Should I put children in different primary schools?

[MaryDmc]

So our DS is attending a good school, local to us and he has had no issues. There is another primary school which I feel is perhaps better in some aspects but we decided against it due to distance. Our son will hopefully get into a Grammar school near the "better" primary school so we are debating where to send our DD. DS will be in Year 5 when she would be starting reception so they would potentially have 3 years together at the school but then if he hopefully gets into the grammar we would be travelling that direction anyway so she could start at "better" school from reception which may make travelling easier when DS moves to Grammar school. If this makes sense? It would be strange to have them at two different primary schools but maybe longer term easier, thoughts? Has anyone done this?
Also to add we will move house within the next few years so distance may not be as much of an issue so we could move DS when DD starts primary. So confused what to do

Have you got 2 people available to drop off and pick both of them up? If so I don't see what the problem would be except for keeping up with 2 separate school activities/emails, going from one school to the other for things like parents evenings/plays/sports days etc and they may have different inset days.

"DS will be in Year 5 when she would be starting reception so they would potentially have 3 years together at the school"

Usually primary is up to Y6 and secondary is Y7 - is that not the case for your local schools? If he starts Y5 when she starts reception, they'll have 2 years together won't they?

Personally I think it would be a massive PITA to have them at different primary schools even if it was just for 2 years. When your oldest goes to secondary, will he be able to walk or cycle there himself?

If I were you I'd send her to the same primary school as him, then when he goes to secondary school and/or when you move house, you could consider moving her to the primary school you prefer. It might be good timing to move her at the end of KS1 (Y2) so she starts KS2 (Y3) at the new primary.

Ours went to different primaries.

Ds was into music/singing and went to a cathedral school. Dd1 attended a local primary school as she was bright but not into music. They are 3.5 years apart.

No big deal.

We're in Northern Ireland so ive possibly written it wrong but they'd have three years, didn't think about the other aspects of sports day and days off etc, my dh has said ds would possibly get the bus so im a bit confused

Ah OK thanks. I had to google the system in NI 🙈 And now understand that primary is R-P7 and secondary is P8 onwards. Confusingly the years are numbered differently compared to England, I think your reception = English preschool and your P1 = English reception, your P2 = English Y1, etc.

Anyway. With 3 years overlap I would definitely send her to the same primary school as her big brother. When he starts secondary she will be going from foundation (P2) to KS1 (P3) so if I were you I would consider moving her to the other school at that point.

Honestly it would be such a pain with different school runs, different inset days, sports days, concerts etc. Plus twice the number of emails (our primary school sends so many) and different systems for paying for lunches, booking clubs and trips etc. Gah.

Mine have never been to the same school - primary, secondary or sixth! Based on their personalities, skills and needs.