4 years ago, I relocated my 12 year old son during Covid for personal reasons and put him into an amazing independent school that he has loved. Every other weekend he travelled between Oxford and Leeds to maintain a relationship with his father that me and his father facilitated. I kept my house in the north and 2 years ago we had the opportunity to move back which I was desperate to do at the time but then I asked him what he wanted to do and he said he loved his friends and wanted to stay, I said yes and explained that he’d stay until at least GCSEs (he’s also an only child). Fast forward to today, and for various reasons I need to move back north to our old house and he has a place at York college, he was brilliant about it at first as it’ll mean he’s much closer to his dad. We’re also moving back to the house where we live for 8 years (from 4 to 12). He’s very popular and now the time has nearly come has said the he wants to stay in Oxford. However, I can’t afford to keep him in his current school and all admissions are closed for really good public sixth form colleges. I’m desperate to leave and move away from my horrible ex partner and the last 4 years have wrecked my mental health. I’ve just had to make it work for my son and recognising his needs but if I stay here where I have no friends and only work and have to drag my son up and down the motorway for another 2 years, it will break me and I don’t think that’s healthy for my son either as it’s only ever really been me and him. All my friends say he’ll have no problems making new friends and the college is great but all that I read about moving a 16 year old at this point ia tricky. If we don’t move he’ll be even more rooted and I would rather we’re closer as a family with his dad nearby. Thoughts?