Massive school 25 min walk away vs tiny lovely school 1hr walk away??

[Mummywantsaweewee]

Thinking about where to enroll my 2 y/o when the time comes. The school closest to me is a massive primary which combines 4 villages children in one. 25 minute walk to get there (uphill all the way so chances are it will take a bit longer than 25mins)
A bit further away is a lovely small school very similar to the one I attended as a child max 30 kids from reception to yr6. Am keen for my children to have the same experience as me, tiny school so like a second family but it is a bit further away, about an hours walk or 7 mins by car.
Am I mad to consider the one that’s an hours walk away? I’m sure kids walked that far or further in years gone by and I’m sure it will be a better school experience.

I can understand the concerns with smaller schools (DDs school has 60 Pupils). But children are capable of having friends outside the year of their birth. DD who is 3 and in preschool is already making friends beyond the other 7 children in her year group.

We were out having lunch in a local cafe the other day and an older girl waved at DD so we went over, turns out she was in year 2 at DDs school (so same class as DD but 3 years older) and it was her who actively sought out my DD to say hello to. This may not be the norm in the UK but I can't see how it is necessarily a bad thing.

I have a friend who is in her 40s and went to the school when it was a one class school and has fond memories of roaming the village as a feral gang of 3 to 11 year olds. Not a bad childhood.

[quote Mummywantsaweewee]@ginghamstarfish because if my car broke down etc I need to consider how else to get there? 🙈[/quote]
Erm...my kids school is a 20 minute drive away. According to Google Maps it’s a 5hr and 43 minute walk.

I think if you have a car this shouldn’t be an issue you need to worry about. If it ever happens you get an Uber.