Is the commute justifiable?

[ByGoldHare]

Hi everyone, it’s my first time posting and would love to hear your thoughts this.
I have twin girls who will start nursery school this September. We got accepted into our catchment school (2 min drive or 15 mins walk with my kids) and also a slightly further out rural village school (12 min drive + potentially parking on the street and then walk 7-8 mins).
The local school is a “good” school and has a 3 form entry. I did like it when I first visited but felt the staff were too busy to give individualised attention to all the kids.
Then we found this village school which has only one form entry and absolutely loved it when we visited. It’s much smaller and has a close community feel. But it is quite a hassle to get there, park and walk. I know it’s not a big deal but it’s also graded “outstanding” by ofsted.
I guess my question is, should I go with my gut that the smaller school is better for my kids? Or should I take the easy way and send them to the local school? It is a big commitment to drive them there back and forth, but thankfully I’m in a position to be a full time mum as my husband’s job can support the family comfortably.
On top of that, I just found out I’m pregnant with number 3, which we are thrilled about but it will make school drop off logically much harder.
Please I would love to hear fr

@ByGoldHare I also worked in an independent school where one class had only 10 children in it. As a teacher, small classes impact friendships, social development, breadth of experiences, range of cultures and backgrounds, as well as limiting options for group work, teams, even in class discussion. All you need is 4-5 shy children and you'll end up with the same kids dominating every discussion and answering the questions.

Children in bigger classes and bigger cohorts have the chance to shine and develop in different ways. I'm used to classes of 30 and I'm morally obliged to make sure every child gets the attention they need to make as much progress as possible as well as their general development. You'll find good and not so good teachers in all schools, no matter which you choose and regardless of Ofsted rating. One school I worked in was rated outstanding in 2013 and then wasn't reinspected for a decade.