Move to private school 45 mins away from family or state school next to family?

[GGxoxo]

DH and I are planning to move house asap and don't want to delay it much longer. We envision ourselves in the next house for 20+ years, and our top two priorities are good schools and being close to family (both of our families live nearby each other). Our first baby is due soon, and we hope for at least one more in the future. We are considering the following options:

1. An area 45 minutes away from both of our families which has a brilliant private school for ages 2-11, and amazing private schools for senior school. These private schools appear to be the best in the region, and we are fortunate that we will be able to afford it. There are also a number of grammar schools in this area however they are catchment based. Being 45 minutes away from family means family support will be limited, my parents will not be able to assist with the school run meaning our children will be in breakfast and after school clubs daily from 2 onwards, and that they will see our children not as often as if we lived closer to them.

1. Purchase a house close to my family to have the family support raising our children and assisting with the school run, and have our children go to the local state primary school (currently rated good, which I know means very little). There are no private schools in this area for primary/junior, however there is one for senior which our children could go to but, it's academic performance is often outperformed by a local grammar and it is not as highly sought after as the schools 45 minutes away. My concern with this option is that my nephew is currently at the local state primary school and he is not being pushed, and is in fact helping teach the other children as he is so advanced. I know this could also happen at the private school 45 minutes away, but I worry that going this route I would always wonder 'what if I sent them to the private, would they have excelled more'? Whereas if if send them to the private and they don't excel, I would feel content knowing I did my best.

Having never had children before, do I choose what I perceive to be better education over family support or vice versa?

*It’s worth the committment

See if the private school has a bus service for secondary. I would probably go for the school personally as you'll still be close to family but a very personal call.

We live 45m from our kids’ indies with no family support😐