Small village primary or selective prep?

[islandhopper]

Where do you think would be best for a highly academic boy - small nurturing village primary (mixed age classes, eg yr3/4, yr5/6) or very academic selective prep few miles away? Want him to be happy - ie stimulated/stretched, but not pressured/no childhood. Thinking from 7+ , ie year 3.

Personally, I would go for whichever school he is likely to fit in best with the other children. At primary age, the social side is very important, so putting him with people he doesn't have much in common with is not fair IMHO.

My preference would be village primary, as he then has the choice of state or independent secondary, but if you go private at primary it is hard to go to state secondary.

It depends on the 'small village primary'. My dsis teaches at one of those and it is AWFUL. It is a lot worse than my inner city, deprived-area, local school (where my kids go). I was surprised. I thought all small, village schools were lovely! And that view is based on her descriptions of it, and the OFTSED report done recently. So I would find out a bit more first.

Hi, islandhopper. I saw your thread on Primary Education, too. In your circumstances, I wouldn't move your ds if he is happy where he is. Is he and you are just worried he is not being stretched enough, or does he complain an awful lot about school?