.

Which just proves everyone’s different! OP will know which her children are more likely to be, of course - I was just putting that out there as something else to consider

Yes definitely prioritse walking distance. If you want to look to move at a later date because they are not getting the most out of school by being in one class that's a decision for later but for now with a decent school only a 5 minute walk away you would be mad to commit to the drive.

Believe me, if they go to a school a five min walk away, it takes away a lot of stress.

Easier for play dates (god, I hate that term!), too.

Walkable school

If it doesn’t work out it sounds like it’ll be easy to change

It will be a sacrifice but pastorally School B wins no contest. I think it will be best for your children, obviously there will be a cost to you and your husband.

I think you're right to stay with the close school. The one thing I'd be rechecking is whether there were any viable cycle routes to school B, and if so what bicycle equipment could make that possible. My youngest was cycled to school on a tag-along till about 7 or so then supervised and eventually in year 6 could cycle himself. But our 10 minutes if no traffic drive was paralleled by a 10 minute cycle route (a footpath/cycle path that was much more direct). You won't be surprised to hear that I've seen multiple types of bikes, not just tag alongs and trailers but cargo bikes, specialist family bikes, and triple bikes (ie tandem+1).

I’ve sent all four of mine to the fairly average closest school which is a three minute walk. There’s a fancier school a ten min drive away that they would have got into but I just could not bear driving there and back every day up to three times (after school clubs) and fighting to park. So we chose the closest school and I don’t regret it for one second. It’s been brilliant. They’ve been able to walk home from after school clubs since they were in Y4 and all of their friends live very close by.

It won't just be the OP and her husband who suffer though. A 30 minute journey twice a day every day will undoubtedly have an impact on the children.

We moved our year one child from the 5 minute walkable school to a 10 minute drive faith school. For us it was absolutely the best choice. Local school has a falling roll, no resources or wraparound care and is not heading in a great direction. It also had no secondary school options whereas now we are in the faith system they are much more likely to get into a good secondary school alongside primary school friends. Yes the logistics aren’t great but we are nearly 18 months in and have found our groove. They are in more wraparound care but they love it, they actually complain on days I pick them up at 3.30.

A 30 minute journey twice a day every day will undoubtedly have an impact on the children.

why?

I was never within walking distance of my DC primary schools (just how it worked out location wise) and it was a pita!

I would go for the one within walking distance.

We went for the faith school in similar circumstances but not twins, 3 each a couple of years apart and have been completely happy. Yes there are definitely times that I have thought closer would be easier but the school is brilliant, the kids are doing amazingly and are very happy. The pastoral care and general ethos is particularly strong and this is well worth the extra time to me.

Friends that have gone for the closer school have mixed views - particularly when the weather is awful!