Which school would you choose?

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I originally posted this in Chat, but haven't had any replies, so probably better to try here.

DD has been allocated our second choice school. We have to decide if to appeal or go on waiting list for our first choice school. Would be interested in hive mind opinion.

School A - 1.5 hour commute each way. Cost of £120 a month for bus fares. High achieving school with 80% of pupils passing Maths and English. Has good sixth form and sends kids to Oxbridge each year. Serves a well off area. OFSTED is good.

School B - Easy to walk to, so no cost. Lower achieving school with 50% passing Maths and English. No sixth form. Serves quite a deprived area. School under new leadership and trying hard to raise results. OFSTED is requires improvement due to low results.

My question is: which school would you choose? Money is an issue for us and daughter does not like the idea of the long commute that school A would entail. However, DD is an academic child and I don't want her to go to a school where she cannot reach her potential.

What are your thoughts? Very interested to hear from anyone who set their DC to a less than traditionally high achieving school and yet they still did well. Thanks

What would be the grounds on which you would appeal? I ask because unless they have not applied the admissions criteria correctly or there is new evidence of exceptional need (eg medical issues etc) you will not win I'm afraid. If you live that far away then there are likely to be many other children above your child on the waiting list. So unless a number of children leave you are extremely unlikely to get a place that way either.

Honestly, I'd chose B. If your dd has the right attitude and you keep a close eye on what's happening in school then she'll do well. As a higher attainer, she should be better nurtured and more valued than in a school where most children achieve well. The commute would be exhausting for her and £120 a month is not to be sniffed at. Others may come along to shout me down but it's what I would do.

Thank you. We wouldn't appeal, but school A has a waiting list and apparently places become available later in the year. Some children from DD's primary get in each year.

Can I ask how places become available later in the year? That's quite unusual!

So would I. Choose B I mean. Three hours a day for travel, every single day, is a pretty big deal.

In the meantime I’d appeal and put my name on the waiting list. It’s not an either/ or thing. You can do both.

My ds does a 50 min commute to school. No way would I let him do an hour and a half. Especially aged 11-15. Maybe, maybe for 6th form only.

Hour and a half each way? No chance would I let my dc do that unless there was absolutely no alternative.

Places become available due to school A kids getting the results to private school entry tests in May and going there instead

an hour and a half each way is a ridiculous proposition for a child of 11. especially in winter by public transport. most adults would think twice. plus the question of socialising with friends.
if places come up sometimes i would go with local school with a strict understanding with dc that if they are not working other schools come into play

I would say school B.
Any perk of school A would be cancelled out by exhaustion from the travelling.

I sympathise though op im.rying tonwork out where to go on waiting lists myself. Meanwhile dd is ecstatic to be able to walk or cycle after several years of driving

Use the money for bus fares for tutoring if need be.

No I wouldn’t consider that much travel . Also as they become older how would she develop friends

Private school offers are out. I can't think what school would offer in May?

Nonetheless, 1.5 hours is bonkers.

School B sounds fine.

I wouldn't want my child to do a three hour commute every day. No matter how good the school. If I wanted DC to have a place there, I would wait until it was offered and move house a little closer.
If school B are trying to raise academic standards, they will probably welcome your daughter with open arms. If it doesn't turn out that way in Year 7, try and move her for Year 8.