I'll keep this as brief as I can.
My 2 DCs currently attend a local private primary school because neither of them were allocated places at any of our 3 choices of state primary. DS is in Y3 and DD is in YR (there was a shortfall of over 300 Reception places in our town this time last year, and apparently it's even worse this year). We moved into the area towards the end of DS' Reception year, which is why no state school places were available. Our only option at the time was to send him to a private school and go on the waiting lists for state schools.
3 years after joining the waiting lists and FINALLY a place has come up at a very good local junior school. It's not our catchment school (which is really, really awful) but it is only 1 mile from our house and it is wonderful. It has fantastic SEN provision, and DS is dyslexic. At his current school we have to pay for additional SEN tuition on top of the fees. And he only gets half an hour per week. It's not enough. We try to do extra with him at home but he HATES it and really needs it to be done within a school environment.
I don't know whether to send him to the new school or not! I'm worried sick about the school fees, but I'm also worried sick about DS' happiness. There's nothing wrong with his current school but the new one is so much more geared up to meet his needs. But how on earth do I get 2 kids to 2 schools 2 miles apart at the same time each morning, and pick them up at the same time each day??!! What do others do? Do the kids take it in turns to go to breakfast club / afterschool club?
Any experience/advice/wisdom please? (And sorry - this wasn't brief at all!).